Big and Small Flour

Lesser Flour

Big Flour

Small Black Khrushchak

Flour Khrushchak

Means of the flour meal

 

Food stocks in the kitchen are a favorite delicacy of many insects. In our article, we will talk about one of these pests - flour Khrushchak. With the appearance in the kitchen of this small bug, even the cleanest housewife can face. Invasion of both adults and their larvae is subject not only to cereals, but also flour, dried fruits, starch, pasta. Cocoa powder, ground coffee and tea can also continue this list. An uninvited guest can enter the animal feed in the form of whole or crushed grain mixtures. To better understand who we are talking about, the flour Khrushchak in the photo is presented below.

Features

Floury Khrushchak (tenebrio molitor) - a beetle up to 18 mm in size has an oblong body, covered with black or brown-brown carapace. It belongs to the family of dark beetles, whose representatives are ubiquitous. Adult individuals are able to live even in cool rooms, while larvae need heat to develop. At low temperatures, insects die.

The beetle of the Hrushchak breeds quite actively: the female is able to lay up to 1,000 shiny milky eggs throughout her life. Of them, after 10 days, larvae appear, which are popularly called flour worms. The larvae of the flour crust are up to 3 cm long. They have very developed upper jaws and paws, thanks to which they can quickly move around the surface of bulk products.

There are several types of Khrushchakov:

• Lesser Flour - a beetle having a flat body up to 5 mm long in red-brown hue. The insect has wings, but is not able to fly. Due to the presence of glands, the pest secretes a specific liquid, with the help of which it repels enemies. Larvae of the small Khrushchak grow up to 7 mm; they are born from sticky oval eggs of a yellowish color. The full development cycle lasts about two months;

  

• Big Flour - a brown-black flying insect of the winged wing detachment with a red abdomen. In length, adults can reach up to 18 mm. Despite the lack of eyes, the larvae of the large Khrushchak are very mobile due to their tenacious paws and claws. They can grow up to 30 mm. Large meshers prefer to settle in places with high humidity;

  

• Small Black Khrushchak - black or brown pest, the size of which reaches up to 5.5 mm. Differs from small flour hruschak in large sizes. It has a white abdomen and a dull-shiny surface on the outside. Its light brown larvae transform into a chrysalis throughout the year.

  

Where flour mealworms live

Favorite habitats for winged pests are warehouses and granaries, and flour flakes can also be found in the apartment. Beetles are able to enter the living room through cracks in the walls, small holes and crevices in grocery bags, bags or boxes. Insects usually settle under wallpaper, baseboards, in pantries and kitchen cabinets.They especially prefer food storage places, as stale cereals, dried fruits or legumes are not only a source of nutrition, but also an ideal breeding ground.

The big Khrushchak likes humidity, the small flour Khrushchaks get along well in apartments with central heating.

Penetration paths

Flouring the Khrushchaks can enter the apartment in various ways.

• Products brought into the house are the main way for the pest to enter the living room. Many had to deal with a situation when bugs or worms move in a purchased bag with cereal or flour.
• Insects can start in the attic, and from there it is easy to crawl into the apartment.
• The absence of a mosquito net on the window is another affordable way for the pest to enter.

What is harmful and dangerous insects

Whether a beetle is dangerous for humans, such a question arises for many who have discovered this flour pest in their kitchen. The winged insect can thoroughly spoil bulk products, leaving them with their excrement and particles of larva skins. Contaminated cereals or flour are not recommended for use in food.

On a note
Do not risk your health and eat insect-contaminated products. This is especially true for children and people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

Methods of struggle

Knowing how to get rid of flour hrushchak at home, you can prevent its spread and thereby keep the stock unspoiled. Sifting infected products is not the best way to fight. Such a procedure will help eliminate adult individuals and larvae of the Khrushchak, but most of the pest eggs will still remain in place.

1. It is preferable to get rid of infected bulk products, legumes or dried fruits in order to avoid large-scale spread of insects.
2. The dishes and furniture in which the infected cereals were stored should be treated with a solution of bleach.
3. Mistresses who want to maintain a supply of bulk products should thoroughly bake them in the oven.
4. Due to the fact that flour beetles do not tolerate excessively low temperatures, you can get rid of them by freezing.
5. Shelves of kitchen cabinets, walls and floors should be treated with vinegar or soda solution.
6. All cracks under baseboards and other hard-to-reach spots are treated with insecticidal preparations. As this, you can use Pyrethrum or Dichlorvos. Phenax or Riapan powder will help with the large-scale spread of insects. You can also decompose bait balls from powdered sugar, flour and borax, taken in equal quantities.

   

7. After 2 weeks, treatment should be repeated to destroy surviving individuals.

Prevention

1. You should regularly inspect cereals, flour and other bulk products for pests. After all, beetles prefer to wind up in stale products. That is why you should not make too large stocks.
2. Lack of moisture is another important condition that must be observed to prevent the spread of pests.
3. For storage of bulk products, it is preferable to use hermetically sealed containers.
4. After using the contents of the container, it must be thoroughly washed and dried. This will help get rid of the eggs of the Khrushchak, which could remain on the surface of the container.
5. Chamomile, bay leaf, garlic, lavender, citrus zest will help prevent the spread of insects. Their smell repels pests.

Professional processing

With a large accumulation of insects, it is not always possible to destroy pests on their own. In such situations, you need to seek help from special pest control services, whose experienced specialists have experience in controlling domestic pests. During this treatment, it is contraindicated for children and pets in the room.It will not be superfluous to make food, indoor plants, baby clothes and toys.

Regular cleaning and proper storage of products are the most reliable and effective means of protecting products. Observing these simple rules, you will not have to deal with the mealy bug. Well, and if it happened to identify pests in a particular product, you should not hesitate or panic - you need to start the fight against them as soon as possible.