Indigenous grain storage practices are economically viable, eco-friendly and location specific. In recent times, they are fast disappearing due to advancement in grain technology. However, these indigenous grain storage practices are still in practice in tribal areas. This may be due to the failure of extension activities in reaching the new technologies in grain storage practices to the needy or higher application costs. Tribal communities of the country play an important role in nation’s food security. ‘Soligas’ — a forest dwelling tribe living in small settlements called Podus in the Biligirirangana Hills, Karnataka, India practice subsistence agriculture and store the grains by their own traditional methods. The Soligas use different types of traditional storage structures, namely thenemane, maize (Zea mays L.) cobs tied to overhead ropes, mud pots, bamboo basket, gunny bags and cloth bags for safe storage of food grains. They also adopt different grain protection measures, viz. frequent drying, red earth smearing, mixing lime powder, neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) leaf, use of lakkisoppu (Vitex negundo L.), mixing kaadugeru seeds (Semicarpus anacardium L.), mixing of dry chillies (Capsicum sp.), mixing ash of mattimara [Terminalia crenulata (Heyne) Roth], mixing ash and smearing of castor (Ricinus communis L.) oil to protect the grains from various stored grain insects. This study sought to evaluate the different structures and grain protection measures, and grain damage by stored grain insects (SGI) which varied from 30 to 70%. The results revealed that none of these storage structures were suitable for safe storage of grains, as they had one type of disadvantage or the other; not being airtight, nor moisture proof, not insect or rodent proof.