If you live in the state of Texas you have probably already experienced fabric and pantry beetles in your home or business. While many of these pests are considered a nuisance, others still are capable of causing a great deal of damage to food, home furnishings and personal items. Some beetles prefer to feast primarily on grains and plant materials and can often be found in kitchens and pantries. Other beetles prefer to feast on products that contain animal proteins such as woolen fabrics, leather, pet food, and powdered milk. Fabric pests can infest closets along with other areas of the home. If you keep finding beetles in the same area such as the kitchen or bedroom, there is a good chance you have a fabric and pantry pest problem. Pantry pests in particular are often brought into the home from the grocery store. Food can become infected at the farm or during the storage and transportation process.
Common Pantry Beetles; Cigarette, Drugstore, Merchant Grain, Flour & Warehouse Beetles
The two most common pantry beetles found in Texas are the cigarette and drugstore beetles. The larvae will feed on all manner of plant-based materials including flour, grains, beans, spices, nuts, seeds, and even dried flower arrangements. The adults are brown to reddish in color with long cylindrical bodies that range in size from 1/8 to 1/10th of an inch long. The adults fly and are attracted to light. The adults themselves do not feed but instead, lay their eggs on plant-based food sources. Other pantry beetles found in homes include the merchant grain beetle and saw-tooth grain beetle, both beetles are well known for infesting dried fruit, pasta, cereal and flour-based products. The adult beetles are brown and approximately 1/8 inch long. Flour beetles are another common pest found in pantries and they are extremely destructive, the adults have an elongated shape, are reddish-brown in color and approximately 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch long. They have a tendency to feed on products such as milled grains, nuts, cereals, beans, chocolate, dried food, and dried milk. Food and food products infested with flour beetles often has a sour odor and taste. Warehouse beetles are very similar in appearance to carpet beetles and but have brownish bands along with the wing covers and prefer a diet of both plant and animal products. The beetle larvae have tiny barbed hairs that can cause irritation in the digestive tract of those individuals unlucky enough to digest them
Rice & Granary Weevils that Infest Kitchens
Rice and granary weevils are pests in the beetle family which readily infest both whole grains and processed grain including pasta. Both species of beetles are reddish-brown to black in color, approximately 1/6 of an inch in length with a shape that is considered cylindrical. Adult rice weevils can fly and are attracted to lights; the granary weevil does not fly and is known to enter homes in infected food.
Carpet Beetles & Fabric Eating Insects
Carpet beetles are one of the most common fabric pests found in Texas homes. Carpet beetles are 1/8 to 3/16 inches long with round or oval-shaped bodies that vary in color from brown to black. Carpet beetles typically begin infesting homes by accumulating around dead insects in light fixtures. Once in a home, carpet beetles can cause extensive damage to woolen rugs, upholstery, clothing, and personal items including hairbrushes with natural bristles...
Carpet & Fabric Eating Insect, Pantry Beetle & Weevil Inspections & Control in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
For information regarding residential and commercial pest extermination, control and maintenance in your Austin Texas home or business, contact the knowledgeable professionals at A-Tex Pest Management today.