Last Updated on November 25, 2023 by Kimberly Crawford
Surprised to find weevils in your bedroom? These sure-fire ways to get rid of them will help you turn your bedroom back into the safe haven it once was.
The one room on earth where we feel safest and most comfortable is our bedroom. It is our little paradise on earth, a safe haven where nothing can get to us, while we can stay deep in slumber without worries… unless you have pests in your bed.
You know that dream we have at least once in life when creepy crawlies are climbing up our bodies, and we are writhing in fear, disgust, and pain? That can literally come to life if you have pests in your bed.
Bugs in bed come in many shapes and forms. We have bed bugs, kissing bugs, spiders, cockroaches, mites, lice, ants, and so on. But, the often unlikely candidate that can haunt your safe haven is weevils.
Related: 12 Bugs That Look Like Fleas And Jump
What Are Weevils?
For those who don’t know, weevils are those tiny little beetles that infect rice, flour, noodle, pasta, and any seed or grains they can eat. But how can these infest your bedroom?
Getting rid of weevils from your bedroom can be as difficult as getting rid of them from flour – nearly impossible if you don’t do it right. As pests, they often look scarier than they are and usually tend to damage grains, flours, and things made out of those.
But even if weevils are not as dangerous as bed bugs and don’t bite you or your pets, who would want insect infestations in their bedroom? Plus, they can do some serious damage to your indoor plants if you don’t get rid of them.
There are about 97,000 known species of weevils, and you don’t know which kind will end up in your home. These innocent insects might end up inside your nose or ears without intending any harm, which can get problematic or even injurious to your health. Luckily, the same methods work on most species, so getting rid of them is not impossible.
How Do Weevils End Up In Your Bedroom?
If you are trying to get rid of weevils from your bedroom, you must learn two things: how they ended up there and how you can get rid of them.
Seeing weevils in your kitchen is not surprising or uncommon. If you have an infestation and see them anywhere around the house, chances are that they came in, attracted to your supply of grains, flours, and flour-based food.
However, how do they end up in your bedroom? If you see a weevil in your bedroom, the most common place where you would find them is your bed, and it is almost always the bed owner’s fault. Yes, we invite the weevils into our bed by bringing food into our bedroom.
If you tend to eat in bed, especially in the middle of the night while binge-watching your favorite shows or movies, don’t be surprised to find weevils in your bed as the main culprit is you.
How To Kick Out Weevils From Your Bed?
Any insect infestation inside your house is a no-no. If weevils are not your only problem and you have other infestations like cockroaches, bugs, and termites, consider getting professional help.
Majestic Pest Control handles all sorts of infestation, big or small. So, give them a call if you live in or near Long Island and are looking for professional pest control expertise.
If you want to get rid of weevils from your bedroom and don’t want to get professional help, consider the following options.
Don’t Eat In Your Bed
Eating in the bed is one of the biggest culprits behind any bed infestations. It should be one of the biggest don’ts at your home if your house is prone to infestations.
It can attract anything from ants and weevils to cockroaches and even mice to your bed. Given that we are most vulnerable when we sleep, this puts us at a huge risk.
If you have weevils in your bed, it is always because of bringing food into your room and bed. Any grain or seed-based food will attract weevils. Dropping bits of food in your bed will make weevils come and live in the nooks and crannies of your bed.
We can understand how tempting it is to eat in the comfort of your bed. But, your late-night snacking and eating while watching things in bed is the reason why you might end up with bites, allergies, or worse, the next morning.
Related: 18 Bugs That Look Like Ticks But Are Not
Clean Your Bed (And Bedroom) Daily
If you eat in bed, make sure that you clean your room every day, especially after eating. Weevils come into our bed if the food particles are always present in our bed. So, keep them away by cleaning your bed every day.
Most people think that the best time to clean your bed is after waking up when you make your bed. But, if you tend to eat in the bed, clean your bed immediately after eating or before going to sleep.
This not only saves time in the morning but ensures that you go to sleep in a safe bed that doesn’t attract pests. Remove the pillows and beddings from the bed, and use a brush or a vacuum to clean the bed.
Dust the pillows and covers using a brush. You can also vacuum them. Ensure to vacuum or sweep the floor if the bits of food end up there during cleaning.
Related: 5 Bugs That Look Like Termites But Aren’t
Give Your Bedroom A Thorough Cleaning Every Week
Keeping your bedroom clean is not difficult if you do it thoroughly weekly or biweekly. Start with stripping your bed off the beddings and vacuuming your bed.
Do vacuum and air your mattress if you feel like there is any sort of infestation. You must air your mattress at least four times a year to keep it away from serious infestation or molding.
Nothing is more relaxing than coming into a clean and fresh-smelling bed. So change your bedding weekly or biweekly.
