Confused Flour Beetle Facts & Information

Confused flour beetles are shiny reddish-brown in color, winged, and grow to be about 1/8th of an inch in length. Their head and the upper parts of their thorax are heavily covered with tiny punctures, their wing covers are ridged end-to-end, and their antennae widen out gradually from the base. They are often mistaken for the red flour beetle. Don’t let them fool you, though.

The average lifespan of an adult flour beetle is about one year. Females lay about 450 sticky, white eggs directly onto a food source. This tacky exterior of the eggs collects fine particles and broken grain, which coats and protects them until they hatch. Larvae then feed on the surrounding food until pupating and emerging as adults.

Both the red and confused flour beetles infest grain and grain products worldwide. They are commonly found in stored grains within mills, warehouses, supermarkets, and homes. In homes, these pests can thrive in crevices inside pantries and kitchen cabinets where food spills will sustain them quite happily. Confused flour beetles feed on finely milled starches such as flour or meal. They do not feed on whole or undamaged kernels and need ground grain to survive. While they are both flour beetles, they’re different species and should be properly treated. That’s why a Board Certified Entomologist is needed to properly identify the beetle you have to make sure the correct beetles treatments are being used.