![]() ![]() They cannot bite or sting and do not attack plants, furniture or the house structure. Management of foreign grain beetlesįoreign grain beetles are a nuisance and annoyance but do not harm anything within the home. ![]() Beetles emerge from the new house walls for a period of several weeks until the house completely dries out. This moisture could come from wood left outdoors and exposed to rain before or during building, rain that blew into the house before it was "closed in," or moisture from drywall compound applied over sheetrock. The beetles come from inside walls where molds are growing because of moisture that was sealed into the walls during construction. However, as indicated above, foreign grain beetles are most frequently discovered as an unwanted house-warming guest in newly-constructed homes. Normal exclusion techniques as for other accidental invaders can be used in this case. They are common "outdoor" insects and may enter homes in small numbers as "accidental invaders" through screens, cracks, and crevices, or around windows and doors. Almost any mold or fungus growth may support foreign grain beetles. However, they often infest damp or spoiled grain and are common in grain storage facilities, giving rise to their name. Red flour beetle (right) and a foreign grainįoreign grain beetle adults and larvae feed on molds and fungi, and not on grain as the name would imply. The beetles are strong fliers and they are attracted to lights. ![]() A good magnifier is necessary to see this distinguishing character. The shape is similar to that of the flour beetle, but the most noticeable difference, in addition to the smaller size, is the presence of tiny knobs or bumps on the front corners of the thorax. The reddish-brown beetles are small, only 3/32 inch long which is slightly more than half the length of the familiar red flour beetle. The foreign grain beetle is abundant during late summer and fall. Calls and samples from new home owners, on the other hand, are quite common. In my opinion, this annoying little beetle should be renamed the "new house beetle" because I seldom receive samples or calls from people finding this insect in foreign grain. New houses are frequently infested with foreign grain beetles, a common and often abundant "fungus" beetle found throughout the world. An interesting, but unsettling thing happens to many occupants of brand new houses, especially when the houses are built in the summer and occupied in late summer or fall. ![]()
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