Drugstore Beetle

Natural Habitat

Found worldwide in pantries, kitchens, and warehouses where dried foods or stored products are kept.

Diet & Feeding

Polyphagous; they eat a wide variety of dried plant products including flour, bread, spices (like paprika), pet food, and even medicinal herbs.

Behavior Patterns

They are active fliers and are attracted to light. They undergo complete metamorphosis, with larvae doing the majority of the damage by tunneling through food sources.

Risks & Benefits

They are a significant pantry pest that ruins stored food products. While they do not bite humans or pets and are not known to transmit diseases, infested food is considered contaminated and should be discarded.

Identified on: 4/17/2026