It's not a pleasant surprise to find bacon beetle larvae in the pantry, under the mattress, or between clothes. Fast action is now required so that the beetles do not spread unhindered. In addition to mechanical measures, home remedies and beneficial insects help against the larvae of the bacon beetle.

A bacon beetle larvae infestation is serious business

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Combat bacon beetle larvae
  3. distribution
  4. Dangerous?
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • Thorough vacuuming is the first measure against bacon beetle larvae. Gaps are sealed with silicone. Effective control agents are neem oil, thermal treatments and beneficial insects.
    • Bacon beetle larvae feel comfortable in dark and warm hiding places. You can find food in storage cupboards or birdcages.
    • The long weir hairs are the cause of allergic skin reactions. Food contaminated with feces can be a cause of gastrointestinal problems. Feeding damage occurs in textiles.

    How to fight bacon beetle larvae

    Once bacon beetles have settled in the home, combating them is difficult and time-consuming. In order to completely contain the infestation, additional measures must be taken in addition to thorough cleanliness. Structural measures provide effective prevention.

    Mechanical combat

    In the event of an infestation, all nooks and crannies should first be thoroughly vacuumed

    Once you have identified the center of the infestation, vacuum up the beetles, larvae and pupae. Use an upholstery nozzle for inaccessible spaces. It is advisable to dismantle baseboards in order to capture the light-shy larvae.

    Larvae are not trapped in the vacuum cleaner bag. Disposal with household waste. is strongly advised.

    The measure must be repeated regularly over two to three months so that you catch as many stages of development as possible. It may be that despite thorough hygiene, some larvae were able to retreat to well-protected hiding places and survive. Therefore, further control measures are useful.

    silicone

    If the pests have settled under parquet strips and floorboards or behind baseboards, you should spray all the gaps with silicone. Be particularly thorough and make sure that no gap is left open. After hatching, the insects find no way out and die from lack of food.

    beneficials

    Ichneumon wasps (€22.99), lacewings, ladybirds or assassin bugs are suitable pest controllers that parasitize the larvae of the bacon beetle. They are not harmful to health and do their work in secret. In specialist shops you will find cards on which beneficial insect eggs have been stuck. These must be placed in the infested cupboards so that the larvae can go in search of food after hatching.

    • Ichneumon wasp Laelius pedatus parasitizes beetles of the genera Trogoderma and Anthrenus
    • Bacon beetle wasp does not help against species of the genera Attagenus, Dermestes and Anthrenocerus
    • Assassin bug Xylocoris flavipes fights larvae of the Kaphra beetle

    neem oil

    The oil of the Indian neem tree acts as a natural insecticide and interferes with the development cycle of the beetle larvae. If the insects come into contact with the oil, they stop feeding. The creatures suffer from reduced vitality and adult beetles no longer reproduce.

    Recipe for a neem preparation:

    • Mix neem oil with lukewarm water (1:7).
    • Spray infested textiles, empty shelves and niches
    • Allow objects to dry
    • preventive effect lasts up to six months

    digression

    Are Neurotoxic Plant-Based Insecticides Dangerous?

    Pyrethroids such as imiprothrin or cyphenothrin are often used against pests such as the larvae of the bacon beetle. Pyrethrum, on the other hand, is a natural plant substance that is extracted from chrysanthemums. This extract degrades when exposed to light compared to synthetically produced pyrethroids. Chemicals such as piperonyl butoxide (PBO) are added to enhance the effect.

    Commercial products are available as:

    • powdered contact insecticides
    • preparations for spraying
    • soaked strips of paper

    The products release their active ingredients into the air and act on the nervous system of the insects. But people also breathe in the toxins and can suffer from undesirable side effects. In the case of sensitive people or incorrect use, it is mainly the PBO additive that causes health problems.

    heat and cold

    The larvae do not survive extreme heat or cold

    Bacon beetle larvae can be killed by extreme temperatures. They die when the ambient temperature rises above 50 degrees or drops below -20 degrees. Heat treatments show results after one to two hours, while freezing must be done for at least two weeks. Wash textiles as hot as possible or have them dry cleaned. Delicate items of clothing are packed in a bag and frozen in the freezer.

    Development temperatures of the common bacon beetle:

    • tolerance temperature: less than 0 °C is not a problem for several weeks
    • lower development limit: 15 °C, development takes about five months
    • optimal range: 20 to 25 °C, development completed in 1.5 months
    • upper limit of development: 30°C

    Do traps help?

