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Suddenly and for no apparent reason, they are there. Small brown beetles that spread throughout the house and apartment. The kitchen, pantry, indoor plants and crevices in the floor are some of their favorite hiding places. Allocation of the pests is often not that easy, because the pests are only a few millimeters in size. However, it is necessary for effective combat, because we only find “The Big Crawling” great in the animated film of the same name. We have compiled a list of how you can identify and combat the pests here.
Brown bugs
There are countless brown beetles in the insect kingdom. The following beetles like to move into the house or apartment.
- Brown fur beetle
- parquet beetle
- weevil
- bread beetle
- grain weevil
Depending on the species, the beetles prefer food, plants or textiles. Even if you only find a single one of these beetles, you should initiate appropriate control measures immediately.
Brown fur beetle
The brown fur beetle, Attagenus smirnovi, originally comes from Africa, but was also discovered in Germany in the mid-1980s. It is a typical textile pest.
Look
- elongated to oval
- Length: 3 to 5 millimeters
- Width: 2 to 2.5 millimeters
- Dark red to black head, rest of body a little lighter
- yellow to light brown, hairy wings
- red-yellow antennae and legs
Brown fur beetle
eating behavior
The brown fur beetle prefers pelts, skins and wool. Above all, he loves wool of all kinds, so wool sweaters and scarves are just as much on his menu as the carpet in the living room. You can recognize an infestation by small holes in the textiles.
Popular places
In addition to the wardrobe and other woolen items, the pest is often found on window sills. In contrast to its larvae, the adult beetle is attracted to the light. Since it likes to lay its eggs in cracks in parquet and other wooden floors, apartments with such floors have a special attraction for the fur beetle. Nothing is known about an infestation at a specific time of year. He can enter your apartment or house at practically any time.
windowsill
reproduction and larvae
Female fur beetles lay between 50 and 60 eggs, preferably in the cracks in wooden floors. There the larvae of the beetle find enough food, such as fallen hair. But woolen items are also on the menu of the larvae. Textiles that are kept in a chest for a long time are particularly at risk: an ideal place for the larvae, because it is dark and they also find enough food here. The larvae avoid the light and remain there, hidden in the dark, until they transform into a beetle. After six to eighteen months, the egg has developed into a fur beetle capable of reproduction.
The larvae have the following appearance:
- up to 8 mm long
- bristle tail at the end
- Bronze brown to golden color
- Body segments with ribbed, lanceolate scale bristles
combat
For effective control, the starting point of the infestation must first be determined. You can recognize the infestation by small holes in the material.
Look for larvae:
- in all articles made of wool, also in the wardrobe
- in furs and skins
- in cracks and crevices of wooden floors
- in gaps such as between the carpet strip and the floor
- in storage spaces such as boxes or chests
Tip: The pest can also nest in the sheepskin of the stroller. A thorough search is therefore essential.
Infested textiles
Heavily infested textiles can no longer be saved. These must be disposed of immediately. For other infested pieces, proceed as follows to rescue them.
- Heat infested textiles to 60 degrees Celsius
- “treat” in the oven or drying for at least an hour
- Heat kills eggs, larvae, pupae and adult fur beetles
clothes dryer
Tip: Thoroughly clean the dryer or oven after the process. Mothballs and paper also help against the pest.
floors and floorboards
The good news first: you don't have to replace the floor. But it needs to be cleaned thoroughly.
- vacuum cracks and crevices in a targeted manner
- then seal cracks and crevices with silicone
Seal cracks and joints
The larvae can no longer find food in the wooden floor. And hair or wool fluff can no longer accumulate in the closed cracks.
Tip: Animal hair is also on the pest's diet. Pet owners should therefore pay particular attention to fallen hair.
preventive measures
The brown fur beetle does not like the smell of essential oils. You can protect your textiles with lavender blossoms or with untreated red cedar wood.
lavender oil
parquet beetle
The parquet beetle, Lyctus linearis, preys on wooden furniture and parquet floors. Fresh wood, on the other hand, doesn't interest him at all.
Look
- Length: 2.5 to 5 millimeters
- red-brown to black-brown body
- head clearly visible
- Pronotum with a longitudinal oval furrow
- spotted and hairy wings
- special feature: small tooth in front of the antennal root on the head
parquet beetle
eating behavior
The real pests here are the larvae, because they eat the wood.
reproduction and larvae
Females lay their eggs between April and August. The grub-like larvae then eat their way through the wood. They leave light and very fine drilling dust as a trail. An infestation of tiny holes can also be seen. They form when the finished beetles leave the wood.
combat
In order to combat the parquet beetle effectively, the wood must be thermally treated. This is not possible in private households. The affected parquet parts should be replaced here.
parquet floor
Tip: Use special traps to check whether it is actually an infestation with parquet beetles before replacing the floor.
weevil
The weevil, Curculionidae, is a plant pest. Although the approximately 1,000 species specialize in different plants, the voracious pest no longer stops at any plant. Orchids and teasel plants are still considered to be safe from the beetles.
Look
- Length: up to 20 millimeters
- light gray to brown colour
- Proboscis is a special feature
weevil
eating behavior
The adult beetles feed on the leaves of the plant and leave roundish feeding marks there. The actual and far greater danger, however, are the larvae of the weevil. They feed on the roots of plants. If the plant lets its leaves droop, even with proper care, weevil larvae may be in the soil. If no countermeasures are taken, the leaves will dry up and eventually the plant will die.
