RICE WEEVIL CONTROL

    This article is about RICE WEEVIL control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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   There are many pantry pests which can infest homes
and businesses. Though Meal Moths, Grain Beetles and
Flour Beetles are very common, Rice Weevils are just
as likely to be the unwanted insect in such areas.
Rice Weevils are small and easy to kill, but they can 
complete their life cycle quickly. Adult females will start
laying eggs almost immediately so once you have some
activity in a structure, it is sure to blossom into
a problem which will need attention. Found throughout
the world, Rice Weevils are a pest which can be controlled
like many other pantry pests. Find the route of entry,
discard infested food or belongings and treat with
both residual insecticides and traps.
   Rice weevils are a small insect, about 1/16 to 1/8
of an inch long. They are mostly brown to black in
color and can have spots on their thorax and abdomen.
As the name implies, they like rice. However, Rice
weevils can be found eating just about anything in
the home. More common food stuff they like include
seeds of all types, dried beans, cotton, nuts, cereal,
any wheat product, corn, flour, pasta, bread and other
grain products found in any home. But their tastes
don't end in the pantry. Rice Weevils will readily
feed on cotton fabric found in furniture and clothing.
Since they love dried flowers and plants, decorative
ornaments found in the home such are wreathes and dried
flower arrangements can harbor and feed local
populations. It is not uncommon to find them living
in or on Christmas ornaments, dried flower collections
and stored clothing. Furthermore, adults love
apples, pears, grapes and other fruits found in and
around homes. Since they are great flyers, it is not
uncommon for them to fly their way into any home hot
on the scent of some fruit or grain.
   Rice weevils start their life as a small caterpillar
like larva which hatches on some type of food like
a wheat grain, seed or nut. Eggs will hatch within a
couple of days of being laid and feed immediately.
Feeding will occur for 1-3 weeks and then larva will
spin a cocoon in which they will pupate to an adult.
Pupation takes about 1 week at which time adults will
emerge. Rice weevils present more of a nuisance than
some other pantry pests because adults feed just as
much as their larva preferring a wider range of things
to eat. Since they fly well and are small, rice
weevils can move throughout the home easily finding
all kinds of things to eat. Adult females wills start
laying eggs within 3 days of emerging from their
pupa cocoons. Most will lay 300-600 eggs during their
3-6 month life span. Since rice weevils can grow from
egg to egg laying adult in less than one month, they can
be a formidable foe in and around the home. If you 
suspect you have rice weevil activity, there are
several things you must do to knock out current 
activity and insure new populations won't quickly
emerge. Here are the guidelines and treatments
which are needed.
1) First, empty all cabinets, shelves and closets where
they have been seen or thought to exist. Any food stuff
which has them active must be discarded in sealed plastic
bags. This will help contain them until the garbage is
picked up. If you are not sure if something has activity,
store it in a plastic bag and check it every week. If
there are any Rice Weevils in it they will try
to get out within a few weeks. If some are found, throw
it away immediately. Since this pest is temperature
tolerant, don't waste your time trying to freeze adults,
eggs or larva. Though you will certainly kill some of
them, too many will assuredly live prepared to continue
their cycle. Once food stuff which is thought to have
activity is discarded, you are ready to prepare for
doing a treatment. However, before you treat, vacuum
all closets, shelves and baseboards. This will help
to remove eggs which are too small to see. Rice
Weevils lay eggs with a glue like excretion which helps
to attach them to surfaces where food is likely to be
available. This helps to keep them in place and vacuuming
will help to remove some.
2) Once everything has been removed from the cabinets
and they have been vacuumed, you can start treatments. The
first product to use is BAYGON AEROSOL.  This comes in a
spray can with a straw attachment which makes it ideal
for applying to cracks and crevices where both adults and
larva like to reside. Be sure to get as many as you have -
not just where you think beetles may be hiding. Rice
Weevils are small, fast and quick to hide when ever people
are around disturbing where they have been feeding. Many
will go unnoticed and missed so it is best to treat every
cabinet to be sure you get proper coverage. Let the
treatment dry for 1 hour and all dishes and food stuff
can then go back away without hazard to people or pets.
3) Now that the cabinets and pantry areas have been
treated, you may have to treat other areas of the home
if activity has been noted. Laundry rooms, garages,
basements and other areas where pet food and grain
products like grass seed are stored are prime locations
for Rice Weevils to reside. One or two rooms like
this will be easy to treat with Baygon but if you have
several which need an application, get some of our
PERMETHRIN which will be much more effective and thorough
for large applications. Apply it with one of our
PUMP SPRAYERS which will allow you to get good coverage
quickly. Focus in on baseboards, moldings and floor
joists if accessible. Since rodenticide is one of their
favorite foods, be sure to check any bait placements
you have done in the last couple of years. Attics are
common areas where Rice Weevils thrive and then
find their way inside living areas. If you have an
attic with rodenticide, be sure to remove any suspected
of feeding Rice Weevils and treat with Permethrin
to insure migrating adults won't be able to find their
way inside.
4) Now that you have treated all cabinets, pantries,
rooms and baseboards where adults may be hiding, install
some of our RICE WEEVIL PHEROMONE TRAPS in any area where
you have or suspect activity. These traps use strong
pheromones or sex attractants to lure adults. Once
they crawl or fly into the holding tray, the thick
catching oil will hold them for good. Set these traps
in the back of any shelf or cabinet area. They are
quite discreet and easy to conceal. However, the beetles
will assuredly find them. Be sure to place some in
any room where activity has been noted and as a general
rule, try to get at least one per shelf. These traps
will remain active for 1-2 months quite well. However,
you will need to replace them once they fill with
insects so be sure to inspect them weekly if you have
had a lot of activity.
   Rice Weevils can be a persistent pest once
they are established in the home. To break their life
cycle, you will need to remove any food which is
infested. Next, clean and vacuum all cabinets or
closets where they have been found. Treat with
Baygon Aerosol to kill off hatching larva and migrating
adults. The Baygon will provide several weeks of
protection should any new eggs hatch or if any new
adults come into the area. If you have them throughout
the home, treat with the Permethrin to get better
coverage. Finally, set some of the Pheromone based
traps out in cabinets and pantries where activity
has been noted. Be sure to keep the traps fresh
so they are always helping by catching adults
before they mate and try to reproduce. This program
will help to break the cycle so that it will
eventually run it's course and disappear.
   
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