    Pheromone traps are a good way to detect a bacon beetle infestation. They use sex attractants that mimic the smell of females and attract male beetles. After they have crawled into the trap, they stick to sticky surfaces. The traps are ineffective against bacon beetle larvae. They are not suitable for controlling the pests on their own, since the males may have already reproduced before the dummy females were found.

    Where bacon beetle larvae feel at home

    Bacon beetles represent a beetle family that is represented in Europe with about 140 different species. They colonize different habitats, occur worldwide and live mainly in the soil litter. Some species turn out to be flower visitors, while other bacon beetles act as scavengers. Common bacon beetles, carpet beetles or common fur beetles come into consideration as successors to cultures.

    Bacon beetle genera and their occurrence:

    • anthrenus: preferably near debris dumps and roads
    • thaumaglossa: only on mantis clutches
    • trogoderma: considered a nuisance in grain cultivation

    Cultural followers were able to spread worldwide through human abduction. They live and spread indoors and can appear anywhere in the home. Bacon beetles find food in the closet, spread in the bed or nest in crevices behind the closet.

    tips

    Store food below 15 degrees, as this greatly inhibits the development of the larvae.

    Where do the larvae come from?

    The larvae often enter the home via contaminated food or animal feed

    While adult beetles attract attention when they gather on the window sill in search of a way into nature, larvae live in secret. The beetles can fly in through open windows, but are usually brought in by contaminated food or animal feed.

    Since the larvae are afraid of light, they hide in niches and crevices. To pupate, they retreat deep into the partitions, bore into wood or nest between stored textiles. Depending on the species, there are different factors that favor settlement:

    habitat provide favorable living conditions
    Common fur beetle Bird's Nests, Mulm Umbellifers, fruit trees, hawthorns and sloes
    Australian carpet beetle in Europe only in buildings wool and leather products
    Figwort beetle rotten bark, bird nests white flowering plants, substances rich in keratin and chitin
    Common fur beetle Bird nests, beehives, mulm various organic substances

    Are bacon beetle larvae dangerous?

    Food contaminated by bacon beetle larvae can lead to gastrointestinal problems

    Bacon beetles appear as material and hygiene pests. The droppings of adult animals and larvae contaminate food and can trigger allergic reactions or gastrointestinal problems in humans.

    The insects do not bite or sting. However, some larvae have weir hairs that can cause irritation on skin contact. Symptoms are similar to insect bites and occur when you put on clothing infested with larvae.

    damage picture

    Insects can cause a lot of damage if infested. If the animals nest in poorly ventilated hiding places, condensation and mold will form. Larvae cause feeding damage to food supplies, pet food, and textiles made of leather, wool, or fur. They infest softer wood because they prefer solid materials for pupation. Cork, stacks of paper, Styrofoam, mortar or cardboard also offer suitable options for creating a doll's cradle.

    tips

    Bird keepers should clean their pets' homes at least once a week, as feathers are a favorite food for beetle beetles.

    To use

    Bacon beetles are used to prepare animal skeletons. Not all species can be used for this, only carnivorous or carrion-eating representatives. Because of the typical food spectrum of textiles and dry foods, species that occur as stored product pests are not suitable for this use.

    youtube

    frequently asked Questions

    How do bacon beetles reproduce?

    The common bacon beetle mates at temperatures above 16 degrees. A female lays up to 150 eggs in a suitable substrate. How quickly the larvae develop depends on the ambient temperatures. While only one generation develops per year in nature, the offspring living in buildings can reproduce in the same year.

    Is there fossil evidence of bacon beetles?

    Indirect evidence of feeding activity was found on dinosaur bones more than 150 million years old. Imprints of the mouthparts, excreted bone material and drill holes gave clues as to who was responsible. Fossils embedded in amber provided direct evidence that bacon beetles were alive at this time.

    How can I protect myself from an infestation?

    Emphasize thorough hygiene in pantries and cupboards. Food should be stored in closable containers sealed with rubber. Wipe down the shelves regularly to get rid of flour crumbs. Bird cages need to be cleaned weekly because bird feathers are a favorite food for beetle larvae. Make sure skirting boards and other gaps are sealed with silicone.

    Which bacon beetles live in my apartment?

    The bacon beetle family includes more than 100 species. A handful of bacon beetles, which can be easily identified when fully grown, appear as material and hygiene pests. Their larvae are recognizable by the typical bristles and weir hair that make the body look prickly.

    • Common bacon beetle: black, spotted with dirty white to beige and dark in the center
    • carpet beetle: black ground color not recognizable because of colored scales, often spotted red and light
    • Common fur beetle: black in color and densely hairy

Category:

Animals in the garden