How to Get Rid of Weevils (And Keep Them Out For Good!)

One Saturday morning, years ago, we awoke to a rather horrifying sight: hundreds of little brown bugs pouring out of the pantry cupboard and across the kitchen floor. We’ve encountered ants, pantry moths, and grain beetles, but this was a new one for us. We did some research and learned that our new guests were grain weevils. 

Thankfully, there are ways you can prevent them from invading your pantry before they multiply. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get rid of weevils — and keep them away for good.

Grain weevils (Sitophilus granarius, also called granary weevils or wheat weevils) are small, brown beetles that feed on pantry staples like flour, pasta, and cereal. Unlike other pantry pests, you can characterize weevils by their long snouts. Weevils are tiny too — typically only a few millimeters long or about 1/8 inch. They don’t fly, aren’t attracted to light, and may even play dead when disturbed.

While they don’t bite humans, they can wreak havoc on your pantry. Due to past insect problems, we’re diligent about storing all foods in glass jars or plastic zip-top bags. Unfortunately, grain weevils can chew through paper and plastic packaging. That’s how they got out of the bag of wheat berries we had bought and into the rest of the kitchen.

So how did the weevils get there in the first place? You may want to skip this part if you’re squeamish, but we think it’s actually quite fascinating.

A female weevil lays an egg inside a grain kernel. (She can do this up to 254 times!) The egg hatches and for one to five months depending on the season, the larva lives inside and feeds on the kernel as it grows. Upon reaching adulthood, the weevil emerges from the kernel to mate — and look for new grains to invade. We’re kind of amazed to think of this process taking place inside a bag of wheat berries that, get this, we had purchased six months ago. That’s right. The bag sat there for six months before we had any problems. (Weevils can also enter through small cracks in your home.)

Beyond seeing them with your eyes, signs you’ve been infested with weevils include: seeing them in your food packages, damage to the food packages themselves, empty grain hulls, unexplained powder or dust, and even weevil droppings.

Our fascination aside, we definitely did not want it to happen again. So we also looked into how to eliminate and prevent grain weevils from taking over our pantry.

• Inspect all grains upon purchase.
• Freeze grains for at least 1 week (or store permanently in the freezer) to kill any eggs. (This works as a great preventative measure too. Simply toss them directly in the freezer after your next grocery shop.)
• Buy grains in small quantities and eat within a reasonable period of time. (We certainly learned our lesson with this one!)
• Store grains in tightly sealed glass, metal, or sturdy plastic containers (not bags).
• Regularly clean pantry cracks, crevices, and shelves.
• Small bags of black pepper placed around the pantry may repel weevils.

• Discard any infested foods. Grain weevils can bore through plastic and cardboard, so inspect everything thoroughly. (We chose to be safe and got rid of everything that wasn’t already stored properly.)
• Vacuum pantry shelves, cracks, and crevices.
• Wipe shelves with white vinegar, which can prevent weevils from returning.
• Dispose of garbage and vacuum bags outside, away from the home.
• Check regularly for reappearance — it may take awhile to get rid of them completely.

1. Are weevils harmful if eaten? No, weevils aren’t known to carry any diseases, nor do they bite. But obviously they are a nuisance, and no one wants bugs in their food.
2. Do bay leaves keep weevils away? Yes, bay leaves are considered a natural weevil repellant. You can put a few bay leaves directly in your dry good containers to keep weevils at bay, or hang a few leaves directly in your pantry. Replace them every month for the best results.

Have you ever dealt with grain weevils? Let us know how you dealt with them in the comments below.