Drugstore Beetle

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide, commonly infests stored food products in homes, pantries, bakeries, and warehouses. Infests a wide variety of dry plant and animal products, including flour, bread, spices, pet food, and even non-food items like books and leather.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae are voracious and feed on a wide range of dry organic materials, including grains, spices, seeds, pet food, prescription drugs, and book bindings. Adults do not feed.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are active fliers and are attracted to light. The larval stage is the destructive, feeding stage. Females lay eggs in or near a suitable food source. The full life cycle can take two to seven months, depending on temperature.

Risks & Benefits

The primary risk is the contamination and destruction of stored food and other organic products. They are considered a common pantry pest. They do not bite or sting humans and are not known to transmit diseases.

Identified on: 11/16/2025