Insecticide For Larder Beetles

What’s scarier than a swarm of locusts? Larder beetles, that’s what. These pests are not just gross, but also dangerous to your food supply. When seriously infested by these pests, you could be dealing with costly damage with the potential for illness. The good news is that you can use a number of natural and chemical insecticides or repellants to prevent larder beetles from infesting your home.

Insecticide For Larder Beetles

Larder beetles, as their name implies, prefer meat or meat by-products.  Mounted animals may also become infested.  However, larder beetles can survive on other organic materials too.  Infestations in homes most likely come from infested dry dog and cat food or bird feed.  It is not unusual to find new infestations where rat or mouse baits have been used. The beetles can infest the baits and also the vermin carcasses. They will also feed on accumulations of dead cluster flies.

Grease from food preparation and cooking also attracts larder beetles. Any food that is not in a tight container, and has not been used for a month or more, should be checked for infestation whenever beetles or larvae are found.

The adult larder beetle is about 3/8 inch long, black with a lighter band across the middle on which there are six small black spots. A full grown larva is about 5/8 inch long, somewhat fuzzy, with two distinct spines on top of the back end that curve backward. When mature, the larvae can become even more destructive by chewing shallow holes into wood, in which they pupate.

Management

Sanitation

To lessen the chances of larder beetle infestations, store food in glass, plastic or metal containers with tight fitting lids.

The first step in controlling larder beetles is looking for the source of infestation.  If you find an infested product or item, do not throw it away before destroying the infestation.  To kill insects in a package that you intend to throw out, place the package in an oven at 125 to 140°F and heat for 30 minutes to fully penetrate the package.  Other means of destroying the pests is to place the package in a freezer at -20°F for a week, or spray with an insecticide. Only then should you discard the infested package.  This will keep the pest from spreading.

Insecticides

There are several insecticides available to control larder beetles at home.  To avoid confusion, it is best to purchase a brand that lists larder beetles or “general household pests”.  Some options include resmethrin, cyfluthrin, tetramethrin, and permethrin.  These are for crack and crevice treatment only and provide residual protection.  There is no need to spray walls, ceilings or floors because the insects usually hide in cracks and crevices, or in food packages. Purchasing an aerosol spray can with a small 5 inch extension tube is handy for getting insecticides into cracks and crevices.  Another approach is to apply the pesticide to corners and edges of storage areas with a small paintbrush.

A good job of vacuuming removes dust or debris from cracks or crevices, permitting better penetration of insecticides.  The vacuum cleaner bag should be put into a plastic bag and sealed before disposal to prevent insects from spreading.

Insecticide For Larder Beetles

Larder beetles are a common household pest that can ruin your food. They feed on dried, cured meats and other products. Larder beetles are easy to identify by their brownish or reddish color, as well as their long antennae. These pests are small and fast, so they can be hard to spot.

If you notice signs of larder beetles in your home, it’s important to take action quickly—they can cause significant damage to the items in your pantry or kitchen cabinets. The most effective way to get rid of these pests is by using an insecticide designed specifically for larder beetles. In this article, we’ll discuss what makes insecticides effective at eliminating larder beetles and how to choose one that is right for your situation.

List Of Insecticide For Larder Beetles