How I Get Rid Of Menu

Bugs In Rice – How To

Get Rid Of A Rice
Weevil Problem
April 24, 2021 by How I Get Rid Of HQ

Have you noticed bugs in rice? If so,

you’re not alone. Bugs in rice, also
known as rice weevils, are considered
some of the most common and
destructive pantry pets in the United
States.

Likely originating from India, rice

weevils are common now throughout
most of the world. It can be difficult to
manage a rice weevil infestation once
it gets out of control, which is why it’s
important to stay on top of these pests
and know the proper steps to take
when learning how to get rid of them.

So, if you have bugs in rice, don’t

worry. We are here to help you sort this
problem out. Let’s begin!

Bugs In Rice – What On

Earth Is A Rice Weevil?

A rice weevil is a species of beetle that

is known for infesting a variety of
grains, most famously rice.

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Origin: India

Scientific Name: Sitophilus Oryzae

(Linne)

Length: 2 to 3.5 mm

What Is A Rice Weevil And How Did I

Get Them?

Also known as grain beetles, rice

weevils are small bugs commonly
found in pantry rice and grains. They
may look harmless, but they are
responsible for thousands of dollars in
food waste each year in the United
States.

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While their name suggests they only

target rice, rice weevils are actually
commonly found in any type of grain
food. They are attracted to cereals,
spices, rice, oats, wheat, macaroni,
nuts, dried beans, barley, oats, corn,
bird seed, dog food and more.

If you’ve eaten these bugs in rice,

don’t worry. Rice weevils are not toxic
to people or animals. However, they
are nasty pests and can infest entire
pantries if you’re not careful.
Furthermore, they can cause food to
go bad much more quickly.

These pests are not only problematic

for pantry foods in American homes.
They can also wreak havoc on farms
and factories, eating their way through
grains and contaminating foods as
they are being packaged.

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In fact, it’s most likely you got bugs in

rice after buying a contaminated
package of grains or rice from the
grocery store.

Most rice weevils work by laying their

eggs in rice. And while a female rice
weevil only lays one egg in a single
grain at a time, she is capable of laying
up to 400 eggs in a single package.

This can lead to a massive infestation.

Worse still, rice weevils have strong
mandibles and are able to chew
through soft plastics and cardboard.
They will quickly escape the original
packaging they arrived in and make
their way to other products in your
pantry, where they will continue to
feast and breed.

For this reason, even if you see just a

few bugs in rice or packaging, it’s best
to throw out all improperly stored food
and begin anew.

To understand more about how bugs in

rice can quickly evolve to become a
full blown rice weevil infestation, we
must discuss their life stages.

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Keep reading.

Understanding The Life

Stages Of A Rice Weevil

Rice weevils go through four life

stages. Two of those stages are
considered the most damaging.

Like most beetles, rice weevils go

through four life stages before they
reach adulthood. These stages include
the egg stage, the larval stage, the
pupa stage, and then the adult stage.

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Of these four stages, it is the larval

stage and adult stages that are most
damaging to grains and pantry foods.

As we mentioned briefly above, most

people contract bugs in rice by
bringing in infested packages bought
from local stores or markets.

Female rice weevils only lay about four

eggs a day, but they can live for up to
five months. In that time, a single
pregnant female rice weevil can be
responsible for an entire pantry
infestation.

Once inside a package of rice or gains,

a female rice weevil will go about
burrowing small holes in the grains and
laying a single egg in each. It takes
only about three days for a rice weevil
egg to hatch and for the larvae to
emerge.

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Once the larvae is hatched, it spends

about 18 days in the grain it was born
in and feasts before it is time to
pupate. Six days after becoming a
pupae, the adult rice weevil emerges
from the grain.

Adult rice weevils have wings and are

capable of flying, which makes it even
easier for them to access certain foods
and areas in your kitchen or pantry to
infest.

Unfortunately, rice weevils are also

incredibly small, which means it can be
difficult to identify bugs in rice in the
very early stages, when they are more
easily controlled.

Luckily, we have a few tips you can

follow to make sure you catch a rice
weevil infestation early.

Identifying Bugs In Rice –

Common Signs Of Rice
Weevil Activity

Rice weevils are considered some of

the most problematic grain infesting
pests in the Southern United States.

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According to an article published by

the University of Florida IFAS
Extension, bugs in rice, also known as
rice weevils, are considered one of the
most problematic pests in the
Southern US.

That said, rice weevils can thrive

almost anywhere in the US. No matter
who you are or where you live in the
United States, chances are you have
some form of grain or food in your
pantry that will be attractive to rice
weevils, which means you need to be
on the lookout.

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In fact, some sources say if you have

grains in your pantry, you are most
certainly going to run into these pests
at some point if you haven’t already.

That’s how common they are.

With that noted, you can see why it’s

so important to take measures to
identify bugs in rice early, before an
infestation gets out of control.

The most common sign of bugs in rice

or a rice weevil infestation is going to
be the sighting of an adult rice weevil.
While you may only see one or two rice
weevils, you should regard them in
much the same way you would regard
a bed bug – where there is one there
are more.

You are not likely to see any rice weevil

eggs or larvae even if they are there,
as rice weevil larvae and eggs are very
small and typically hidden in the
grains.

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If you do find an adult rice weevil, your

next step should be investigating the
rest of your pantry foods. Look closely
at packaging and check for small holes
or tears or other adult rice weevils.

A good indication of a rice weevil

infestation is if you find packaging with
bits of the food or grains spilled out
around it. This could be a sign that rice
weevils have eaten through the
packaging to either get in or get out.

While some sources insist that it’s very

important to try and find the source of
your rice weevil infestation, our
experts agree that, regardless of if you
find the source or not, you’ll still want
to throw out any and all improperly
stored grains or pantry foods that rice
weevils could potentially infest, even if
you don’t see signs of an infestation in
these foods.

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If you do have foods that you would

prefer to salvage, inspect them
thoroughly. If you don’t find adult rice
weevils inside the packages, it’s
important to still take measures to
ensure an infestation does not repeat
itself.

To kill any potential eggs or larvae in

foods you wish to keep, it’s best to
freeze these foods for at least four
days before returning them to your
pantry.

The foods that are most commonly

affected by bugs in rice will include but
are not limited to:

Cereals
Oats
Grains
Rice
Wheat
Corn
Dried Beans
Barley
Rye
Some Spices
Pet Food
And Bird Seed

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Experts recommend tossing the above

foods into a garbage bag and sealing it
securely. Then remove that garbage
bag from the home and toss it in a
sealed outside bin. This will help
reduce the chances of a rice weevil
from escaping and getting back into
your home to start a new infestation all
over again.

The below video talks more about

how to identify bugs in rice and
goes into control methods you can
use to get rid of them.

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How To Get Rid Of Bugs In

Rice – Products We
Recommend

To properly get rid of bugs in rice, you

should try and use products that
target them in all of their life stages.

Once you have located the source of

the bugs in rice and cleaned out your
pantry, your next focus should be on
cleaning.

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You’ll want to first ensure your pantry