Have you ever noticed small, brown or black beetles with long snouts in your house?
If so, you might have a snout beetle infestation. Snout beetles, also known as weevils, are a large and diverse group of insects that feed on plants.
Some of them can cause serious damage to your crops, garden plants, and stored food.
In this blog post, we will tell you everything you need to know about snout beetles in house, including how to identify them, how they enter your house, what health risks they pose, and how to get rid of them.
What Is a Snout Beetle?
A snout beetle is a member of the Curculionidae family, distinguished by its elongated, curved snout used for boring into plants and laying eggs. These beetles vary in size, color, and diet, targeting various plant parts. They can either be beneficial pollinators or harmful pests that affect crops and stored food.
Types of Snout Beetles Commonly Found in Houses
| Type | Size | Color | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grain weevil | 3-5 mm | Reddish-brown | Infest stored grains and other food products |
| Rice weevil | 4-6 mm | Dark brown or black with four reddish or yellowish spots on wing covers | Infest stored rice and other food products |
| Boll weevil | 6-10 mm | Grayish-brown | Attack cotton plants and reduce crop yields and quality |
| Strawberry root weevil | 3-5 mm | Dark brown or black | Feed on roots and leaves of strawberry plants and other plants in the rose family |
| Black vine weevil | 8-12 mm | Black | Feed on roots and leaves of various ornamental plants such as yew, hemlock, rhododendron, azalea, and euonymus |
Grain weevils:
These are small (3-5 mm long), reddish-brown snout beetles that infest stored grains such as wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley, and rye.
They can also infest flour, pasta, cereal, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. They can cause significant losses of weight and quality of stored food. They can also produce a foul odor and mold growth.
Rice weevils:
These are similar to grain weevils but slightly larger (4-6 mm long) and darker in color.
They have four reddish or yellowish spots on their wing covers. They infest the same types of stored food as grain weevils but prefer rice.
Boll weevils:
These are medium-sized (6-10 mm long), grayish-brown snout beetles that attack cotton plants.
They lay eggs inside the cotton bolls (fruits) and the larvae feed on the developing seeds and fibers. They can cause severe damage to cotton crops and reduce the quality of cotton fibers.
Strawberry root weevils:
These are small (3-5 mm long), dark brown or black snout beetles that feed on the roots of strawberry plants and other plants in the rose family.
They can cause wilting, stunting, and death of the plants. The adults also feed on the leaves of strawberry plants and other plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas. They create notches along the leaf margins.
Black vine weevils:
These are large (8-12 mm long), black snout beetles that feed on the roots of various plants, especially ornamental plants such as yew, hemlock, rhododendron, azalea, and euonymus.
They can cause root rot, girdling, and death of the plants. The adults also feed on the leaves of these plants and create notches along the leaf margins.
How Snout Beetles Enter Your House
Snout beetles can enter your house through various ways, such as:
Through food sources:
Snout beetles can infest food products that are stored in your pantry, cabinets, or containers.
They can also hitchhike on food items that you bring home from the grocery store or the garden. They can multiply rapidly and spread to other food sources in your house.
Outdoor habitat:
Snout beetles can live and breed in your garden, lawn, or landscape. They can feed on your plants and cause damage to them.
They can also migrate to your house when the outdoor conditions become unfavorable, such as during drought, frost, or flooding.
Small openings and cracks:
Snout beetles can squeeze through small openings and cracks in your walls, windows, doors, or vents.
They can also enter through gaps around pipes, wires, or cables. They can use these entry points to access your house and look for food or shelter.
Pet access points:
Snout beetles can enter your house through pet doors, windows, or cages. They can also hitchhike on your pets’ fur or bedding. They can use your pets as a source of food or a means of transportation.
Seasonal changes:
Snout beetles can enter your house during seasonal changes, such as spring or fall.
They can seek refuge from the cold or the heat in your house. They can also look for new food sources or breeding sites in your house.
Health Risks Associated with Snout Beetles in House
Snout beetles in house can pose various health risks to you and your family, such as:
Food contamination:
Snout beetles can contaminate your food with their feces, saliva, eggs, larvae, and dead bodies.
They can also introduce mold, bacteria, fungi, and parasites into your food. These contaminants can cause food poisoning, allergic reactions, infections, and diseases.
Bites and stings:
Some snout beetles can bite or sting you when they feel threatened or disturbed.
Their bites and stings can cause pain, swelling, itching, redness, and inflammation. They can also transmit diseases or toxins through their bites and stings.
Asthma and allergies:
Some snout beetles can trigger asthma and allergies in some people.
