Larder and Cabinet Beetles
There is a large group of beetles we refer to them as
dermestids. These beetles feed on both animal matter,
such as dried skins, hair, meat, dead insects or woolens,
and plant matter, such as cereals, grains, seeds, dried
plants, dried fruits and cheese. Therefore, you may find
these beetles feeding on your stored woolens, or they may
be feeding on stored food in your kitchen cupboards.
The larder beetle is easily distinguished from all
other dermestid beetles. The adult is 7-9 mm 5/16 inch)
long, with an elongate-oval body.It is basically black;
however, there is a wide transverse olive brown band
across the middle of back. There are six black spots
within this brown band.
The adult beetles can live for periods of up to a
year. In unheated areas, they spend the winter in the
adult stage. The adults mate and lay eggs after they have
fed on protein rich food. The eggs are laid directly on
the food source. At room temperature in the home, the
larvae will feed for about two months before they are
ready to pupate. At that time they will leave the food
and search for a sheltered place in which to transform
into the pupal stage. If natural crevices are not
available they frequently bore into cork, wood, mortar
and styrofoam for protection during pupation. Soon
thereafter, the adult beetle emerges.
Occasionally only the larvae of this beetle may be
found. The larvae of this species can be distinguished
from the other dermestid beetle larvae by the presence of
two downwardly curved spines at the tip end of the
abdomen. The larvae may grow to 8-10 mm (3/8 inch) long
and are generally a dark brown on the upper surface.
The larder beetles require animal matter to develop
to maturity. In Michigan homes today, it is most often
associated with dried dog food. This material is
basically cereal, but contains enough meat and bone meal
and animal fat to allow development of the larder beetle.
They also infest cured meats, cheese, beeswax, fish,
furs, and stuffed animals. They may also be associated
with the presence of a dead rodent, bat or bird trapped
between walls or in chimneys, heating ducts or crawl
spaces, or accumulations of dried insects in windows or
lamp globes.
Prevention and Control of Larder Beetle Infestations
Because the larder beetle can be found in the
kitchen and other food storage areas, a thorough search
through your stored food is the first step in locating
the source of infestation. Check for the beetles or
larvae in dog food, home cured meat, hams, bacon and
cheese. Also, make certain that no animal carrion or dead
insects are present - remove all rodents from traps,
remove all bird nests and empty lamp globes of dead
insects. Place all susceptible food items in insect-proof
containers. After the source of the problem has been
found, clean the area thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner
and then soapy water. Remember, the larvae leave the food
just before they pupate and may be hidden in cracks and
crevices.
The cabinet beetles are pests of granaries, flour
mills, food-packaging plants and warehouses and may be
brought into homes via infested grain, seed or flour
products. They are known to infest cereals, dried plant
products, cocoa, corn meal, milk powder, dried soups,
wheat, rice, seeds, dried insects and woolens. The
larger cabinet beetle, Trogoderma inclusum LeConte, is an
oval, blackish beetle mottled with reddish-brown, brown
and grayish scales. The larva is worm-like and covered
with short yellowish hairs, including a short tuft at the
tip of the abdomen.
Integrated Larder and Cabinet Beetle Management
For a complete listing of suggested control options for
all home, yard and garden insect pests contact your local
Extension Service, found under local government in the
phone book.
Read and follow instructions on the pesticide label.
Heed all warnings. Check with your physician if you have
any concerns regarding your personal health risk.