The weevil is a pest insect that belongs to the order Coleoptera. One of its peculiarities is that it has the ability to attack cereals. It is therefore a pest that can cause great damage to your pantry. Let’s take a closer look at what a weevil is in order to better understand the specific characteristics of this insect.

Weevils are often confused with moths. These are small insects that are sometimes found in the kitchen, inside packages of rice or other cereals. It is especially the larvae that can prove to be harmful. The latter have an allure of small worms and are therefore reminiscent of those which come from moths. The female weevil is able to lay eggs inside the kernels and then plug the hole created in order to ensure the future sustenance of the larva during its development, which in turn will repeat the process.

Brown in color, the body of the weevil is rather flattened in shape and reaches about three millimeters. It is therefore perfectly visible to the naked eye. It attacks a wide variety of foods such as cereals, grains, flour, cookies, soup or cake mixes, spices and pasta that it easily penetrates through their cardboard packaging, in paper or cellophane. It settles especially in cracks where the female can lay between five to ten eggs per day for a maximum of 50 to 250 eggs. Hatching occurs within five to ten days of egg laying. Note that the larva, like the adult, can cause damage. The cycle of life of the weevil is about three years. It lives mainly at night and generally prefers dark places. It may be sensitive to drying out.

There are several types of weevils. In addition to the wheat or rice weevils mentioned above, there is also a kind of weevil that can wreak havoc in the garden, directly attacking vegetable gardens and plants. Some weevils are big fans of damp wood and are also likely to get lodged in the beams of the house. Therefore, this insect is a real pest and therefore it is imperative to get rid of it as soon as possible.