Confused Flour Beetle

Natural Habitat

Commonly found in pantries, food storage areas, mills, granaries, and any location where dry food products are stored. They prefer dark, warm, and humid environments. They are a common pest in residential and commercial settings.

Diet & Feeding

Omnivorous, primarily feeding on milled grain products like flour, cereal, cornmeal, pasta, and pet food. They can also feed on nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices, chocolate, and other dried plant materials.

Behavior Patterns

Confused flour beetles are quite active and restless, moving constantly around their environment. They can fly, but usually prefer to crawl. They are known to infest a wide variety of dried food products. Females lay eggs directly in food sources, and larvae develop within the food. Their full life cycle from egg to adult takes about 30-90 days, depending on temperature and humidity.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Primarily a pantry pest, contaminating food products with their bodies, larval casings, and fecal matter, rendering them unfit for consumption. They can also impart a foul odor and taste to infested foods. No known direct health risks to humans (e.g., bites or stings), but consuming infested food can be unpleasant and potentially cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Benefits: No significant benefits to humans or the ecosystem are widely recognized for this species.

Identified on: 8/16/2025