How to get rid of grain weevil: description of the pest and effective control methods

Those wishing to feast on the fruits of man's labor appeared on the same day when man first stocked up on food. It is known that Ancient Rome and Egypt suffered from an invasion of granary beetles that spoiled grain reserves. Centuries have passed, but humanity still cannot get rid of such a parasite as the common barn weevil. To immediately recognize the parasite in a product, you should study its description and characteristics. And in order to understand how to combat it more effectively, it is necessary to find out methods of reproduction, preferred conditions and other information.

Granary weevil: description

Characterized by its small size (about 4 mm), the pest bug is distinguished by its dark brown, almost black color, narrow long body and the presence of wings. Such an insect is not adapted to flight, which does not prevent it from successfully moving over considerable distances with the help of humans. The granary weevil travels from continent to continent on ships carrying industrial grain shipments, and by land on trains and automobiles. How to get rid of such a dangerous insect?

The process of reproduction of such insects occurs during the warm period: the female, using a thin proboscis, gnaws a small hole in each grain (there are two in a corn grain), lays an egg in it, and then seals the crack with a stopper made of flour. This trick makes damaged grains practically indistinguishable from whole grains. You can spot the “trick” if you throw a handful of grains into the water: damaged (infested) specimens will float to the surface, while intact ones will sink to the bottom. Upon visual inspection, you can see that grains with larvae are an order of magnitude duller in color than undamaged ones.

Types of weevils with photos

Experts know about more than 5 thousand species of elephant beetles. Insects of this family have one characteristic difference - the presence of an elongated proboscis. At the same time, there are species with both short and long proboscis. Depending on the type of weevil, their larvae also have some differences. For example:

• In weevils with a short proboscis, the larvae are found in the soil, where they develop by eating small roots and plant debris.
• The larvae of elephant beetles with a long proboscis develop in plant stems, where they find food for themselves.

Grape snails - where they live and how long they live, what benefits and harm they bring to humans.
Weevil larvae are distinguished by the fact that they do not have legs, and the body has a dense, fleshy structure. The body color depends on the type of beetle and can be white, beige, red, brown, etc.

The characteristic features of elephant beetles are:

• Coloring.
• Diet.
• Body shape and size.

As a rule, weevils are nocturnal, and during the daytime they hide in their shelters. Some types of beetles develop in fruits or young shoots. They make long passages under the bark of trees, which greatly harms plants.

There are types of weevils that appear quite often in garden plots.

Beetroot

The beetle grows up to 1.5 cm in length and has a black body color. In this case, the abdomen is gray, and the back is brown. Fine hairs can be seen all over the body. It begins to show its activity at the first shoots of beets in the garden. At the same time, it can harm young shoots of carrots, cucumbers, cabbage and legumes. The larva is white in color and prefers to eat the root system. This type of pest is not afraid of severe frosts, as it can burrow into the ground to a depth of 0.6 meters.

Southern gray

The beetle is distinguished by its small size, no more than 8 mm, and dark body color. The beetle is capable of flying long distances in search of food. It is considered an omnivorous pest, as it parasitizes winter crops, sunflowers, corn, etc. In addition, it can also be seen on weeds without any problems.

The beetle overwinters in the ground, at a depth of up to half a meter. With the arrival of spring, the pest appears on the surface and, after 10 days, begins to lay eggs. The female lays them to a depth of 20 cm in the amount of 10 pieces. Already in early August, adult beetles fly out of them.

Rice

This type of pest is found mainly in the southern regions and is considered the most dangerous parasite for grain crops. The beetle is not afraid of drought and actively eats dry fruits and plants. Under certain conditions, a female can lay eggs up to 8 times per year.

fruit

These small pests grow up to 6 mm in length and no more. It mainly affects fruit trees, starting from the moment when buds appear on fruit trees. Then they move on to the buds and inflorescences, after which they begin to spoil the ovaries of the fruits, gnawing holes in them to lay eggs.

They parasitize on fruit trees such as:

• Cherry.
• Cherries.
• Quince.
• Apple tree.
• Pear.
• Peach.

Raspberry-strawberry

This is a small weevil, only 3mm in length. On the wings you can see oblong grooves with gray hairs. The beetle larvae are white in color and have a yellow-brown head. They begin to actively search for food with the appearance of the first greenery. In this case, the beetle can damage:

• Raspberry.
• Strawberries.
• Blackberry.
• Strawberries.

When the first buds appear on the plants, the beetle gnaws a hole in the side to lay eggs. This results in the loss of up to 90 percent of the strawberry harvest and up to 50 percent of the raspberry harvest. Young beetles appear around mid-summer. They begin to feed on young leaves of the same plants.

It is important to know! Elephant beetles are considered quite dangerous pests of garden crops. They are capable of destroying a plant at any stage of development, so you need to immediately take measures to destroy such pests and their larvae.

Characteristic

The granary weevil is also called the grain weevil. This is an insect whose body does not exceed 5 mm. The size of the bug depends on the food it consumed during its development. The body shape resembles a slightly narrowed cylinder, the surface is shiny. The color of a broadmouth depends on its age. Thus, young individuals are colored light brown, while adults are almost black in color.

Barn weevil

The head of the weevil is very small, extended forward into a rostrum, at the end of which there is a mouthparts with which the grain weevil gnaws its food. The antennae located on the head are curved. The insect has wings: elytra with deep longitudinal grooves, membranous wings.

Interesting!

Despite the fact that the granary weevil is “equipped” with wings, it moves only with the help of its legs, since the development of the wings does not allow them to be used for these purposes.

Biological features of the weevil

Weevils or elephant weevils are insects from the Coleoptera family. The length of most adult individuals does not exceed a few millimeters, but there are also larger representatives, their length is 5-6 cm or more. To understand the diversity of beetles and understand what they look like, you can study the photo.

Main characteristics:

1. There are weevils that fly well, and species that are not capable of flight.
2. The eyes are small, and some species that live underground have no visual organs.
3. The body is covered with scales and chitin.
4. They live in foliage or on the ground. They exhibit active life activity at temperatures above 10 degrees.
5. All beetles actively eat plants. Some species feed on only one representative of the fauna, others are less picky in their choice of food.
6. Beetles reproduce sexually or by parthenogenesis.
7. The development of larvae occurs in flowers and fruits, bark, and on fresh shoots of plants.
8. The lifespan of weevils is from 3-4 months to 2 years.

