Interestingly, weevils are present in the food items which cannot be consumed in raw form and need to cook before eating. Although weevils have no side effects when eaten, they are still considered unacceptable in many countries of the world especially in Western countries. Weevils are small insects or pests which are present in wheat grains, flour, rice, nuts and other dried foods.
The presence of weevils is proof that there is no pesticide present in that food item. Weevils are small beetles that belong to kingdom Animalia , phylum Arthropoda and superfamily Curculionidae. They are small-sized, dark-coloured insects that have long sized snouts.
The large-sized mouth is used to create holes in the grains, pasta, cereal, flour and other food items which can be the habitat of these weevils. The mouth of these tiny insects is at the end of their snout. In addition to being present in food items, they are also present in large numbers at different sites in homes.
As they are very small creatures, so they can easily pass through different holes in the house or the cracks present anywhere or in anything present in the home. Weevils are of different types which can be distinguished based on location or the food they are present in. The different types of weevils are described below:. Flour weevils are not considered as the real kind of weevils and are mostly identified as the red flour beetle.
They are said to be flour weevils because they are mostly present near the places where flour is present. They are mm long and are metallic in appearance. The shape of these weevils is oval, and they have two wings. These weevils can attack any place such as the grocery items present in homes as they feed on nuts or in the mills that produce dry fruits. These flour weevils also play their part in the production of moulds but when they die they produce a bad smell which can also damage food items.
They are said to be the rice weevils because they are present in rice in addition to some other food items as well. The bright side of this is that boll weevils can feed only on cotton plants. If you are not growing cotton, then you are safe from them. Rose weevil Rose weevils are about 5 to 6 mm in length and have a red and black color. They can drill holes using their pointed snout.
They are called as such because they eat mainly flowers, especially roses. Not only do the adult rose weevils feed on flower petals, but their larvae too. Wheat weevil Also known as grain weevils, they are three to five mm in length, equipped with chewing mouthparts, and an elongated snout.
They have immature wings, so they are not able to fly. Wheat weevils can only eat stored foods and cannot go out to the fields to eat plants. Adult female weevils can produce as many as 6, offsprings a year. They appear like weevils, but the truth is they are not. They have short snouts and feed largely on cowpeas. They have chewing mouthparts which they use not only for eating cowpeas but for beans and peas as well.
That is also where they lay their eggs. You would know if you are attacked by cowpea weevils if you see round holes on those peas. Bean weevil Like the flour weevils, they are not true weevils. They also do not have snouts, which is the basic feature of a weevil.
Their bodies are compact and oval in shape. They are very hairy and their colors are black, brown, or pale olive. Their size range from 1 mm to 2 mm. They eat anything that is available. Adult bean weevils lay their eggs on seeds, which the larvae chew into these seeds. A sign of their presence is finding empty bean covers that they have already consumed. Black vine weevil The black vine weevils feed on ornamental plants.
Their size is about 12 mm in length and has ovoid bodies. They have short snouts and antennae attached to their heads. They are nocturnal and they do not fly. During the day they rest. White Pine weevil White pine weevils are 6 to 7 mm long in size, with white and brown colored scales. They feed on spruce and pine trees.
Your house will never be big enough to accommodate both humans and pests. Their larvae are often found in packaged food, such as flour, cornmeal and cereals, and can appear in dog food. These young weevils don't make their way into sealed packages; they are already in the food as eggs. Weevils, whether in larval or adult stage, are not harmful to humans or animals.
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