It prefers damaged grain, but will attack whole wheat, feeding first on the germ and then on the endosperm. The red flour beetle lays eggs in the grain bulk and it spends its entire life cycle outside the grain kernels. Each female lays 300 to 400 eggs and egg-laying occurs when the temperature is over 20oC. Development from egg to adult takes 15 to 20 d under optimum conditions (35oC and r.h between 70 and 90%). The red flour beetle will fly when the temperature is 25oC or higher, so the infestations can spread quickly (Agriculture Canada 1981 Sheet No.75). devoted to the study of possible alternative insect control methods that might be helpful in minimizing the environmental hazards associated with chemical insecticides and residues in food (Nelson and Stetson 1974).