Interesting! The peculiarity of weevils is their elongated tube-shaped head capsule, from which the insects get their name. Based on this characteristic, insects are divided into long-proboscis and short-proboscis individuals.

Life cycle of the granary weevil

The fertility of one individual is 150-300 eggs with a life cycle of 3-4 months; males live a little longer, about 5 months. The duration of development of the larva (about 3 mm long, white, with a brown head) depends on temperature and humidity and is 3-6 weeks. One can only imagine how many thousands of pests just one pair of beetles can produce over the course of a year. At a temperature of +4°C, the larvae stop developing; at –5°C, they die. Upon completion of development, they turn into almost transparent, 3-5 mm long pupae. After 7 - 22 days, the formed beetles of the new generation gnaw a passage in the shell and leave the shelter outside. The average lifespan of an adult specimen is about 2 years. During the day, one larva destroys 0.08-0.67 mg of grain, gnawing out its internal contents; Accordingly, a massive number of these insects can destroy a significant amount of stocks.

Life cycle

The barn weevil absorbs a lot of food, it is ready to use a variety of products: rice, beans, wheat, peas, oats, buckwheat and much more.

The greatest damage is caused by the larva of the barn beetle. This light worm does not exceed 4 mm in length. In front it has legs and a head with mandibles.

The female lays eggs inside the grain, covering the exit hole. The clutch is quite large: when laying eggs, one female can spoil about 300 grains. The eggs take about 2 weeks to develop, after which the larvae appear. The young continue to develop in the same grain, completely gnawing it from the inside. The transformation into a pupa occurs here. The granary weevil leaves the grain only after it becomes a fully formed adult.

Due to the fact that the beetle develops inside the grain, it can be very difficult to fight it.

Granary weevil larvae

Interesting!

The rate of development depends on the ambient temperature:

• At 17 degrees, the beetle will emerge from the grain in 80 days;
• At 20 degrees – after 70;
• At 25 – after 34 days;
• At 28 – after 30 days.

A small and distant bug

The insect got its name due to the unusual shape of its head. Its front part resembles an elongated proboscis. With its help, the bug destroys the dense skin of grain or cereal.

In the natural environment, there are many species of weevils that destroy:

• grain crops;
• peas;
• buckwheat;
• rice;
• corn.

Therefore, the question of how to combat the grain weevil is being decided at the state level. Otherwise, the country may lose the harvest and famine will occur.

The beetle belongs to the Coleoptera family. Its maximum size is approximately 4 mm. The weevil is dark brown in color. Doesn't fly. The active life cycle of an adult lasts approximately 2 years. The female produces 3 or 4 generations per year. She lays eggs inside the grain, where they go through all stages of development.

In order for the individuals to come out, the adult beetles gnaw a hole in the grain.

She can lay approximately 300 eggs per season, which can damage a large amount of grain. Mass reproduction of pests leads to an increase in the temperature of the stored crop. The pest overwinters inside the grain or in various crevices of the room.

Methods for exterminating the pest

If a weevil is found in cereals, it is advisable to throw away the contaminated product and immediately address the issue of how to deal with the invasion of these insects. If this is not done in time, then with its gnawing mouthpart the pest will easily overcome such an obstacle as the package shell and make its way to other cereals.

How to protect food in the kitchen?

In apartments, the weevil most often infects rice, which is why this parasite is also called rice parasite. It settles in the cereal and after a certain period of time, gnaws through the shell and gets out. Thus, in the kitchen we see already adult insects. But even in this case, it is quite easy to get rid of them - it is enough to take into account the peculiarities of their existence and use the simplest means.

If you find weevils in the kitchen, you should first carefully sort through all bulk products.

Important! There is no need to select a pest from cereals and then use it as food, since the larvae during their life processes secrete a special secretion, which is a carcinogen!

Since weevils cannot tolerate cold, you can get rid of them in the kitchen by freezing them. To do this, cereals in which the beetle was not found, but were located next to spoiled products, are placed in the freezer for two days. If the infection occurred in winter, the grain can be taken out to the balcony.

It has been established that the weevil dies when the temperature rises to +50°C, so if freezing for some reason cannot be used, the beetles can be removed in another way. Place the cereals in the oven and heat them at +60°C.

But the fight against the weevil does not end there. The next steps will be as follows:

• after heating or freezing, the cereals should be distributed into glass or plastic containers and stored under a tight lid;
• In the same containers you can put one peeled clove of garlic - its smell remarkably repels the pest;
• Place lavender flowers or regular bay leaves on the shelves of kitchen cabinets and cabinets - these plants are repellents;
• Periodically wash the shelves and inner surfaces of the walls of the kitchen unit with a soapy solution, and then wipe with a weak solution of vinegar.

And at the same time, do not make too many reserves.

Destruction of beetles in kitchen supplies

How to deal with such a dangerous pest as the barn weevil? How to get rid of such a small but harmful insect in the barn and kitchen? In terms of household supplies, if a weevil is found in cereals, you should not eat the latter, because the secretions of insects and larvae contain carcinogens. Infected products must be thrown away, and a tough and possibly lengthy fight must be waged against the weevil.

It is recommended to store cereals in jars or hermetically sealed containers - not in bags, which the granary weevil (photo above) can easily gnaw through with its sharp teeth. Barn weevils are heat-loving creatures and die at low temperatures. Therefore, as one of the ways to get rid of bugs, you can use cold: place products that serve as potential food for weevils in the freezer. High temperatures also have a devastating effect on the tiny resident. Thus, at +40°C the granary weevil dies within 2 days, at +50°C – after 6 hours. After processing, food supplies should be placed in sealed containers with tight lids that are impenetrable to insects.

Folk remedies

If for some reason you don’t want to use chemicals to combat weevils, then here’s what we have - proven folk methods with a high level of environmental friendliness.

It is best to use it in early March, when the snow is just starting to melt. At this time, weevils are in diapause due to low temperatures and it is necessary to take advantage of their weakness. Use as a solution: 5 liter bucket of water + half a teaspoon.

