Stored Product Insects

There are many species of stored product insects in the United Kingdom that contaminate food, timber and more. Unless treated for quickly, they can affect your business and your reputation so call Guardian for a free quotation to protect you against these unwanted intruders.

Beetles

Biscuit Beetle (Stegobium paniceum) and
Cigarette/Tobacco Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne)
The Biscuit beetle attacks not only foodstuffs but also leather, paper and other manufactured goods. The larvae of these pests are voracious feeders and are able to chew through almost all forms of packaging including metal, which makes this species a significant commercial and domestic pest.
This beetle is closely related to the Cigarette/Tobacco beetle, which it closely resembles and both species grow from 2 to 3mm in length and are a light brown colour. Although the Cigarette beetle is primarily a pest of leaf tobacco, cigars and cigarettes it will also infest many other stored products.

Larder Beetle (Dermestes lardarius) and
Leather Beetle (Dermestes maculatus)
These beetles grow on average to 8mm in length and are from the Dermestes family. They feed on various animal products that are high in protein and are a serious pest of kitchens. The Larder beetle is black with a whitish band across the forepart of its back while the Leather beetle is black with a white underside.

Broad-horned Flour Beetle (Gnatocerus cornutus),
Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium confusum) and
Rust-red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum)
These beetles are roughly 3-4mm in length with the Broad-horned flour beetle being slightly larger with hornlike mandibles on the head. The Confused flour beetle and the Rust-red flour beetle are reddish brown in colour and these beetles attack milled grain products such as flour and cereals and can build up into large populations on accumulated food as can be found in storage silos, flour mills, bakeries and pantries. Economic loss due to these insects is high as they taint food with their secretions.

Flat Grain Beetle (Cryptolestes ferrugineus)
Merchant Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus mercator) and
Saw-toothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis)
These pests threaten industries that deal with bulk stored grain with loss of stock and goodwill from customers. The Flat grain beetle, as it’s name suggests, has a flattened body, grows to 2.5mm in length and is light to dark red in colour. The Merchant grain beetle and the Saw-toothed grain beetle are more similar in appearance; growing up to 3mm in length and both have six saw-like projections on each side of the thorax.

Australian Spider Beetle (Ptinus tectus) and
Golden Spider Beetle (Niptus hololeucus)
The Australian spider beetle originates from Tasmania and is associated with bird’s nests and stored foodstuffs. The larvae can bore through many types of packaging and is a widespread pest in the food industry. They grow to an average of 3.5mm in length, are covered in brown hairs and have a spider-like appearance.
The Golden spider beetle is slightly larger, growing to an average of 4.5mm and is covered in golden-yellow hairs. This species is also linked to textile damage in homes as well as stored foodstuffs.

Yellow Mealworm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor)
This hardy beetle is commonly mistaken for the common ground beetle, being robust, black and nearly 18mm in length. They claim their name from their larvae, which are a distinct honey-yellow in colour. These beetles are strong fliers, commonly feeding on cereals, meat scraps and dead insects.

Booklice, various species (Liposcelis bostrychophila, Lepinotus patruelis)
Booklice vary in size, depending on the species, but are between 1-2mm in length and are yellow-brown to dark brown in colour. The Liposcelis species are common in homes whilst the Lepinotus are commonly found in food manufacturing plants and granaries. They are known to infest food, plaster, leather woodwork and also books, where they feed on microscopic mould.

Grain Weevil (Sitophilus granarius) and
Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)
Weevils are different from normal beetles by having a rostrum (snout) and both the Grain and Rice weevil are similar in appearance, being 2-3mm in length and dark brown in colour. The Grain weevil is a pest of industries that store grain, as its name suggests, but the Rice weevil is more often found in wheat than rice. The larvae of both these species pupate inside wheat, rye or other seeds, where it will remain hidden until it matures.

Moths

Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)
The Indian meal moth is a pest of food industries that store nuts, grain and dried fruit. They grow up to 10mm in length and can be identified by their wings, the first third being a light grey colour and the remainder of the wings to the tip are reddish brown. The female lays her eggs near foodstuffs so that the larvae have close access for feeding once they hatch.

Mill Moth (Ephestia kuehniella)
Mill moths grow to 9mm in length and have a black pattern across their grey wings. This moth is a significant pest in industries that process or handle flour such as bakeries and shops. It is responsible for spoilage to stock and the larval silk it produces can lead to blockages in process machinery.

Warehouse Moth (Ephestia elutella)
The Warehouse moth is a common and serious pest of food storage, causing physical damage to products as well as possibility of larval silk finding its way into packaged products, contaminating food. This pest attacks tobacco, cocoa as well as nuts, grain and dried fruit. This species can grow up to 10mm and has greyish-brown wings.