Weevils Control- Austin, TX

Magic Pest & Lawn specializes in Weevils Control!

Weevils are often confused with beetles, although they are not related. However, some beetles do bear the name weevil. Weevils are pantry pests, and they damage crops. 

Weevils are known for their elongated head that forms into a snout. They are small and oval-shaped, ranging from 3mm to 10mm in length. Weevils are herbivores and feed on plants. 

Weevils can be very destructive to crops and plants, mainly due to their larvae. The weevil larvae feed only on certain parts of plants, like the flower head, seeds, stems, or roots. Many larvae feed on either one specific plant species, or on a closely related one. Weevils snouts are used not only for penetration, but for boring holes in which to lay eggs. Weevil eggs are invisible to the eye, so it is easy to bring them inside from outside, or buy wheat or rice that might be tainted with weevils. 

Weevil infestations are not always present when they are outside of the home. Homeowners notice an infestation when they are inside of the home. They are more of a nuisance than they are a problem, when they are inside. People often find hundreds of weevils on walls and windowsills. 

Grain or wheat weevils 

Grain weevils are found in different types of farm-stored grain. Grain weevils are brown and still don an elongated head that goes into a snout. Measuring at only about 5 cm, it makes it easy for them to move around without being detected. Wheat weevils have vestigial wings, and are incapable of flying. Exit holes in grain indicate weevils presence.

Wheat weevils are detrimental to agricultural communities. Since they are able to fly, they find themselves inhabiting stored grains over grains in the field. When wheat weevils are disturbed they play dead making it hard for them to be controlled since it can be uncertain if they are actually dead or not. 

Female grain weevils puncture kernels of grain to deposit their eggs. Weevils’ eggs are then hatched into larvae. Kernels are the larvae main source of food. Larvae then become pupae within 5 weeks, and mature weevils within 5 months.

Pantry weevils

Pantry weevils prefer dark, moist areas, primarily in the pantry of your kitchen. Pantry weevils are very hard to get rid of, but there are preventative measures that you can take to keep pantry weevils at bay. 

The pantry weevil’s diet primarily consists of: flour, grain, rice, cereal, nuts, and beans. Weevils are the only pantry dwellers that lay their eggs into the food, and continue to eat on the food until they are mature weevils. Pantry weevils come inside from an outside source. Weevils can contaminate food that is purchased at the store, and is then brought home and stored in a cool, dark place. 

Pantry weevils are very hard to detect since they only grow to be 1/16th of an inch. The only detection are small brown specks on their preferred food source. If you do suspect that you are dealing with weevils there are ways to help curb the problem before calling in the professionals. 

• Clean out your pantry, or where you store your dry goods. Remove all unopened and opened rice, cereal, grains, nuts, and beans and inspect them for weevils. Throw away any suspected contaminated foods, even if they have not been opened and are sealed. 
• Freeze any salvaged items. If you do not see any signs of grown weevils in any products, freeze them for up to four days to kill any larvae that may be in the packages. Freezing products right away after bringing them home from the grocery store will help as well. 
• Deep clean your storage. Once you have thrown any contaminated products out, or have put any other products in the freezer, clear any other bags of food or cans of food from the shelves. Vacuum and wipe down to disinfect your pantry or storage area. 

To fully get rid of your pantry weevil infestation, call the experts at Magic Pest and Lawn to help identify and take care of your pantry weevil problem.

If you suspect you are dealing with pantry weevils then contact our experts at Magic Pest and Lawn today. Our experts at Magic Pest and Lawn can help you identify and come up with a plan to handle weevils.