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Size: |
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Adult is 1/16-1/8 inch (2-3.5 mm) long. Mature larva is about the same length. |
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Characteristics: |
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Very small beetle that consists of a series of small basal segments followed by 3 much larger elongated segments that make up the outer half of the antenna. Pits on wing covers are in long rows; head and thorax are bent downward, so that the head is not very visible from above, giving a strongly humped appearance. Mature larva is C-shaped, with many short hairs and well-developed legs with 4 segments. |
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Color: |
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Adult is reddish brown to dull brown. Mature larva is white. |
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Where Found: |
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All around the world. In your home, many are found in light fixtures in kitchen areas as they are attracted to light. |
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Comparison: |
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The Cigarette Beetle is similar, but has saw-like antennae, and the pits on the wing covers are scattered, not in rows. |
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Habitat: |
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Female lays eggs in and near stored goods and foodstuffs. |
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Food: |
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Household food, such as bread, flour, and breakfast foods; spices, such as red pepper; drugs; hair; museum specimens; leather; books and manuscripts. |
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Biology: |
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Female lays oval, whitish eggs in food materials, which hatch in a few days and go through 4-6 stages during the next 4-5 months. Full-grown larva pupates for about 12-18 days in a silk cocoon with some particles of food woven into it. Complete life cycle usually takes about 7 months, with 1-4 generations per year, depending upon temperature. |
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Damage: |
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Adult does not feed but larvae have strong jaws that easily bore through packaging materials of stored goods. May have gotten this common name from being a pest of stored herbs in apothecaries, or early "drugstores". |
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Invasion: |
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May enter structures in infested foodstuffs or other items that have been stored. Adults can fly and are attracted to light. |
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Control: |
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When controlling stored product pests, the following six-step process should be implemented: 1) Prevention- Inspect incoming products. Reduce entry points that insects may be using to enter the structure. 2) Good Sanitation- Eliminate spilled or damaged products. Completely empty storage areas and check all products carefully for signs of infestation. Vacuum up any spilled products, especially in cracks and crevices where spilled products can accumulate. 3) Proper Storage- Store products in entry-proof containers. Eliminate cardboard containers or paper containers that are easier to penetrate by larva or adult stages of insects. 4) Stock Rotation- Do not forget old products in the back of storage areas. Old products are subject to attack because of sitting undisturbed, possibly damaged. 5) Ventilation- Reduction of moisture content in stored products is important. Many stored product pests require high humidity conditions to survive. 6) Control- Treatment of prepared pantry storage areas is required due to the habits of some stored product pests that pupate away from the infested products. Summary- Finding and eliminating the source is the best way to achieve long-term control. Using aerosol pesticides for flying adult insects will only give you temporary relief. When using any pesticide, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions. |