Advice! Spraying should be done either early in the morning or late in the evening. Exposure to bright rays is highly undesirable.

Mustard

It can be used together with potassium permanganate, but in general, mustard itself will most likely help rid the area of ​​weevils. Use as a solution: dry mustard (200 g) mixed with 10 l. water and is used during the budding period. Apply the mustard solution again after 12 days.

Onion peel

Onion peels are most often used in conjunction with celandine, but can also be used separately. It is necessary to prepare a solution from it. Take a bucket and fill it halfway with husks, then fill it with water and let it sit for 24 hours. When time has passed, you should strain it and dilute it with water again. Use this solution once every 5 days.

Celandine

Celandine is extremely toxic and helps get rid of weevils, so it is widely used by gardeners to combat this type of pest. Fill one third of a 3-liter jar with onion peels and celandine (3 times less than peels). Pour boiling water, wait until it cools, and then filter. Repeat again.

Karbofos

This drug is a real blast from the past. It was created back in 1952, but it is still in great demand among gardeners, which is why it has become a truly folk remedy. Used as a solution in calm and sunny weather. It is important to monitor the air temperature, as it should not be lower than 15ºC. Plants should be sprayed completely - both stems and leaves. Despite popular love, this drug is a short-term measure to combat weevils.

Advantages and disadvantages

The weevil is a creature extremely adapted to changing environmental conditions.

It feels comfortable in a temperature range of 16 to 28 degrees, but can tolerate more extreme temperatures. It is also not demanding of environmental humidity, since it spends most of its life inside the grain under the protection of its dense shell - exine. However, too dry air is destructive for most insects, including the weevil.

The duration of the beetle's life cycle depends on external conditions: the milder they are, the faster the insect reaches sexual maturity. If the temperature regime does not suit it, then the pest is able to fall into suspended animation and then return to a full life. Thus, the pest is capable of producing 2–3 generations during the year. Both beetles and larvae overwinter inside the grains. Also, adult insects feel good in crevices, cracks and other secluded places.

Read also: How to smoke lard: ways to smoke it correctly, recipes for smoked lard, benefits and harms

Together with damaged grain, as well as equipment, weevils migrate from one storage facility to another, damaging agricultural products.

Since man is forced to tolerate the presence of the weevil in his barns, he has developed a strategy to combat this pest. For prevention, the following means of control are used:

• cooling or, conversely, warming up grain and its processed products before storage;
• drying it out, because insects are critical to environmental humidity;
• cleaning grain from debris and impurities;
• cleaning of storage facilities and treatment by disinfestation. For this purpose, preparations based on hydrogen phosphorous (phosphine) are used, which are sprayed or used in the form of an aqueous solution;
• the use of ionizing radiation is at the development stage and may be used in the future.

The weevil grows not only in barns, but also in our homes. To prevent the beetle from spoiling our supplies, there are proven and harmless methods:

• place the cereal in the freezer for a while, and then pour it into sealed containers;
• since the insect does not tolerate strong odors, you can add peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves or lavender sprigs to the cereal;
• The cabinets where you store supplies must be washed with soap, soda or vinegar solution and ventilated well.

And finally, you shouldn’t stock up on cereals and pasta for half your life: fighting the harmful bug can become too long and exhausting at home.

Broad-mouthed granary weevil

05/31/2019 Broad-mouthed granary weevil ( lat. Caulophilus latinasus

) belongs to the family of Coleoptera beetles and is recognized as a dangerous quarantine object in many countries of the world.

The pest is widespread in the countries of North and South America, on the African continent, and in many Asian countries.

In the last few years, the insect has been found in some European countries, posing a real threat to grain stored in granaries and food warehouses.

The broad-mouthed weevil poses a particular danger to the southern regions of Ukraine, Transcaucasia and some Asian countries, since the climatic conditions in these regions allow the pest to develop not only in places where seeds are stored and processed, but also to thrive in field conditions.

The broad-mouthed weevil, unlike related species of weevils - monophages, is capable of damaging not only the seeds of cereals and leguminous crops, as well as their processed products (flour, cereals, pasta), but also rice, dried figs, chicory, chestnuts, acorns, cinnamon, and even avocado seeds. At the same time, the pest contaminates all stored products with waste from its vital activity.

The nature of the damage to grains caused by an adult beetle is practically no different from the damage caused by the granary weevil, which also leaves characteristic depressions on the surface of the grains. However, the greatest damage to seeds is caused by the voracious weevil larvae, which secretly live inside the grain, completely eating away its contents as they develop, leaving only the shell and excrement.

The pest spreads along with contaminated seeds and grain products. Moreover, it can be in any stage of life development, including the egg, larva, pupa and imago phase.

In addition, the weevil imago has good flight properties, which contributes to the independent spread of the pest.

Description of the insect

The broad-mouthed weevil has an external resemblance to common species of barn beetles of the genus Sitophilus

, for example, with
the grain weevil
(
lat. Sitophilus granarium
) and the rice weevil (
lat. Sitophilus oryzae
).

An adult beetle can reach 3 to 4 millimeters in length. Its rostrum is wide and short (hence the name of the species). The antennae are clavate-club-shaped and attached to the middle of the rostrum.

The body of the imago is oblong, cylindrical in shape and may have a shiny black or reddish-brown (in younger individuals) color of the elytra. Moreover, the elytra themselves are more than twice the length of the pronotum, the surface of which is completely dotted with small dotted grooves.

A fertilized female weevil eats a hole in the grain where it lays an egg, and then fills it with a specially secreted liquid. It subsequently hardens and plasticizes, providing the embryo with protection from external factors and enemies.

Visually identifying embryo-infected grain is almost impossible.

One female broad-mouthed weevil is capable of producing 200 to 300 embryos during its lifetime.

The egg has an oblong shape and is painted white. Its length is about 0.5 millimeters.

The larva is born legless, white or slightly yellowish in color. She has a large, wrinkled and sickle-shaped body, which is covered with thin, sparse and long hairs. As it develops, it reaches three millimeters in length.

The weevil pupa is free and at the beginning of the life cycle has a white color, which gradually darkens and becomes yellowish.

The body length of the pupa reaches 3 millimeters. Its body is segmented, with two large spines on the sides of the ninth segment.

