Types of Insect Infestation in Horse Feed

Insect infestation in horse feed is quite common. The sweet aroma of molasses, oats and other ingredients in typical horse feed is tends to attract pests. Feed containers that are left open are main sources of insect infestation. Insects can thrive off of horse feed for weeks because they are so small. Insects deplete essential nutrients from the grain and contribute to mold growth. Horses that consume the infested grain can become ill and require professional veterinary treatment.

  1. Weevils

    • Adult weevils feed on and get into whole pieces of grain and smaller broken pieces. Granary weevils are between two and three and a half millimeters long and they are dark brown in color. Their long snouts easily separate them from beetles and moths. Rice weevils are very small and shaped like a grain of rice with four orange-reddish patches all over it. Maize weevils are also small grain pests that infest horse feed.

    Beetles

    • The oval shape and sleek shell make beetles easy to distinguish from other insects. Adult beetles feed on whole grains, oil seeds and small, broken-down pieces of grain. Their larvae also feed on small, broken-down grains. Red flour beetles range from about two and a quarter to three and a quarter millimeters in length. Their reddish-brown color help them to blend in with their surroundings. Females produce between 10 and 20 eggs per day, which makes the red beetle a main type of insect infestation in horse feed. The saw-toothed grain beetle mainly feeds on broken-down pieces of grain. They are a lighter brown color and are between two and half and three and a half millimeters long. Females produce about 375 eggs over their lifetimes. The saw-like features on the sides of the upper half of their bodies stick out prominently and make them easy to identify.

    Moths

    • Moths are another typical grain pest. The adult Indian-meal moth looks like a small butterfly with a wingspan of 20 millimeters. Their wings are cream and reddish-brown in color. They lay their eggs on top of grain and their larvae spin webs around pieces of grain before eating it. The tropical warehouse moth also looks like a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 15 millimeters and are mainly grey in color. These larvae also spin webs around pieces of grain before eating it. They only live for about two weeks after becoming moths and the female moths lay about 250 eggs in the grain before they die.

    Controlling Infestation

    • Control insect infestations in horse feed easily by maintaining a cool storage environment of 50 degrees or lower with lids that have an optimized seal. Keep equipment like feeding buckets and food storage bins, along with surrounding storage areas, extra clean. Diatomaceous earth is an organic pest control method that kills insects through physical action. Add a dusting of it to stored grain to eliminate existing infestation and prevent future infestations. Diatomaceous earth is a fossil shell flour that feels like powder to the human touch, but it is actually microscopic pieces of sharp fossilized shells that will cut and kill insects. This organic insect control method is safe for animal and human consumption.