Merchant Grain Beetle

Natural Habitat

Typically found in pantries or kitchens, infesting stored food products such as grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.

Diet & Feeding

Broad range of dried plant-based foods, particularly high-oil content items like nuts and seeds; it does not feed on whole grains but rather processed products.

Behavior Patterns

They are highly active crawlers and are capable of flight. They have a flattened body shape that allows them to squeeze into tiny cracks in food packaging. They often lay eggs directly in food sources.

Risks & Benefits

They are a common household pest that can contaminate large volumes of food with waste and shed skins. They do not bite or carry diseases, but their presence usually requires discarding infested food products.

Identified on: 5/13/2026