Methods of pest control

Methods of combating the broad-proboscis weevil are practically no different from methods of combating similar representatives of insects of the genus Sitophilus

or
Callosobruchus
.

The first step in combating these pests is to conduct a comprehensive examination of all storage facilities, equipment and tools for the presence of insects. At the same time, monitoring of weevils should be carried out regularly in all premises.

The second important step for preventive protection against weevils is the careful preparation of granaries and food warehouses before directly placing grain products in them. Activities should include cleaning and aerosol disinfection of all premises without exception where grain is stored or processed. After this, wet cleaning of all storage facilities should be carried out.

The next stage is the mandatory preparation of grain, which should include the process of drying and cleaning the seeds from impurities, debris and dirt.

Many farms use their own cleaning equipment and fumigation chambers for this purpose, which effectively destroy pests at all stages of their development.

Physical and mechanical methods of combating seed contamination also include the operation of heating and cooling grain, as well as products of its processing.

Chemical control methods usually use insecticides based on hydrogen phosphorous or phosphine, as well as contact preparations.

In this case, the best effect is demonstrated by the integrated use of all of the above methods.

Barn weevil: control measures

In warehouses, it is very difficult to get rid of the barn weevil, because the insect hides in hard-to-reach places, and being inside the grains, it is practically invulnerable and can destroy from 10 to 30% of the harvested grain.

The fight against granary weevil consists of the following measures:

• Strong cooling of grain (down to -10°C), which can be used both for preventive purposes and in the process of destroying existing pests. Cooling is carried out in dry weather using ventilation and ventilation. This requires mandatory humidity control.
• You can partially get rid of the barn weevil by removing it on sieves with holes or using aspiration preparations. Any movement of the grain mass has a negative impact on the condition of harmful insects, reducing their numbers and development.

Features of the barn weevil

The barn weevil prefers certain conditions for a comfortable life: air humidity should be 75-95%, cereal humidity up to 15%. Air temperature from 10 to 30 degrees.

Among insect pests, the granary or grain weevil is a long-liver: under favorable conditions, it can live and cause harm for more than a year. If the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, but does not reach +5, the beetle will stop eating. At a temperature of about +3 degrees, the colony will go into cold torpor. And only if the temperature drops further will the adult beetles die.

The barn weevil is highly adaptable to environmental changes. It is able to withstand not only serious changes in air temperature, but also in its humidity, because almost the entire life of the insect passes inside the grain. Dry air will kill the bug.

In a year, beetles can lay eggs 2-3 times. In addition to grains, bugs can wait out life's adversities in cracks, crevices and other corners.

Between granaries and our homes, this granary bug moves inside the product, on equipment or even on staff clothing.

How to deal with grain weevil: wise advice from experts

Due to the fact that people have to endure the annoying bug in their storage units, they have come up with various options to combat it.

Preventive measures have a special effect:

• cleaning the crop from all kinds of impurities and debris;
• warming up;
• cooling the grain before sending it to storage at a temperature;
• maximum drying of the product;
• thorough cleaning of the premises;
• disinfection of storage with special preparations.

If the barn is small, beetles are driven away with the help of fragrant plants. It could be lavender, garlic or regular bay leaf. Let's take a closer look at how to deal with grain weevils in order to preserve the crop until the next season.

Periodic movement of grain into storage has a detrimental effect on the development of pest larvae.

Cleanliness is a reliable protector against pests

Before putting grain into storage, it must be thoroughly cleaned of debris. A small amount of the crop is carefully inspected, removing weeds and large husks. A large volume of grain is cleaned mechanically. Thanks to this treatment, the chance to protect the product from beetle invasion increases.

An important control measure for granary weevil is humidity control and ventilation of the granary. It should always be dry and have enough fresh air. If necessary, the room is treated with chemicals.

The following options are available for sale:

Most often, hydrogen phosphide is used, which is sprayed throughout the storage area. For small spaces, the drug is used in liquid form.

If grain is stored in containers, they also need to be disinfected and cleared of debris.

"Ambulance" tablets

To protect the crop from annoying pests, scientists have created a special drug. Practice has shown that tablets against weevils in grain are an effective means of combating the pest. However, before using them, you must carefully read the instructions for use.

If grain is poured into a hopper, tablets are added as it moves quickly and quite sharply. To ensure protection of the product stored in bags, the drug is placed around them in small portions.

How to get rid of weevils on your property

Weevil on strawberry

The strawberry weevil is a gray-black long-proboscis bug up to 3 mm in size. In the spring, individuals mate in flower buds, in which the larvae then develop. How to deal with weevils on strawberries?

Today, there are many ways to destroy the pest, which can save up to 40% of the crop even with total damage. The sooner you start your fight against the beetle, the more chances you have to emerge victorious.

In the spring, when the air temperature is uncomfortable for the pest, treat the area with strawberries with the following means:

• iodine solution - dilute a teaspoon of iodine in a bucket of water;
• dissolve 3 Intra-vir weevil tablets in 10 liters of water.

Carry out the first treatment 5-6 days before the start of flowering, the next time spraying is carried out in mid-summer. Biological preparations Antonem-F and Namabact can be used to process strawberries or garden strawberries. Until the end of spring, it is permissible to use the drugs Fitoverm, Iskra-bio and Akarin. It is advisable not to resort to stronger means, for example, insecticides such as Karbofos, Actellik and Metaphos.

Cherry weevil

The cherry weevil, also known as cherry trumpet weevil, also known as cherry elephant, affects not only cherry trees, but also cherry, plum, apricot, cherry plum and even hawthorn trees. This is a golden-green bug, 5.5 to 10 mm long, with a purple metallic tint. The larvae are white, dotted with sparse red hairs, with a brown head and brown mouthparts. Weevils cause damage to the generative organs of stone fruit crops even before sap flow begins - tree buds dry out and crumble. An invasion of the cherry borer can lead not only to loss of fruit yield, but due to the death of leaves, the trees themselves may also perish.