If you have an infestation, wash your beddings immediately after removal to prevent the spread of the insects. This applies heavily to ants, lice, ticks, and weevils.
Dust and vacuum every corner of your bedroom every two to three weeks to prevent an infestation. Check and clean difficult places like underneath the bed, cracks in the wall, or unreachable spaces between furniture and wall.
Related: 12 Bugs That Look Like Cockroaches (But Aren’t)
Handle Your Kitchen Right
- To handle any infestation, the first place you need to clean is the kitchen and pantry. These are the places where you store, cook, and handle food the most, which is the main attraction for pests(unless they are termites, moths, or booklice).
- If there are weevils in your bed, they probably came from a source. Check all the containers where you keep your grains, beans, and flour. If you find an infestation, consider throwing out the contents that are quite old, as a long-term harboring of weevil can give the ingredients a stale smell. This is especially true for rice and flour. It is particularly difficult to get rid of weevils from flour, so we strongly recommend throwing the infested flours away.
- If you wish to salvage weevil-infested rice, use them within a few days of discovering the infestation.
- Wash the rice with water until the water comes out clean. When you soak the rice, you will see that the weevils inside the rice have floated to the surface, which makes it easier to get rid of them.
- Consider soaking them anywhere from 4 hours to overnight. This will help ease the smell. It is good to soak rice and other grains as this helps get rid of phytic acid, which hampers your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
- Be cautious while storing and handling food. Try to prevent spills or clean up immediately after spilling anything. Always cover the pots and jars in which you store your grains, flours, and beans to prevent weevils from coming.
- Try not to hoard food and finish dry foods as soon as possible. Long-time storage is the main reason why you might have a weevil infestation at home.
- Keep flours in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer, especially delicate flours like wholegrain, rice, and organic flour.
- Shop for just enough and keep your storage for not more than a month or so. It is better to cook with fresh ingredients than eating aged, stale ones.
- Always clean your kitchen well, not just for weevils but to keep out ants, cockroaches, mice, etc.
- Cover up any holes in the wall or furniture, and keep the places that are difficult to reach as clean as possible.
- Use good and safe cleaning agents to clean surfaces that you use for food preparation.
Use Insecticides
If weevils refuse to leave, even after all the cleaning and other pest prevention practices, you have no choice but to use insecticides.
Always opt for natural insecticides first as chemical insecticides can cause injury to health, especially attack your skin and respiratory organs.
Keep weevils out of your pantry, using spices like cloves and bay leaves. Add them to your storage of rice, grains, flours, etc. This will keep away weevils and some other infestations. You can even leave some cloves or bay leaves between your sheets or under the pillow.
Some natural insecticides you can use include:
Make a spray of equal parts of white vinegar and eucalyptus oil
Wipe down kitchen-pantry surfaces and storage pots using it. As this concoction is a natural weevil (and some other pests) repellent, this will keep them away from your kitchen and pantry.
Diatomaceous Earth
Try using food-grade diatomaceous powder, which is another natural weevil repellent. DE is harmless to humans and pets, so coming in contact with it shouldn’t cause any trouble.
Sprinkle the powder in bed sheets or your kitchen/pantry to keep weevils away. However, despite being non-toxic, it can cause problems if it gets into your eyes or nose. Inhaling can irritate your nasal passages and cause coughing and shortness of breath.
It can also cause minor irritation to the skin. If you have small children and pets, try to be extra careful to prevent them from inhaling or coming in contact with it. Sprinkle it in problem areas without leaving heaps in places.
Another powder that can help get rid of weevil is a concoction that can be made at home
Boric acid is poisonous to weevils, so mixing it with flour can make a deadly trap for them. Leaving this powdered mix is a surefire way of killing off weevils. However, boric acid is much more dangerous than DE and should be handled with a lot of caution.
High dosage of consumption, inhalation, and other kinds of contact can be extremely dangerous for humans and pets.
If all else fails, spray chemical insecticides
Try to use non-toxic varieties. Practice caution while using them and read all the labels properly to understand the dangers and directions of use. Make sure to cover your face while using insecticides. Just as with any insecticide, reapply until weevils are gone.
The infected place might need to be isolated after using pesticide to prevent the spread of toxic fumes, so keep your kids, pets, and everyone else (including yourself) away from the area.
If you don’t feel confident about using chemical insecticides safely, consider calling for professional help. Hiring a pest controller can help you get rid of weevils and any other infestation safely.
Final Thoughts
Weevils can look scary, but these tiny beetles are harmless in your bed. However, keep your bed, bedroom, kitchen, and pantry clean to prevent or rid yourself of a weevil infestation. If cleaning doesn’t work, use some natural or chemical insecticides, practice caution while applying them, and keep your house safe and weevil-free.
