If you find weevils in your bedroom and bed, it’s important to take steps to get rid of them. Start by cleaning up any food that might be attracting them since weevils like to eat things like grains and seeds.
Clean your bed thoroughly, and make sure to vacuum your bedroom, including furniture and floors. Changing your bed sheets and cleaning your kitchen can also help because weevils come from food sources. If cleaning doesn’t work, you can try using natural methods like diatomaceous earth or a mix of eucalyptus oil and vinegar to kill the weevils.
For tougher cases, chemical sprays might be needed, but use them carefully. Keeping your food in airtight containers and not keeping it for too long can also prevent weevils from coming back.
Continue reading to learn more.
What are Weevils?
As mentioned, weevils are small beetles. They are slender or oval-shaped. They can grow from around 3mm to more than 10mm long. These insects are usually dark-colored, or brownish to black.
Weevils are also known as flour bugs because they love to eat flour. They also infest in rice, oatmeal, wheat, and whole grains. They can live in almost any part of your house, from your kitchen to your pantry and yes, even your bedroom.
You would be surprised to learn that there are close to 100,000 types of weevils. One of the more common types is the rice weevil which won’t bite or sting but can compromise food supplies. Other types include the granary weevil and maize weevil that both like to infest whole-grain foods in our pantries.
Weevils are considered pests as they can kill garden plants. Inside the house, these insects are more of a nuisance. They can contaminate infested food, rendering it inedible. Weevils won’t bite you. They’re also harmless to your pets. But let’s face it, you don’t want to see these pests infesting your bed, right?
How to Get Rid of Weevils in Bed
So, how do you get rid of weevils in your bed and your bedroom?
Check The Reason That Weevils Invade Your Space
First, you have to eliminate the likely primary reason that they’re invading your personal space- food. As mentioned earlier, weevils feed on foods such as whole grain, wheat, rice, bean, seed, and maize.
You’ve likely been bringing food into your room, and this habit is attracting those pests. Yes, those late-night trips to the kitchen may have caused you to bring weevils in your bedroom. And your fondness for having breakfast in bed can be partly blamed for the weevil infestation in your private space.
Deep Clean Your Bed
The first step in eliminating the sources of weevils in your bedroom is to deep clean your bed first. This is the best way to get rid of the bugs once and for all. You should give extra attention to the sides of your bed as it may be where food particles are gathered and being fed on by the weevils.
Keep in mind that deep cleaning requires time so you can’t do this overnight. Still, take your time to do so. You don’t have to rush. Otherwise, you can’t expect positive results.
Vacuum Other Spots In The Bedroom
While you are in it, make time to vacuum the other spots in your bedroom, like the cabinets and other pieces of furniture. Use the upholstery attachment to do so. Vacuum and the curtains of your bedroom as well as the windowsills. Then, continue to clean the floor area, including space underneath all furniture.
Change Bed Sheets & Pillow Sheets
You should also change your bed sheets and pillow sheets. Those little bugs may also be hiding in these things. When you wash your sheets and bedding, make sure that you do so right away. Don’t leave the dirty laundry on the floor or even in your hamper, as doing so may cause the bugs to transfer elsewhere.
Clean The Kitchen
Next, you should clean your kitchen, too. It’s common for people to complain that weevils won’t go away in their house even after deep cleaning their bedrooms. But the problem with these pests is their size– they are so small that we can barely see them.
Thus, it would make sense to clean the area where the weevils most likely emanated from– the kitchen. Start in your pantry as this is the part of the kitchen where most weevil infestations begin.
Those little pests are probably inside a bag of groceries. Check for food packages with holes. These are most likely being infested by weevils. Throw them away in a garbage bag, which you should tie and secure. Place the garbage bag in a sealed bin outside of your house.
Cover Food In the Pantry
Also, ensure that you completely cover every food in the pantry. You don’t want to leave any room for these weevils to get inside your food items. Clean all boxes and food packages in the pantry, too.
Use Natural Pesticides
If you’ve tried cleaning your bedroom and pantry and weevils still bother you at home, then you can try the use of some natural pesticides. One natural pesticide which is said to be effective in getting rid of weevils is diatomaceous earth, which is strong and active enough in killing those little bugs. Moreover, it is harmless to humans, especially children.
It’s easy to use, too. Simply sprinkle some of the powder in your bedroom, pantry, or other areas of the house where you suspect weevils live. You can expect to see dead bugs lying around your bedside and pantry a few days or after. You should then vacuum or clean the areas where you see dead weevils.
Another natural solution to weevil infestation is a 50/50 solution of eucalyptus oil and vinegar. Combine those two ingredients and then pour it on a spray. Wipe down your kitchen counters and shelves with this all-natural solution known to be powerful and effective in getting rid of weevils. It is also non-toxic to humans and pets.
You can also try weevil deterrents like herbs. Bay leaves are considered the best natural way to get rid of those pests. Simply place bay leaves in your bed and pantry.
You can place them in areas where you feel the weevils are thriving. You can also crush the bay leaves and sprinkle them around your bedroom. Bay leaves are safe for both adults and children so you won’t have to worry about health concerns in your household should you use them as weevil deterrents.
Use Chemical Insecticides
If you’ve tried those all-natural weevil solutions and you’re still not getting the results you want, then you can attempt using a chemical insecticide. However, you must exercise caution in handling the pesticide. Read the directions carefully before using the insecticide and make sure that it is suitable for indoor use.
Some insecticides also need the area to be isolated for a certain period. A proper and thorough application of an insecticide may be able to stave off weevil infestation for a couple of months. You will then have to re-apply the chemical as necessary.
You can also place traps in strategic parts of your house, including your bedroom, to control weevil infestation. Weevil traps use chemicals known as pheromones in attracting the bugs. Once the weevils enter the traps, then you can remove them from your house.
Other Tips to Prevent Weevils from Infesting Your Home
Free Dry Food and Keep Food Items in Airtight Boxes
You can also try freezing dry food items to prevent weevils from infesting them. And don’t forget to keep your food items in airtight boxes. Doing so would make sure that the weevils can’t go inside food items stored in your pantry.
Don’t Keep Stored Food Long
Consuming stored food quickly can also prevent weevils from investing in your home. As has been mentioned earlier, these pests thrive in areas where there are stocks of food like rice and whole grain. Thus, these little bugs won’t thrive if you’re not stocking up on large amounts of dry goods.
To be more specific, buy flour and grain in smaller quantities. This way, you won’t have to leave them in the pantry for weeks or even months. Also, make it a habit to throw out unused and expired dry food items.
Inspect Your Dry Food Often
Likewise, make it a habit to inspect your groceries, especially dry food items, before storing them in your cabinets.
Infest Your Home
Finally, if you’ve tried all of the steps or techniques mentioned above and you still suspect that weevils infest your home, then don’t fret. You can simply call a professional or pest control expert to get rid of weevils in your bed and other parts of the house. A pest control expert has the knowledge, skills, equipment, and experience needed in permanently eliminating weevils in your place.
It’s highly recommended to engage the services of pest control experts when you have a lot of land or you store large amounts of grain at your residence. You should also consider it when you do any kind of farming.
Wrap Up
Weevils are so small that it’s hard for an ordinary person to spot them. These pests may not bite or harm you but they can be a nuisance at home.
The key to getting rid of weevils in bed is to eliminate the root cause of their presence: which is food. If you can do this, you are winning half the battle. From there, you can get rid of weevils by securing your dry food items and ensuring that weevils won’t infest these. Should you fail to control weevils by using natural methods, you can also try calling professional pest control.