The fight against the cherry weevil should be carried out by all possible means - preventive, agrotechnical, folk, biological, and if necessary, then chemical:

• in the fall, clean the tree trunks of old exfoliated bark, then burn the plant remains and clean the trunks with a solution of lime;
• Also remove fallen leaves from under the trees into a compost heap or burn them;
• Be sure to dig up the soil in the tree trunks;
• during the period of swelling of the buds, shake off the beetles onto white paper or cloth spread under the tree and destroy them;
• during fruit ripening, collect and destroy carrion so that the larvae do not go into the soil;
• immediately after flowering, if you find more than 8 beetles on the tree, treat it with any of the chemicals we described.

Plum weevil

This bronze-colored bug with a metallic sheen, up to 45 mm long, all covered with short thick hairs, is also called the copper pipe worm due to its appearance. Not only plums suffer from it, but also sloe, apricot, cherry, and sometimes apple, hawthorn, rowan and even currants. Harm is caused both by adult insects, which consistently damage buds, buds, flowers, pedicels, young fruits and leaves, and by larvae that develop in fruits.

The fight against copper pipeweevil is carried out in the same ways as against the cherry weevil, and among the chemical preparations, pyrethroids and organophosphorus compounds are most effective against it - for example, Actellik, Fufanon or Bazudin.

The question of how to deal with weevils in grain is faced by everyone who grows and stores cereals. This insect was known back in ancient Egypt.

Chemical methods of controlling weevils

One of the effective methods of getting rid of barn weevil is chemical disinfection of grain - a radical measure consisting of aerosol or gas treatment. Aerosol disinfection is carried out using the drugs “Aktellik”, “Karate”, “Fufanon”, “Arrivo”. This treatment, the advantage of which is the high effectiveness of the drug, is carried out by special organizations. The disadvantages of this method include the long period of time before permission to sell grain.

Gas disinfection is carried out with such drugs as Foskom, Alfos, Phostoxin, Magtoxin. The room must first be carefully sealed, and fumigation must be carried out with the involvement of specialized organizations.

Corn weevil

External structure: Similar to the rice weevil, but larger than its counterpart - from 2.5 to 5 mm in length. There is a slight gloss on the beetle's shell. The 4 reddish markings on the elytra are a brighter shade than the rice one.

Lifestyle: Similar to the rice weevil.

Distribution: Southern regions of Russia and central Chernozem region.

Damage: Similar to rice weevil. Its resistance to cold can compete with that of barn, and therefore its development is more difficult to contain by cooling the embankment.

Ways to get rid of weevils

The weevil can enter an apartment along with a package of flour or grain, which was stored in warehouses for a long time and then went on sale. If at least one beetle is accidentally discovered in the kitchen, there is already a whole colony of them somewhere and you need to urgently decide how to get rid of the pests. You need to start fighting the beetle immediately, before it destroys all supplies.

The granary weevil is one of the most dangerous pests of grain stocks

The fight against weevils is carried out according to a simple scheme of actions:

1. It is necessary to check all stocks of bulk products - cereals, pasta, flour, tea, coffee, cocoa, spices, etc. Products that have been heavily infested should be thrown away without regret, since the secretions of these beetles and their larvae can cause serious harm to human health .
2. Grains and products in which the weevil was not found, and all recently purchased ones, should be placed in the freezer for several days. Cold effectively helps fight weevils. These insects are heat-loving; at +5°C they fall into torpor, and at -5°C the beetles and larvae die within a few days.
3. Another means of combating weevils is heat. This beetle can withstand temperatures of +40°C for no more than two days, and at higher temperatures it dies in a few hours. Products that require preventive heating are placed in the oven and kept there at a temperature of 50-60°C for 6 hours. This will get rid of the beetles and their larvae.
4. After treatment with cold or heat, the products must be poured into hermetically sealed glass or plastic containers into which the pest cannot penetrate.
5. Garlic is often used as a folk remedy to repel weevils. A few cloves are placed in each container of cereals or pasta. It is important that the garlic cloves are well peeled, but the pulp is not damaged - damaged cloves quickly give off their smell to the grain and rot themselves. The same thing happens if you cut the garlic cloves into slices. An intact clove retains its repellent odor for a long time and does not rot.
6. For preventive purposes, all furniture where food is stored is thoroughly cleaned from time to time using a soap solution, and then washed off with water to which a little vinegar is added. After cleaning, the furniture is dried and ventilated.
7. To repel insects, strong-smelling lavender flowers and bay leaves are placed in cabinets and on shelves.

Detection of pests and control of them will be easier if you follow the rule - avoid creating abundant stocks, which will be stored for a long time without movement, becoming a comfortable habitat for beetles. It is easier to remove beetles when stocks are compact.

The question of how to deal with weevils in grain is faced by everyone who grows and stores cereals. This insect was known back in ancient Egypt.

How to get rid of weevils

To get rid of the weevil, which is a polyphagous and very dangerous harmful insect, you should use any methods available for this, namely: physical-mechanical, biological, preventive, chemical and folk.

Prevention

As a preventive measure, before placing grain in storage, it is disinfected from the granary weevil (disinfection can be aerosol or wet). Then the grain itself is prepared, for this it is thoroughly dried, all impurities are removed, and cooled as much as possible. If there is such a need, then the grain is treated with a contact insecticidal preparation.

In gardens and orchards where other types of weevils can live, prevention consists of loosening the surface of the soil around the trees, removing flying leaves, diseased and dried branches from the area. You can also plant plants between the rows of vegetable or garden crops that repel such a beetle. For preventative purposes, crops can also be treated with the biological agent Fitoverm, and birds (natural enemies of weevils) can also be attracted to the site; for this purpose, nest boxes and birdhouses are hung on trees in several places. If the pest does appear, before it begins to mate and the female begins to lay eggs, it is necessary to collect insects; this can be done manually or by spreading a thick cloth under a tree or bush and shaking off the beetles onto it. Then they are destroyed. If there are a lot of insects, then it is impossible to do without treating crops with folk remedies or special potent chemicals.

Chemicals

Using chemicals to control pests indoors is very dangerous. However, in a garden or vegetable plot they can help you save the harvest. Popular chemicals include:

1. Kinmiks. To treat crops, use a solution, for the preparation of which you combine 1 bucket of water and 2.5 milligrams of the product.
2. Decis. Add 2 milligrams of the product to a bucket of water. The resulting solution is also treated with the affected plants.
3. Fufanon, Iskra-M, Kemifos, Karbafos-500. To prepare a working solution, take 1 milligram of the drug per 1 liter of water.

