Treatment tips for sawtoothed grain beetle

Jeffrey Tucker, BCE, is a consultant at BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions.

The sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis, aka STGB) is one of the most common stored product pest (SPP) that pest management professionals (PMPs) will encounter in both residential and commercial accounts. Its common name comes from the sawtooth-like projections on each side of the thorax. Measuring about 0.10 of an inch long and dark reddish-brown in color, STGB can infest just about any dried food product, including dried fruits, cereals, rice, flour and other processed foods. It is often found infesting rodent baits, bird seed and chocolate.

STGB easily invades packaged foods through openings as small as 0.03 of an inch. They do not, however, chew their way through packaging material. When identifying the pest, note that merchant grain beetles (O. mercator) are very similar in appearance to STGB but are capable of flight; STGB is not known to fly.

In most cases, control is identical to the steps taken for all grain beetle infestations in residential and light commercial facilities. First, inspect, locate and dispose of all infested materials. Second, deep-clean the infested areas thoroughly. Third, a crack-and-crevice treatment with an effective residual insecticide should be made to shelving and voids where the infested materials were stored.