Granary Weevil Control: How To Get Rid of Granary Weevils

This page is a general is a Granary Weevil control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Granary Weevils. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Granary Weevils.

Storing too much food in your pantry that you don’t intend on eating anytime soon can be rather risky as it may potentially lead to an infestation of pantry pests. One of the notorious culprits that can alarm homeowners in this type of way is the Granary Weevil. This pantry pest is known for contaminating grains and wheat products by laying eggs in the kernels and making the food unfit for human consumption.

Granary weevils enjoy grains and a variety of dried foods but they can also consume fabrics and books and even wallpaper. Adult granary weevils lay eggs in food and can release eggs rapidly to bring upon a new generation of contaminators. Unfortunately for homeowners, the presence of weevils is nearly impossible to detect until there is a massive number crawling around in your food storage.

If you have a problem with Granary Weevils in your pantry, there is a way to eliminate them. Our DIY guide below contains expert how-to advice using professional-grade products so you can eliminate the Granary Weevil infestation yourself.

Identification

Before you can proceed with treatment you need to make sure you’re dealing with Granary Weevils. Careless identification can lead to using the wrong treatment products, costing you time and money.

• Granary weevils are also called grain weevils or wheat weevils and are closely related to the rice weevil.
• Granary weevils easily stand out with their reddish-brown color looking similar to a beetle. They are cylinder-shaped and average between 3 and 5 mm in length.
• The larvae of granary weevils are the ones that unleash the most damage. They appear to be white legless grubs that are nearly microscopic.

Use the image and description above to help identify Granary Weevils. If you are not sure, contact us and we will assist you with proper identification.

Inspection

Once you have identified the Granary Weevil, you need to know the areas that Granary Weevils are infesting. During the inspection, you will focus on finding these “hotspots” where they commonly found.

Start by emptying all our pantry cabinets, shelving, and closets where you have spotted them or believe they have been active.

Where To Inspect

Because Granary Weevils are known to infest food products, begin your inspection where food goods are stored. Start by emptying all your pantry cabinets, shelving, and closets where you have spotted them or believe they have been active.

You will need to go through all your boxed food and check them all for traces of granary weevils. Any item where you see them needs to be disposed of immediately by sealing them in a plastic bag. This will help to contain them until your garbage picked up by the garbage man.

What To Look For

You’re looking for an infested food product. Inspect every food package mentioned above looking inside for adult and larvae Granary Weevils. If you find an adult, larvae, inside any of these packages this is where you will apply the treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Granary Weevil activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

The best method of controlling Granary Weevils if you have an infestation in your pantry is tossing out all your stored dried food products, doing a detailed cleanup, and vacuuming, then applying Novacide Aerosol to kill adult Rice Weevils and halt the development of eggs and larvae. Finally, you should place Pyrid Aerosol to kill any remaining Weevils.

Step 1 - Preliminary Cleanup and Vacuuming

The smart thing to do if you discover an infestation is to throw away EVERYTHING you have in your pantry, so you can ensure that the Granary Weevils will be eliminated.  This may not sound like an appealing option but you don’t want to leave any food item to chance.

Next, you will vacuum the areas where the food goods are stored. Vacuum the top, bottom, sides, and corners of the shelves, cabinets, and pantries where the infestation took place. Next, use a toothpick to clean the small pegs where the screws are placed in shelving. These areas are notorious for holding small eggs. Next, take a cloth that has been soaked in soapy water and clean the shelves, cabinets, and pantries.

Once the vacuuming is complete, proceed to wipe the shelves and countertops clean with a mild detergent or germicide. Make sure that you get the cleaning product in the darkest nooks and crannies and also beneath furnishings and the space under heavy appliances, such as the fridge, the microwave, and the washing machine.

Step 2: Apply Pyrid Aerosol

Pyrid Aerosol is a ready to use, insecticide aerosol that is used as a flushing agent and is great to use as a crack and crevice treatment inside pantries. To use, remove the white applicator from the top of the can and replace it with the red straw tip applicator.

Shake the can and then spray along the length of crack and crevices of your pantry shelving in quick bursts usually at about 1 second of spray per foot.

Step 3 - Apply Novacide Aerosol

Novacide is our top recommended insecticide to control weevils in that can kill adult weevils and comes with an IGR (or Insect Growth Regulator) which affects weevil larvae and eggs.  The best part about Novacide is its residual effect as it can remain effective for up to 7 months so you don't have to apply often.

Wearing gloves, a safety mask and protective eyewear, apply a light mist of Novacide in short bursts in the crevices of your emptied pantry shelves where the shelving meets the wall. Next, spray along the baseboards and flooring of your pantry, kitchen, carpeting in your bedroom and the baseboards of your bedroom and bedroom closets in a downward sweeping motion. Apply in any other areas you may be suspicious of to be on the safe side.

Prevention

Once you have eliminated Granary Weevils from your pantry, you will want to implement preventative measures so they don't reinfest.

• Start by regularly checking food packages before you buy them. Inspect the packages for possible tears, holes, or punctures. Many times these packages will already have an infestation inside. Also, get in the habit of taking out the food products from their original packaging and putting them into tight-fitting plastic containers.
• Also, try to only buy a week’s worth of food goods. This will make you quickly use the food goods, and prevent them from sitting on your shelves for months on end, which can open the possibility of an infestation.
• Finally, use Novacide Aerosol throughout the year to monitor and prevent future infestations. You could also spray Novacide Aerosol preventatively in your pantry every 7 months for continued protection.

Key Takeaways

What are Granary Weevils

• Granary Weevils are a common pantry pest known to contaminate food storage areas and create a large infestation with their egg-laying habits.
• While Granary Weevils are known to contaminate pantries but can also travel to other areas of the home like the bedroom to consume fabrics.

How To Get Rid of Granary Weevils

• Remember that to obtain complete control you need to get rid of the source of the infestation. If one of your foods is contaminated, it would be wise to exercise precaution and toss out everything to eliminate the chances of reinfestation.
• Conduct a thorough inspection to locate the item the Granary weevils have infested and then do a detailed comprehensive cleanup and vacuuming of your home, focusing on the kitchen and bedroom areas.
• Apply a combination of Novacide Aerosol and Pyrid Aerosol to address Granary Weevils that linger inside the home after cleaning up.

Preventing Granary Weevils Reinfestation

• Re-apply Novacide preventatively every 7 months to keep Granary Weevil infestations under control.
• Closely examine stored foods you purchase and do not overstock your pantry with excessive amounts of food. Stored foods that you do have should be packed away in hard plastic or glass containers in tight lids.