During the growing season, crops are sprayed with Fitoverm solution (2 milligrams of product per liter of water). In summer, to destroy weevils that have settled on trees, use a solution of Fozalon or Bazudin (strictly follow the instructions on the package). To destroy the larvae of leaf weevils, it is necessary to treat the soil with Diazinon or Bazudin.

Folk remedies

When using chemicals in pest control, you need to remember that they can cause serious harm to human health. That is why many summer residents prefer to fight the pest using traditional methods. For example, during the budding period, crops can be sprayed with one of the following solutions:

• a bucket of water is mixed with 10–13 grams of dry mustard powder;
• 4 grams of laundry soap, grated, are dissolved in a liter of water;
• a bucket of water is combined with 2.5–3 kilograms of wood ash;
• 10 liters of water are combined with 5 grams of potassium permanganate;
• grate from 80 to 100 grams of laundry soap and dissolve it in lukewarm water, then add 200 grams of kerosene and 20 grams of borax to the mixture and mix everything thoroughly until an emulsion is obtained, which is immediately sprayed on the crops.

The best way to protect against weevil on strawberries

Watch this video on YouTube

Prevention against granary weevil

It is important to follow preventive measures:

• Before pouring into bunkers, grain must be cleaned of weeds and grain impurities;
• separate grain storage for different harvest periods and different humidity levels;
• thoroughly clean containers of last year’s grain stocks and debris;
• monitor grain moisture content (not lower than 14%); in case of long-term storage, this indicator is recommended to be reduced by 2-4%, which increases the grain’s resistance to damage by weevils and limits the vital activity of this pest;
• destroy contaminated stocks.

In case of severe infestation, it will be necessary to fumigate the grain and storage facilities with preparations intended for this purpose.

As preventive methods, it is imperative to maintain cleanliness and order in warehouses, treat them chemically (by gas disinfestation, aerosol and wet disinfection of warehouses), and whitewash them before loading grain.

Checking grain for infestation with barn weevil should be done every 2 weeks in the summer and once a month in the winter. Contamination analysis is carried out in accordance with regulatory methods and standards.

How to prevent the dominance of barn weevil

To prevent the spread of a pest such as the barn weevil, you need to know what measures to combat it. An important role is played by prevention, compliance with certain standards for saving grain and products.

Prevention will prevent this bug from appearing in the house or storage

• Use hermetically sealed coolers or boxes. Use tight packaging.
• Grain from different crops and harvest periods has different moisture content and different storage times. Therefore it must be located separately.
• If we are talking about large batches and granaries, then the moisture content of grain and products is constantly analyzed. Drying and sorting are carried out periodically. It should be borne in mind that when the humidity is less than 12%, the growth and development of larvae stops.
• Using traps based on adhesive and attracted by sex pheromone, detect the presence of the pest. When it is detected, the affected area, the focus, is determined.
• Take immediate measures to clean up and completely destroy the outbreak.
• If the infestation is extensive and the storage areas are large, a radical chemical (insecticidal) method or fumigation is used. The premises are treated by special services. For this purpose, the preparations Strips, Magnesium Phosphoride, Phostoxin, Metabrom 980, etc. are used.
• Rejected grain and products are disposed of in dense containers and burned.

The thermal method is also effective. At temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius, young shoots stop developing. Weevils are frozen in cereals, flour at -5 -10 ° C or fried at +50 degrees and above. At the same time, adult beetles at 5 degrees below zero can remain in the suspended animation phase for almost a month, and in diametrically hot conditions (+38 +40°C) for only up to 2 days. And already in a temperature field of +50°C they die after 6 hours.

Characteristic features of weevils

The barn weevil is a brown, almost black beetle. The average length of its body is 2-4 mm. The barn weevil does not fly, although it has hard, underdeveloped wings. The beetle got its name because of the special shape of the head structure: from the body to the “nose” it narrows, forming the so-called rostrum with a powerful gnawing mouthpart at its end. Thanks to this unique weapon, the granary weevil easily penetrates the hard shell into the soft tissues of the grain.

The beetle is voracious; it has no obvious preferences in choosing food - it absorbs reserves of any cereals and legumes. The biggest damage comes from weevil larvae. The larva looks like a worm, but this “worm” is endowed with short legs on the front of the body and a head armed with powerful mandibles. The body of the larva reaches 4 mm in length.

After emerging from the egg, the larva bites into the grain on which it feeds, leaving only the shell intact.

Immediately after emerging from the egg, which the female places at the very bottom of a specially gnawed channel in the grain, the larva begins to devour the surrounding grain tissues to the outermost hard shell. The “saturation” period lasts from a month to three, depending on temperature conditions. Then it becomes a pupa, and 1-3 weeks later - an adult beetle that gnaws outward from the grain.

The beetle has a considerable lifespan - about one and a half years. During her life, one female can lay up to 250 eggs. The longer a beetle goes unnoticed in food, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.

Many experts recognize the rice weevil as a more dangerous species. Externally, it is slightly different from the barn weevil in color - it is matte brown with two reddish spots on the wings, and in size - the rice weevil is smaller, its maximum body length is 2.8 mm. But these are secondary distinguishing features. The main difference is that the rice weevil flies well, this gives it a huge advantage and increases its danger.

Weevil - description of the pest

The weevil (popularly called the elephant beetle or elephant beetle) is a small bug with a size of two millimeters (some species reach three centimeters). Depending on the species, they have a variety of body colors.

Most often, these pests are divided into two groups:

1. Long-proboscis.
2. Short-proboscis.

Pests of the first group are endowed by nature with a long nose (proboscis), often exceeding the length of the body itself.

With its help, the insect pierces thick plant tissue to absorb interstitial fluid and in order to lay its eggs in the puncture.

The second group of pests is unpretentious in nutrition, which allows them to “breakfast” with green spaces and “dine” with ready-made planting material or grain. This species of elephant lays eggs only in the soil.

Despite its miniature size, this bug is incredibly prolific. And starting from the moment of birth, the larva begins to damage the crops.

