Behavior

The lesser grain borer is called that to differentiate it from the greater or larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus) – which looks similar, aside from the latter’s squared-off tail and Reuleaux triangle-shaped pronotum. The lesser grain borer adult flies, it’s attracted to light, and it likes corn and wheat, plus beans, biscuits, book bindings, cassava, cocoa beans, cork, dried fish, dried fruit, dried meat, dried roots, drugs, leather goods, nuts, peanuts, rodent baits, spices and tobacco. The lesser grain borer prefers whole seeds, but in the larval form it likes damaged grain and grain dust. Both larvae and adults can chew through packaging, and they’re voracious eaters; infestations usually are marked by a telltale odor.

Treatment:

Inspect the above-mentioned items for lesser grain borers or other pests, keep your kitchen and other areas clean, store items in Tupperware-type containers or sealed glass jars in a dry place, and rotate products, using your older goods first. If you think your lesser grain borer problem is escalating, call Clark Pest Control. Our highly trained technicians have the expert knowledge to solve your pest problem quickly.

Latin name: Rhyzopertha dominica