About Weevils
Beetles with extended snouts are known as weevils. Weevils are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, with large snouts that make them identifiable. They may live for up to 8 months and travel far from the contaminated food. They eat just plants. There are over 97,000 different species of weevils. Because of their potential to harm and kill crops, many weevils are considered pests.
Habits
The larva feeds on the meat inside the grain/seed after the egg hatches (inside the grain/seed). The adult weevil can eat its way out of the grain/seed once it has reached adulthood. Male weevils wait outside the hole for her to emerge, emitting pheromones, and will instantly seek to mate with her to breed.
Habitats
Unlike beetles living and feeding on food, these weevils live and eat inside the food. The female chews a hole in a seed or grain kernel, inserts an egg, and then closes the hole, leaving the egg behind.
Threats
The rice weevil is the most dangerous, partly due to its long life and partly due to its ability to fly, although all three weevils may cause considerable harm to stored goods. When they infest grain that has been kept in bins and has gone unnoticed, the food might be destroyed. Weevils can be introduced into the house on packaged foods or they can get in from the outside. If the bugs are not controlled once inside, a colony can thrive and spread to neighboring food products.
Prevention
When weevils are discovered indoors, use a vacuum or a broom and dustpan to manually remove them. Pesticides are neither effective nor required. These weevils are harmless and only stay for a short time before disappearing. Their numbers fluctuate from year to year. If you notice a lot of weevils one year, it doesn’t indicate they’ll be an issue the next year.