Popular places
Adult weevils like to settle around the plant. During the day, the beetles are often not very noticeable because they are nocturnal and hide during the day. Popular hiding places for the light-shy insects are branches of the plants, such as the root house. But they also like to look for shelter between the flower pot and the translator, i.e. practically all dark places around the plant.
Weevils come into the house or apartment from outside. They often move from trees in the garden, but also from avenue trees in streets, into our living rooms. They, better the eggs and larvae, can also be introduced into your own four walls with new plants.
home garden
reproduction and larvae
During the breeding season in spring and late summer, a female weevil lays up to 1,000 eggs in the ground. After about three weeks, the small, white larvae hatch. Since the larvae are in the ground, they are very difficult to detect. A whole generation passes through each year, i.e. the first young beetles free themselves from the pupal shell in April.
combat
In order to effectively combat the weevil, its reproduction must be stopped. It is best to catch the nocturnal insects after it has gotten dark. Then search with a flashlight.
- bugs found play dead
- easy collection possible
In addition to nocturnal searches, you should set up special weevil traps. You can outsmart the pest with an excelsior trap.
- Fill the flower or nursery pot with wood shavings or straw
- place near the affected plant
- Empty trap in daylight and destroy bugs
trap construction with hay
Tip: You can also use a simple wooden board as a bug trap. The aim is to offer the beetle a dark hiding place.
larval control
To stop the pest infestation, you should also fight the larvae of the weevil. The use of HM nematodes is very effective as they do not harm plants, pets or humans. The roundworms that eat the beetle larvae are released with a special nematode syringe.
bread beetle
The bread beetle (Stegobium paniceum) is after supplies in the house or apartment. It specializes in starchy food, but also eats plant materials such as wood, which can also lead to structural damage.
Look
- oval body
- Length: around 3 millimeters
- reddish brown colour
- hairs on top
- Breastplate encloses head like a hood
- the last three segments of the tentacles are thicker
bread beetle
eating behavior
Bakery beetles feed on dry foods. Their menu includes, for example, pasta, rice and, as the name suggests, hard bread such as crispbread. But the omnivore also likes chocolate, soup cubes or even chilli powder. And when he runs out of food, he even eats books and documents.
loaf of bread
Popular places
The bread beetle likes to stay in the dark and hidden. As a result, he is rarely seen. However, it also appears on windows and window sills. This increases the chance of detecting an infestation. The bread beetles, which are able to fly, can enter the apartment through the open window. However, they can be introduced with dry foods, spice mixtures or loose tea.
reproduction and larvae
The female bread beetle lays up to 100 small, white eggs. They use every crevice, no matter how small, to lay their eggs. The small heaps can even be found between the lid and the screw-top jar. The generation cycle of bread beetles usually lasts seven months. However, if the beetles find favorable conditions, this cycle can be shortened to two months.
Although the larvae of the bread beetle also live in the dark, they give themselves away more easily than adult beetles. Because they spin webs that are easy to see in the storage containers, such as flour or spices. They can also be in dried bouquets. The larvae themselves are 3 millimeters long and have 6 legs. They pupate in a cocoon of food and their own feces.
combat
Infested food must be disposed of immediately. So that the bread beetle cannot spread further via household waste, you should kill the pests before disposal.
- treat infested food with heat or cold
- Place in a warm place (e.g. oven) at 60 degrees Celsius for at least one hour
- Put in the freezer (-18 degrees Celsius) for at least an hour
Further measures are:
- Thorough cleaning of shelves and cabinets
- pay particular attention to cracks and joints
- Remove and replace cupboard paper
- Allow cupboards and shelves to dry thoroughly
- Clean unaffected storage containers from the outside
Use vinegar to clean
Tip: Pure vinegar can be used for cleaning.
grain weevil
Dried fruits or dried pasta are also on the menu of the grain weevil, which, in addition to these foods, also feeds on various types of grain, such as oats, barley or corn. That's why muesli is one of his favorite dishes.
Look
- oval body
- Length: 3 to 5 millimeters
- dark brown coloring
- special feature: trunk
grain weevil
eating behavior
Adult grain weevils eat dry food from the outside. Their larvae, on the other hand, eat pasta and other foods from the inside.
Tip: You can easily check grain weevils for an infestation. Pour a generous amount of grains into a bowl of water. Grain infestation is very likely if the grains are still floating on the surface after stirring.
Grain
Popular places
Grain weevils like to stay close to their food sources. Most of the time they are discovered when they have already eaten food. Their larvae live in the grain or in the pasta. Close relatives of the grain weevil are the rice weevil and corn weevil. These flying beetles behave similarly to the grain weevil. Therefore, they can be fought with the same means.
reproduction and larvae
The female weevil lays up to 200 eggs. When the eggs are laid, a grain is drilled into for each egg and the egg is placed in it. After laying the eggs, the grain is closed again with a secretion.
Larvae are:
- are up to 2 mm long and
- are soft and white
The grain weevil growth cycle is about a month.
combat
If a grain weevil infestation is discovered, immediate action must be taken.
- dispose of contaminated food
- before that, heat the food to 60 degrees Celsius (oven)
- Thoroughly clean shelves and cupboards
- vacuum cleaning
Tip: After thorough vacuuming, remove or change the vacuum cleaner bag.
Pay particular attention to cracks and crevices on shelves and pantry cupboards. They are a favorite hiding place for beetles. Further measures should therefore be taken at these points.
- After vacuuming, heat cracks and crevices with a hair dryer
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth or gur in cracks and crevices
Tip: The grain weevil is not harmful to health. If you have accidentally eaten infested food, this is not harmful to your health, since the beetles do not transmit any diseases.