Damage from weevils in the garden

This bug is the most diverse in the world, and in Russia alone there are at least five thousand species:

• This army of thousands of weevils causes colossal damage to various crops (vegetables, grains, gardens, berries, cereals and coniferous crops), devouring everything in their path.
• And the appearance of a bug in a granary will completely lead to the loss of the future harvest, because spoiled grain does not have the vital ability to germinate.

Dangerous insect species

Since there are so many types of weevils, let's look at the most dangerous:

1. Striped nodule weevil. The most favorite delicacy for this species will be absolutely all crops of the legume family (peas, beans, beans, lentils). Moreover, the entire plant is used for food - only the root system is suitable for larvae for food, and adult bugs devour the green mass of plants. It should also be remembered that this species is the most prolific of all (the clutch of just one female is equal to several thousand eggs throughout the entire season).
2. Gray bud weevil. An adult of this species lives on fruit trees and loves to see their buds, buds and greens in its diet. Elephants overwinter and lay eggs in the soil, which is why the root system suffers in early spring.
3. Drupe weevil (stone beetle). The diet of these “elephants” consists of buds and foliage of plums, cherries, cherries and bird cherry. These long-proboscis hibernate in the ground. And in the spring, as soon as the fruit of the tree begins to develop, the female lays eggs in the seed of the fruit, which begins its development. Where the larva subsequently develops, feeding on the core of the fragile bone. Having reached adulthood, the larva, within a couple of days, gets out of its durable home. This type of pest also does not disdain seedlings of pear, quince, peach, apple trees, and another name for this species is more common - apple flower beetle.
4. Strawberry or raspberry weevil. From the name it is clear that the favorite habitat is strawberries, wild strawberries or raspberries. Early spring is the mating period for this species, which occurs in the buds of strawberry bushes, where the female subsequently lays eggs and the larva develops. The female elephant is more afraid of raspberry bushes, since it disrupts the structure of the developing buds and breeds her offspring in them.
5. Nut weevil (nut weevil). At the beginning of May, the female lays eggs in hazelnut nuts that are just beginning to form, and the larvae hatched from the eggs with great pleasure devour the young and tender pulp of the nut. And this threatens the loss of the entire harvest.
6. Pine weevil (ancient spruce weevil). All spruce plantations are threatened only by adult individuals, since they will live and winter under the bark of the tree, gnawing holes and making deep passages. There, under the bark, the female lays eggs. If deciduous trees also grow near conifers, the pest will move onto them.
7. Cabbage secretive proboscis. The habitat of this elephant is plantings of cabbage, radishes and turnips. The green mass, the root system, and the roots of these vegetables themselves are eaten.
8. Gray beet weevil. This bug feeds on young growth of corn, sunflower and beets, destroying the sprouts to zero. The females of these elephants are not fertile, but have the ability to have a two-year life cycle.
9. Southern gray weevil. This is the most dangerous type of pest, because it is voracious and capable of sweeping away everything that gets in its way. Doesn't even disdain weeds. But these are not all of its “advantages”! The most important thing is the ability to fly from culture to culture. They overwinter in the soil and there, after mating, which occurs on the surface of the ground, the female lays eggs (up to three hundred eggs from one female).
10. Barn weevil. This insect, unlike all other species, feeds on ready-made grain (cereals, buckwheat, corn, peas), which, after “visiting” the elephant, is absolutely unsuitable for performing its functions. This bug can settle both in industrial bins and in an ordinary kitchen.

Professional pest control

If you can’t get rid of weevils on your own or they have infested your home too much, you should contact a special service. In this case, you can be sure that pests will be destroyed in all possible places of residence. The methods used by exterminators to combat insects are as follows:

1. The cold fog method works on the principle of mixing pesticide vapors, which are cooled in a generator and mixed with air. A kind of fog is formed, which settles on all objects that have been infected.
2. The hot steam method is most effective for large warehouses. Here they use hot steam, gasoline or gas.
3. Barrier protection is used to block all possible cracks through which weevils could enter the stock. Typically, this method is used as the primary one.

Important!

After using any methods to kill insects, be sure to wash the cabinet shelves and dry them. The kitchen, and best of all, the entire home should be well ventilated so that foreign odors do not cause illness to family members and animals.

Where do weevils come from?

Quite often weevils appear in the apartment. Where they come from is of interest to many people, since bugs pose a great danger. The insect destroys all products it can reach. This pest quickly adapts to a new environment and tolerates various natural changes quite freely.

The person himself introduces weevils into the house along with food from the store or market. Cereal products become infected with them while still in the warehouse, and then end up on packaging and store shelves.

When purchasing products with weevil faces and eggs in a store, it is very difficult to notice them, since the grains remain clogged inside. And only when an adult emerges from them will it be possible to notice traces of damage and the bugs themselves.

How to destroy weevils using folk remedies?

At home, folk remedies are used to combat weevils. The most proven methods for ensuring the safety of products from the barn weevil:

1. You should carefully inspect your inventory. If signs of the presence of weevils are found, the products should be thrown away, since the secretions of weevils and their larvae are dangerous to human health. This is the simplest and most proven method.
2. Insects do not like strong odors. Place cloves of garlic, lavender or bay leaves in a container with flour products.
3. The barn weevil does not tolerate high or low temperatures. Therefore, grain, flour, cereals, pasta can be kept in the oven at a temperature of 60°C and stored in the freezer. If food is kept at a temperature of -5°C for about a month, the beetles and their larvae will die.
4. Products should be stored in glass or plastic containers with tightly closed lids that weevils cannot penetrate. If traces of weevils are found in one container, you need to check the others.
5. Cabinets in which food is stored should be wiped with soapy water or vinegar solution.

You should not create large reserves of food that weevils and their larvae feed on.

Ways to fight in an apartment

When rice weevils appear in the house, it is recommended to begin combating the pest immediately, without waiting for the colony to develop. You can get rid of insects using folk remedies and chemicals. Also, mechanical methods are chosen as control measures, involving sorting out cereals and changing the climatic conditions in the house.

Chemicals

Chemical agents against rice weevils are recommended to be used before harvesting. These drugs are used to treat crops in the garden, both for prevention purposes and when signs of infection appear. Similar products are also used to disinfect barns and other large storage facilities.

