June, *18] 
DOANE: STORED FOOD INSECTS 
315 
The granary weevil, Caiandra granaria L., was found in probably 
half of the warehouses visited, but usually only in small numbers. 
The saw-toothed grain beetle, Silvanus surinamensis , is commonly 
found associated with this species and in some instances they both be¬ 
come very abundant and destructive. One warehouse that had suf¬ 
fered very severely from the attacks of these two pests in 1917, was 
still badly infested. Certain lots of waste grain and chaff were alive 
with these beetles and some of the large bins that were filled with bar¬ 
ley were badly infested. As some of this barley was being moved from 
one bin to another it was passed over a screen and the screenings were 
found to consist largely of these beetles. In another instance all of the 
corn in a feed store was found to be badly infested with these two 
beetles. The confused flour beetles, Tribolium confusum, were found 
in nearly all warehouses and in some of the mills. Usually they were 
not present in great enough numbers to be of much importance but in 
some places they were causing much trouble and loss. They are gen¬ 
eral feeders, nearly all kinds of food products being attacked. 
The rust-red flour beetle, T. navale Fab., was also found in a few 
places. Their presence gives the food a disagreeable, musty odor. 
Bread made from flour that has been infested with these beetles, has a 
disagreeable odor when first baked, but this all or nearly all disappears 
as the bread cools. 
A few other moths and beetles, some of them as yet unidentified, and 
a mite, probably Tyroglyphus longior Ger., have been found in various 
cereals or cereal products in mills, warehouses, stores and private 
houses, but no attempt will be made to give a list of these now, as the 
inspections that we are still making keep bringing to light new and 
interesting forms. 
We have found but a few instances of weevil infestation in beans, but 
when these occurred the loss was almost or quite complete. Adults 
of the third generation are now, March 25, appearing in lots of beans 
that have been in my laboratory since November. 
But the important question of “What can we do about it?” is the 
chief concern of the miller, the warehouse manager, the storekeeper and 
the housewife, and of course therein lies our chief interest in these in¬ 
vestigations. 
Preventive measures are usually of first importance in dealing with 
any insect. In the case of these pests, particularly, too much emphasis 
cannot be placed on the importance of cleanliness and a careful watch 
of all incoming material. 
Cleanliness will not always insure freedom from attack by the insect 
pests of stored products, but, in spite of certain notable exceptions, the 
rule holds that the amount and extent of the infestation bears a very 
