Hi,
I just read the posting from May 2010. I have this beetle problem too. But it’s everywhere. I found them in my fridge, freezer, in my bedroom, bathroom. Everywhere! I wake up thinking oh gosh I might swallow one. Yuk!
I was looking for where they might be hiding out and I had some old boxes on the top of the fridge and once I got up there I saw there was a million in and on the boxes. So I threw them out. I have put any open foods in ziplock baggies and checked for anything already contaminated and threw them away.
What else should I do? I am afraid they might fall into my food when I’m cooking. And I don’t want to get a new bed cause I’m scared they might fester there as well. Help!!! Please.
PS How did they get into my house anyway? I never had this problem before.
Thanks.
If you read through our CIGARETTE BEETLE CONTROL article, you’ll learn this insect flies and are quite active outside. This allows them to easily enter homes any number of ways and once inside, a pregnant female can lay hundreds of eggs on a suitable food source leading to a major infestation. They can also hitch a ride on any number of items including fabric, food purchased at the grocery store, gifts, clothing etc. At this point I suggest you continue your search trying to locate anything on which they might be nesting and feeding. Infested items should be discarded and once you’re sure the main nest site is gone, treatments should commence.
As our article explains, a combination of the PERMETHRIN 10 and D-FORCE AEROSOL will usually do the trick. The Permethrin can be applied to furniture, carpeting and pretty much any surface where activity has been found. It’s odorless and ideally suited for treating items in the house which are “permanent” meaning anything you would like to save. The D-Force should be limited to cracks and crevices where they could be hiding. A common location where they hide is where carpeting meets the wall up under the baseboard molding. You should also set out some CIGARETTE BEETLE TRAPS around the home – maybe 4-6 – so that any nests or rooms with activity can be identified and treated as needed. Traps can really help detect anything you may have missed in another part of the home. This pest can be persistent if you miss key locations and since they can feed on just about anything, the key to solving the problem is a thorough treatment to the infested nest sites along with a good cleanup.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Cigarette Beetle Control Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/cigarettebeetle.html
Permethrin 10: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page925.html
D-Force Aerosol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol
Cigarette Beetle Traps: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page923.html
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