Drugstore Beetle

Natural Habitat

Commonly found indoors in kitchens, pantries, and food storage areas, infesting a wide variety of dry stored products.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae feed on an extensive range of dry organic materials, including flour, grains, spices (especially paprika), cereals, pasta, pet food, and even non-food items like books. Adults do not feed.

Behavior Patterns

Adults are active fliers and are attracted to light. Females lay eggs in or near a food source. The small, white, c-shaped larvae are responsible for the damage as they tunnel through and consume the food product. The life cycle can be completed in about two months in warm conditions.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: A major pantry pest that contaminates and destroys stored foods, rendering them inedible. They do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases to humans. Benefits: No significant benefits in a domestic environment; they serve as decomposers in their natural habitat.

Identified on: 11/7/2025