Weevil Infestations in Homes

Weevils can invade homes in great numbers.

Sometimes plant-feeding weevils invade homes for shelter from the weather. Occasionally people accidentally bring seed-feeding weevils into the kitchen.

Outdoors, weevils eat the leaves of trees, shrubs and plants. However, in the fall of the year, these plant-feeding weevils start looking for a place to spend the winter.

Some species, like the Asiatic oak weevil are attracted to lights. They gather around the doors and windows of houses. Homeowners sometimes notice hundreds of weevils clustered on the outside of the house. When weevils find cracks or openings around the windows, they move inside the house. They will also enter through broken screens on attic vents or crawlspace vents. They can also crawl under doors that have damaged weather stripping.

Many of the weevils that invade a home spend the winter behind the insulation inside the walls. The attic, the garage and the crawl space are also common winter hiding places for weevils. These weevils might spend the winter without being seen by the homeowner.

However, some weevils find their way into the living space of the home. They might come through a crack in a wall or a space next to a pipe. They might crawl up from the crawl space through a gap under a baseboard. They might even use an opening for a light fixture to crawl down from the attic.

In the winter, the living space of a home is warmer than the attic or the crawl space. This can confuse weevils. When they get into the warm environment of the home, the weevils start to act as if it is springtime. They try to find a way to get outdoors.

Weevils that come indoors for shelter can infest every room in the home. They often cluster in rooms that have windows. They gather at the windows trying to get outside. Homeowners find these weevils crawling on the walls, on windowsills and on ceilings. Homeowners have reported seeing hundreds of weevils crawling up their walls and then dropping back down to the floor again.

Some species of weevils, such as the rice weevil, feed on stored food products. Homeowners may find these weevils in packages of beans, popcorn, cereal or nuts. These weevils will also attack fruit, including apples, pears and grapes. Homeowners can bring them home inside of food packages.

Rice weevils, bean weevils and other stored food weevils feed inside food packages. They can remain hidden in the pantry for a long time. Homeowners might spot adult weevils wandering on the shelves or floor of the pantry.

Orkin can help identify the source of the weevil infestation. An Orkin Specialist is trained to help get rid of weevils and to help keep weevils from invading your home.

For more information or to schedule an inspection, please contact your local Orkin branch office.