Why Am I Finding Beetles In My House?

In this article I’ll show you why you have beetles in your home and how to get rid of them quickly.

I’ll also share some tips and tricks to keep the beetles from coming back, by including various house plants in your home that repel beetles and other pests.

The sooner you can identify why they are in your home the better. Locate where they are nesting and eliminate the problem successfully.

So lets get into it…

What to look for

Be on the lookout for beetles in your home isn’t as simple as looking for them running around your home, you may be overlooking telling signs of the problem.

That’s because beetles like all insects go through various stages in their life cycle. By looking for the beetles in the earlier stages you can prevent them maturing to the adult stage where they are harder to control.

Beetles start as eggs. A single female can lay hundreds or thousands of eggs at a time! It all depends on the specific species. They tend to hide their eggs in locations around your home where they won’t be disturbed. You may have to look very hard for them!

The next stage is the larval, and they will look like worms. They will shed their exoskeleton several times before they move into the third stage of life. Pay attention to any signs you may have a beetle problem due to the remains of that skin you find when you clean up around your home.

A given beetle may go through this molting stage several times before they become pupal.

They will form a type of cocoon during this stage. If it is undisturbed they will be able to remain there until they are ready to become a mature adult. This is why it is so important to make sure you don’t have areas of your home you don’t use that don’t get inspected.

They can become prime areas for beetles to develop. Depending on the species, it takes from 30 days to a year for them to go from the pupal to a mature adult.

Infested Products

A common way beetles end up in a home has to do with infested products. A consumer may unknowingly bring them in with something they purchased. If you store grains purchased in bulk, inspect them regularly to make sure beetles aren’t living in there.

Sometimes, they will be found inside of pre-packaged foods you buy.

Items you carry into your home to use can also be a hiding spot for beetles. For example, if you have a woodpile outside for the fireplace. They may be residing between the pieces, and when you carry them inside, you have now given them a new environment to take up residence within.

They can also get inside of plants or on flowers you bring in from your garden.

Don’t be alarmed if you see one or two beetles around your house. Get them out as soon as you notice. However, don’t assume that you don’t have a problem.

Spend some time investigating and checking around to see if they are coming from somewhere inside and you have many more. Be thorough as you check your home and if you do spot a problem, start working on a solution.

What Species of Beetles are in your Home?

The types of beetles you will find in your home depending on where you reside. There are over 350,000 species. They can be different colors, sizes, and shapes. They all have antenna and wings.

Most likely you’ll have either June Beetles or lady beetles in your home as they are the most common species to find attracted to human habitation.

However, not all species can fly. Some have hard wings that don’t allow them to get off the ground. If you do have beetles in your home, conduct some research online to help you identify the common ones for your area.

Where they are taking up space in your home can also help you to narrow it down. They have to be feeding on something. It may be flour, grains, wood, or even linens.

Since certain species live on certain food sources you can get a good idea of what you are dealing with. Some of the species reproduce rapidly and others take years to mature. That can affect how fast the problem grows.

Do they Pose any Danger for my Family or Pets?

While the various species of beetles aren’t going to be dangerous for your family or your pets, they can be a nuisance. Some of them will get into the fabric of clothing and linens.

Others are going to find their way into food sources in your kitchen. This type of beetle infestation can also be common in a restaurant setting.

Others are going to destroy wood, and you have to watch out for them. They can do a significant amount of damage to your home before you know it. The cost to repair what they have destroyed can be very expensive.

They can also destroy your wood furniture. The chewing ability of beetles has caused some myths to circulate. They aren’t going to bite anyone! They use the mouth to chew on food sources.

How are they getting Inside?

Beetles don’t need much of an opening to get into your home. They are more likely to look for a warm place to reside when it starts getting colder outside.

They can get in through torn screens, small cracks, and gaps around windows and doors. Take some time to look for such problems and resolve them. This will reduce the risk of beetles or other pests getting inside.

