August 1996
SIZE: About 1/10 to 1/8 inch (2-3 mm)
COLOR: Brown
DESCRIPTION:The drugstore beetle is similar to the cigarette beetle in appearance but is slightly larger, more elongate, and has distinctly striated wing covers.
The last three segments of the antennae are like a saw. Its food is even more varied than that of the cigarette beetle, and it is said to feed "upon almost anything except cast iron."
HABITAT: Anywhere around food
TYPE OF DAMAGE: Pantry pest
CONTROL: Control of this pantry pest begins with the location of the infested food. A thorough clean up, using a vacuum cleaner to get into the cracks and crevices, will control this pest.
INTERESTING FACTS: Its peculiar diet includes such odd materials as strychnine and books as well as flour, oatmeal, spices, and other foods.