Hello all,
Dropping by to ask a question about an unknown bug I just found in my seed. I'm fairly new to this green thumb thing. I keep all of my seeds and small supplies in a drawer. About a year ago I bought a huge bag of cat grass seeds, but haven't touched those seeds, or the drawer they're in in about 7 months due to my new very busy job.
Anyways, today I go in to get ready and start planting again, and the bag was CRAWLING with slow moving little black beasties, and the entire bottom of the drawer was covered with what appeared to be sawdust. I can only guess that this is 7 months worth of black bug feces.
I cleaned out the entire drawer and tossed all seeds that couldn't be saved.
Wondering if anyone has a positive ID on the beasties, and if I should be worried about them coming back. (I kept bags of seeds that appeared not to be contaminated).
They are VERY slow moving.
Thanks.
[img]https://img685.imageshack.us/img685/6361/bug2rw.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4157/bug1di.jpg[/img]
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natebetween
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 5:05 pm
I believe that's a red flour beetle. There are a few different species. They are differentiated by the segments of the antennae.
Sometimes flour beetles are referred to as meal beetles, and a variety of other names. They are quite common, and often infest the kinds of flour used for baking.
I used to raise them in cornmeal. I fed the larvae to wild birds I was rehabilitating. They're good for feeding to reptiles, too. I've heard that some people cook them up and eat them, but I'm not one of those.
Sometimes flour beetles are referred to as meal beetles, and a variety of other names. They are quite common, and often infest the kinds of flour used for baking.
I used to raise them in cornmeal. I fed the larvae to wild birds I was rehabilitating. They're good for feeding to reptiles, too. I've heard that some people cook them up and eat them, but I'm not one of those.
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natebetween
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 5:05 pm
Thank you.
I've quarantined the saved seeds in a airtight container for now. It contains 10 different types of basil seeds that I really don't want to get rid of right now. Hopefully if I'm only opening the container to get seeds, and it's a very tight container, I don't think they can work their way out of it *IF* there are any more.
They must have hitched a ride on a shipment of seeds I received last summer or fall, and they've been munching away for 8 months or more.
Gross!
The only saving grace is that they are slow moving. Fast moving bugs creep me out.
I've quarantined the saved seeds in a airtight container for now. It contains 10 different types of basil seeds that I really don't want to get rid of right now. Hopefully if I'm only opening the container to get seeds, and it's a very tight container, I don't think they can work their way out of it *IF* there are any more.
They must have hitched a ride on a shipment of seeds I received last summer or fall, and they've been munching away for 8 months or more.
Gross!
The only saving grace is that they are slow moving. Fast moving bugs creep me out.