Their body parts, droppings, secretions, and shed skins can become airborne and cause respiratory problems such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
They can also cause skin rashes, hives, eczema, and dermatitis.
Psychological stress:
Snout beetles in house can cause psychological stress and anxiety in some people.
Their presence can make you feel uncomfortable, disgusted, fearful, or embarrassed. They can also affect your sleep quality and mental health.
How to Get Rid of Snout Beetles in House
There are several methods that you can use to get rid of snout beetles in house. These methods include:
Mechanical Methods
These methods involve physically removing or killing the snout beetles using tools or devices. Some examples are:
Vacuuming:
You can use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the snout beetles from your floors, carpets, furniture, walls, ceilings, or other surfaces.
You should empty the vacuum bag or container outside and seal it in a plastic bag before disposing of it.
Trapping:
You can use sticky traps or pitfall traps to catch the snout beetles in your house.
You should place the traps near the infested areas or along the pathways of the snout beetles. You should check the traps regularly and dispose of them properly.
Freezing:
You can use freezing temperatures to kill the snout beetles in your stored food products.
You should place the infested food items in a freezer for at least four days to kill all the life stages of the snout beetles.
You should then discard the food items or sift out the dead snout beetles before using them.
Chemical Methods
These methods involve using pesticides or insecticides to kill the snout beetles in your house. Some examples are:
Spraying:
You can use a spray bottle to apply a liquid pesticide or insecticide to the infested areas or surfaces in your house.
You should follow the label instructions carefully and wear protective gear when handling the chemicals. You should also avoid spraying near food sources or water sources.
Dusting:
You can use a duster or a brush to apply a powdered pesticide or insecticide to the cracks, crevices, or other hiding places of the snout beetles in your house.
You should use a small amount of the chemical and avoid inhaling it or getting it on your skin or eyes. You should also avoid dusting near food sources or water sources.
Fogging:
You can use a fogger or a bomb to release a gaseous pesticide or insecticide into the air of your house.
You should follow the label instructions carefully and vacate the house for several hours after fogging.
You should also cover or remove any food sources, water sources, plants, pets, or sensitive items from the house before fogging.
Natural Methods
These methods involve using natural substances or organisms to repel or kill the snout beetles in your house. Some examples are:
Essential oils:
You can use essential oils such as peppermint, lavender, clove, or eucalyptus to repel the snout beetles from your house.
You can dilute the oils with water and spray them on the infested areas or surfaces.
You can also soak cotton balls with the oils and place them near the snout beetles’ entry points or hiding places.
Diatomaceous earth:
You can use diatomaceous earth, which is a fine powder made from fossilized algae, to kill the snout beetles in your house.
You can sprinkle the powder on the infested areas or surfaces. The powder will dehydrate and cut the exoskeletons of the snout beetles, causing them to die.
Beneficial insects:
You can use beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps, or predatory mites to control the snout beetles in your house.
These insects will prey on the snout beetles and reduce their population. You can purchase these insects from garden centers or online stores and release them in your house.
Professional Help
If none of the above methods work or if you have a severe snout beetle infestation in your house, you may need to seek professional help from a pest control company.
A pest control expert can inspect your house, identify the type and extent of the infestation, and apply the most appropriate and effective treatment for your situation.
They can also provide you with advice on how to prevent future infestations.
FAQs About Snout Beetles in House
Is it dangerous to have snout beetles in the house?
Yes, it can be dangerous to have snout beetles in the house because they can contaminate your food, bite or sting you, trigger asthma and allergies, and cause psychological stress.
Can snout beetles infest other areas apart from the kitchen?
Yes, snout beetles can infest other areas apart from the kitchen, such as the living room, bedroom, bathroom, basement, attic, garage, or storage room. They can also infest outdoor areas such as the garden, lawn, or landscape.
What type of foods do snout beetles commonly infest?
Snout beetles commonly infest stored foods such as grains, flour, pasta, cereal, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices, beans, peas, lentils, coffee, tea, chocolate, and pet food. They can also infest fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Are snout beetles resistant to common pesticides?
Some snout beetles may develop resistance to common pesticides over time due to repeated exposure or genetic mutation. This means that they can survive or reproduce despite being exposed to lethal doses of pesticides. To avoid this problem, you should rotate different types of pesticides or use non-chemical methods to control snout beetles.
Can snout beetles lay their eggs inside my house?
Yes, snout beetles can lay their eggs in food items inside your house. It’s important to be vigilant and
Conclusion
Snout beetles in house are a common and annoying problem that can cause various damages and health risks.
To get rid of them effectively and safely, you should identify the type of snout beetle you have in your house and use one or more of the methods we discussed above.
You should also take preventive measures to keep them away from your house in the future.
