Red Flour Beetle

Flour mills, granaries, food processing plants, warehouses, grocery stores, and household pantries. They thrive in warm, humid environments.

They are scavengers that primarily feed on spoiled or damaged grains, flour, cereals, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, beans, spices, and other dried food products. They cannot feed on whole, sound grains.

Flour beetles are highly active, especially at night. They can fly but prefer to crawl. Females lay eggs directly on food sources. Larvae and adults infest grain products. They are known for their strong aggregation pheromones which lead to large infestations.

Risks: Major stored product pests, causing significant economic damage by contaminating food with their bodies, feces, and secretions (quinones) that impart a foul odor and taste, making food unfit for consumption. They do not bite or transmit diseases to humans. Benefits: None notable as a pest.