Biscuit Beetles
-
Biscuit Beetles
These are closely related to the Common Furniture Beetle or wood-worm.
They are small reddish-brown insects, only about 3mm long, which attack stored foods in domestic larders.
Flour, biscuits, cake mixes, cereals, spices, meat and soup powders will attract them, and they have even been found thriving on such poisonous substances as strychnine, belladonna and aconite – hence the beetle's American name; Drug Store Beetle.
They have been known to penetrate tin foil and lead, and have even bored through a shelf-full of books.
The white larvae are very small and quite active when they hatch. They feed and grow for about four months before knitting themselves cocoons of food particles in which to pupate.
-
How we can help
- We treat all rooms which have Biscuit Beetles in by using fogging, residual insecticide and gel baits.
- We will only carry out a partial treatment (one of 3 rooms for example) at the request of the client, but partial treatments are not successful and not recommended.
-
Before our visit
- The property must be vacuumed and cleaned thoroughly throughout. All items should be taken out of food cupboards. If infested, the product should be thrown away.
- All items on the floor such as shoes, bags etc. should be taken off the floor especially at floor and wall junctions.
-
During our visit
You should be out of the property during our treatment and until the insecticide is dry, normally about 3 hours dependent on temperature.
-
After our visit
- Do not sweep, brush, mop, vacuum, or clean the area that has been sprayed for at least 14 days, this is to let the insecticide work through the insects' life cycle which we are trying to break.
- If after 14 days there is still activity then a second treatment may be required.
