Stored Product Pests

Stored product pests are insects that tend to gather around food often stored in pantries and cabinets, such as flour, dry cereals, spices, candies and chocolate.

Indian meal moths (pictured left) like to feed on dried fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, chocolate, candies, bird seed, dog food, powdered milk, dried red peppers and candy. Dried food products should be inspected thoroughly for signs of Indian meal moth infestations. Discard infested foods in outdoor trash bins. 

Merchant grain beetles are typically not found in grain products, but instead like to attack cereals, cake mixes, macaroni, cookies and chocolate. Merchant grain beetles are dark brown and have six saw-like teeth on each side of their bodies. They can grow to be one-eighth of an inch long and have very flat bodies. The merchant grain beetle's body shape allows it to crawl into packaging to eat, live and reproduce. Discard infested foods in outdoor trash bins.