How do you identify a drugstore beetle?
Cigarette and drugstore beetles can be distinguished by grooving on the wing covers and by their antennal shape. The drugstore beetle’s wing covers possess distinct striae, or grooves, and its antennae are clubbed with three elongated and broadened segments at the tips.
How do you identify a cigarette beetle?
Adults: Cigarette beetles are quite small, measuring about 2 to 3 mm (about 1/8 of an inch), and are reddish brown. They have a rounded, oval shape and the head is often concealed by the pronotum (plate covering the first region of the thorax) when the beetle is viewed from above.
Why do I have drugstore beetles in my house?
Often the beetles get into the food products in a home or business from goods shipped in from somewhere else. Drugstore beetles are common in bulk products like seeds or even dry pet food.
Where can you buy drugstore beetles?
Drugstore beetles live inside stored foods and many other items that are kept in unsecured containers. Kitchens and pantries are common targets, especially areas prone to spills and crumbs. They can also survive for weeks without food.
How do you get rid of drugstore beetles naturally?
If you’re struggling with drugstore beetles in your kitchen cupboards and pantry, it can be difficult to find a product that is safe that you can use to help get rid of them. Enter Diatomaceous Earth. Also known as DE, Diatomaceous Earth is an all-natural, perfectly safe powder derived from fossilized algae.
Can drugstore beetles fly?
Size: The drugstore beetle is a small insect. The adult is about 2 to 3.5 mm long. Wings: The wing covers are lined with parallel rows of deep pits or punctures. The adult beetles can fly, and they are attracted to light.
Why do I have cigarette beetles?
A cigarette beetle can enter a home through gaps under doorways, open windows, cracks in the foundation and may be brought inside with infested products. Places with dark crevices allow them to remain unseen and they often live and develop in foods that are well hidden and rarely opened to inspect for damage.
What happens if you eat a drugstore beetle?
Can the drugstore beetle harm humans if eaten? Just like other pantry bugs, the drugstore beetle is not harmful to humans if eaten. People may accidentally consume the eggs, larvae, pupae, or adult bugs from a whole and processed grains, and vegetable products.
Will drugstore beetles bite?
Drugstore Beetle Bites Drugstore beetles do not bite, but they will chow down on your bread, flour, cereal, spices, and pet food. The pest is the last thing you want to share your food with.
What insecticide kills drugstore beetle?
Flex 10-10 is a pyrethroid insecticide that has a residual effect of up to 30 days that will kill Drugstore Beetles long after application. Use Flex 10-10 as a general surface spray to spot treat the pantry shelves.
Are drugstore beetles harmful?
Drugstore beetles are not considered harmful to humans or pets. Their habit of infesting people food and pet food make them a nuisance pest.
How can you tell the difference between cigarette beetles and drugstore beetles?
Cigarette and drugstore beetles can be distinguished by grooving on the wing covers and by their antennal shape. The drugstore beetle’s wing covers possess distinct striae, or grooves, and its antennae are clubbed with three elongated and broadened segments at the tips.
What kind of beetle is a drugstore beetle?
The drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus) (Fig. A), is characteristically more temperate than tropical. Cigarette and drugstore beetles resemble other anobiid beetles, including the anobiid powderpost beetle.
How to prevent and control drugstore beetle infestations?
Preventing and controlling drugstore beetle infestations is relatively simple: Insecticides should be used only as a last resort. Locating the source or sources of infestation is the first and most important step.
Are cigarette beetles tropical or subtropical?
The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Fig. B), is common throughout tropical and subtropical regions, and is commonly found in heated buildings in temperate areas. The drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus) (Fig. A), is characteristically more temperate than tropical.