Some of the best insecticides recommended for rice weevil control include:

1. Kinmiks. Before treatment, 2.5 ml of the product must be diluted in 10 liters of water.
2. Iskra-M, Karbafos-500, Fufanon. 10 ml of any of the above drugs should be mixed in 10 liters of water.
3. Decis. 2 ml of the drug is mixed in the same volume of water.
4. Fitoverma. It is used for processing grain crops during the flowering period. To prepare the solution you will need 2 ml of Fitoverm and 10 liters of water.

It is not recommended to use insecticides at home. This is explained by the fact that in the fight against weevils, fumigant drugs are used, which in the form of steam penetrate the pest’s body and provoke stomach spasms. Such insecticides can cause a similar effect upon contact in humans.

Mechanical

Mechanical methods mean cleaning storage areas from grain residues and dust, which may contain eggs, larvae or adult weevils. After purchase, it is recommended to sort the grain and store it in tin or plastic containers.

Temperature changes

Rice weevils are most active at +10-15 degrees. Therefore, thermal treatment methods are used in pest control. To prevent the spread of insects around the house, purchased grain should be placed in the refrigerator for 5-10 days. At temperatures below +5 degrees, paralysis of the body develops, which subsequently leads to the death of the beetles. In the freezer, death occurs within an hour.

Heating grains in the oven is also used in pest control. At temperatures above +50 degrees, adult beetles and larvae die.

Folk remedies

Before placing purchased cereals in containers, it is recommended to wash storage areas (boxes) with soapy water and treat them with diluted vinegar. To prevent infection and repel pests, the following should be placed next to the infected grains:

• garlic cloves;
• lavender leaves;
• lavender essential oil;
• orange peels;
• mint leaves;
• clove seeds;
• Bay leaf.

The smell emitted by these plants is unpleasant for weevils. If the insect is found in peas, then it is recommended to add a small amount of dry red pepper to the container.

To prevent the appearance of beetles, nails or metal wire should be placed in bags of cereals or pasta.

Danger to humans

A distinctive feature of the life activity of these pests is that they make unusable garbage from bulk food products.

In addition, the weevil beetle can cause allergic reactions in humans. The main problem is the appearance of allergic alveolitis. The fact is that the beetle leaves a chitinous shell in flour, which is a carcinogen. Baking from such flour can lead to gastrointestinal upset. And that's not all, beetles carry fungal pathogens and bacteria.

Food storage rules

To store cereals and pasta, it is recommended to purchase containers made of food-grade plastic, glass or stainless steel with tight-fitting lids. It is not recommended to use paper bags, as weevils can easily gnaw through them. Before reusing the container, wash it with a solution of salt and soda. To do this, dilute 1 tsp. in 1 tbsp. water. Mustard and vinegar, taken in the same proportions, help.

Bulk foods should be stored in dry containers in a cool, dark place, preferably on the bottom shelf of a kitchen cabinet. To repel insects, place dried orange peel at the bottom of the container.

Source

Fighting the grain elephant in the kitchen

Attention! Pasta, like cereals or flour, does not need to be purchased in large quantities for future use. The maximum supply is calculated for 2-3 months. In this case, even if a granary weevil suddenly appears in some small container, the fight against it will not last long, and losses will be minimal.

Weevil is afraid of high temperatures

• Products at risk should be purchased “fresh” - the date of manufacture and should not differ greatly from the date of purchase.
• “Healthy” cereals or flour do not contain the smell of mold.
• Before storing new harvest products, clean all containers well, free them from old residues, and check the product itself for the presence of pests. The commercial type of flour is a product of uniform consistency, without lumps - potential signs of the presence of larvae in it.
• Whole grain cereals in a bag are a homogeneous mass. The predominance of halves of grains or deformed parts indicates they are affected by the granary weevil.
• If possible, cereals or flour just brought from the store are kept in the freezer for at least a day. Such a preventive measure will help, in case of infection of the product, to destroy not only pests, but also their eggs.
• You can do it differently. Distribute the cereal evenly on the baking sheet. Leave in an oven preheated to 50-60°C for half an hour.
• Detection of a pest in one of the products is a signal to check all containers with cereals, flour, coffee, tea, beans, peas, spices, etc. Empty and disinfect contaminated containers. Throw away the contents or preferably burn them.
• Scald infected dried fruits with boiling water and let them stand until the water cools completely. After this, dry well and store in the refrigerator.
• After removing contaminated containers, wash kitchen cabinets with soap or soda solution. Then with diluted vinegar. After this, dry and ventilate the shelves.
• Treat the inside of the cabinets with Pyrethrin.
• Place all other products without obvious signs of the presence of the weevil in “quarantine”: either fry in the oven, or take out into the cold (freezer or balcony in winter) for at least 72 hours.
• Place processed products into clean, hermetically sealed containers. Containers made of food-grade plastic or glass, metal chests, and perforated polyethylene containers are best suited for this. The pest will not be able to gnaw through the walls. Canvas bags are also used, pre-treated in a boiling saturated saline solution (5-6 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water).
• Pour a little ground pepper into the container with legumes. In other containers, you can put a gauze bag of salt at the bottom.
• Peel the garlic cloves and place, without cutting, 2-3 in each filled container.
• Garlic can be replaced with 2-3 nutmegs
• Use bay leaves and lavender flowers placed on shelves as repellents.
• Store the contents of containers according to the indicated expiration dates.
• Periodically wipe the shelves in the cabinets with tea tree oil, eucalyptus tincture or soap solution with added 2-3 drops of clove oil.
• If flour spills out during cooking or pasta rolls under the cabinet, they need to be cleaned up immediately.
• Limit access to light. It is better if the storage location is cool.

Preventive measures against granary weevil play a major role in maintaining a high-quality, usable product. They solve serious problems, both in a single kitchen and in places of mass storage of grain and food, where the weevil often devastates entire barns. Therefore, prevention should not be neglected.

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Extermination of fruit pests

Killing insects in summer cottages and gardens is no less difficult than killing weevils in stored grain. Treatment is planned in late spring, during flowering periods. They pay attention not only to trees, but also to currant bushes, gooseberries, strawberries, berries, and grapes. Timely spraying with special preparations has a positive effect. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times to completely remove the pest.

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