Make sure you don’t leave items outdoors where the beetles can live, and then move into your home. Rake up leaves and debris so that it isn’t a spot for them to find food and shelter.

Keep your garden area cleaned up and pest free. Avoid stacking up debris in the yard or on the porch. If you no longer need it, clear it from your property right away.

If you love the way plants and flowers look around your home, they can be a place for beetles to hide and then get into your home. They can burrow under the soil in the pots.

Sometimes, eggs are in that soil. You won’t have a beetle problem right away, but soon those eggs will hatch and the beetles will be around your home. It can be puzzling for you to pinpoint when this all happened and where they came from!

How I can Stop them from Coming in?

In addition to pest proofing your home, pay attention when you come inside and go outside to what you are tracking with you. If you leave windows or doors open, make sure they have screens on them that beetles and other pests can’t get through.

If there are any holes, they should be patched or the entire screen replaced.

Regularly vacuuming your home is a great way to get rid of conditions that would be ideal for beetles to live in. Regularly inspect the food in your home.

Make sure you carefully check plants, flowers, and food items before you even bring them into your home. Should you find any signs of beetles, you can toss them out and avoid the hassle of the pests entering your home.

Food should be properly stored in airtight containers so that beetles and other pests aren’t able to get into it. They aren’t going to reside in your home or business if they can’t find adequate food and shelter.

Clean out closets often and get rid of clothing that isn’t worn. Rotate dry foods so that you use the oldest first. Change linens often and rotate which items you use.

Removing them from your Home

The faster you spring into action with a solid plan to eliminate the beetles the easier it will be. There may be many more than those you see. There may be eggs too that have to be destroyed.

Otherwise, the new eggs will hatch and allow a brand new batch of beetles to be in your home. If they are populating faster than you are eliminating them you will soon feel overwhelmed.

Try to avoid using chemicals because they can be dangerous for your family and your pets. There are some options you can turn to that are much safer. Being diligent with your home and keeping it clean is a good place to start.

Don’t be careless with food left out or with basic cleaning because that can become a great habitat for beetles to thrive within.

Don’t overlook those locations in the home you don’t use very much. Perhaps you have a spare bedroom or a basement you don’t go into very much. Get into the habit of checking out those areas regularly.

The same is true for your crawl space. You don’t want to allow beetles to use those locations in your home without you knowing about it.

The number of them can get out of control by the time you learn of their presence if you don’t check for pests now and then.

Pheromone Based Traps

There are special traps that release pheromones and they can be a great tool to take care of the beetle problem. The beetles will be drawn to the smell of those traps, but once they reach them they can enter but not go back out.

The number of beetles each trap can hold will vary. Make sure you keep an eye on them and replace as needed.

Plant and Herbal Repellent Options

Check out the various plant and herbal repellent options. They are safe to use in your home. They won’t cause any harm to humans or your pets.

However, they are powerful enough to tackle pests such as beetles. They are made from ingredients that will dry the beetles out so they die from dehydration.

Soap and Water

It may sound too easy, but many species of beetles can be eliminated from your home with soap and water. Mix them in a spray bottle and spray it anywhere you see those beetles.

Try to keep a good eye on where they run to when you see them. You want to get the soap and water to the entrance of where they are nesting. Of course, this method isn’t going to work well if they are in your flour or grains!

Find a solution that works well to take care of your beetle problem. Pay attention to what you see in your home. They may be in one of four stages, and all of them mean you have a problem on your hands to handle.

Do your part to keep them out of your home by inspecting what you bring in and sealing up any potential openings where they can enter your home.

At the same time, use methods to eliminate any beetles that are already in your home. By taking such action to eliminate them while preventing more from coming in, you will have it all under control in no time at all.

Beetles can destroy food, furniture, clothing, linens, and more. Don’t let them move in on you and take over!

If you want to learn more about various insects, then checkout our site categories, we have a bunch of articles there that are totally worth reading:

P.S.

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All the best

Steve