Why Are Biscuit Beetles In Your Kitchen?

The kitchen of many homes can attract numerous bugs and insects as it is typically where food is cooked and served within a home.

Numerous bugs are attracted to different food items in your kitchen, and one common pest is the Biscuit beetle, but what attracts them to your kitchen?

Biscuit beetles are attracted to warm regions which makes places in your kitchen, such as the pantry, cupboards, and under the fridge, a suitable place for habitation. They are also attracted to numerous foods, specifically dried foods such as grains and pet food. 

• Biscuit beetles are a common bug that’s attracted to warm areas within the home.
• You’ll commonly find them in kitchen areas such as cupboards, pantries, and storage areas. 
• They are attracted to dried foods such as grains and pet foods. 
• They are not harmful to human health; however, they can contaminate food sources with eggs or feces.
• An infestation of Biscuit beetles can quickly be taken care of by removing all the contaminated food and thoroughly cleaning the area using basic cleaning products.

What Are Biscuit Beetles?

The biscuit beetle is one of the most common pests you’ll find trying to nest in and around the home and kitchen.

Scientifically known as Stegobium paniceum and commonly known as the bread and biscuit beetle because of its love of dry food. 

The biscuit beetle is found in kitchens throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, and typically comes in large crowds. They can be found in homes, kitchens, supermarkets, and drugstores. 

When it comes to identifying Biscuit beetles, there are a few easy ways to do so. The adults are smallish, averaging around four millimeters in size, and have a reddish or brown color.

You may notice that it’s a biscuit beetle infestation by seeing its distinct antennas on the top of its head, as, for the most part, the beetle’s thorax is hidden. Their large and dark eyes can also identify them.

When it’s time to procreate, they will usually find somewhere in the kitchen that has a suitable temperature, level of moisture, and food supply.

Eggs are laid by the females close to dried food, and when the larvae emerge from their egg, it will be less than a millimeter in size.

Why Are Biscuit Beetles In Your Kitchen?

The name of the biscuit beetle suggests that they will be found in the kitchen and enjoy feeding on dried biscuits, and this isn’t far from the truth.

They are attracted to places with a good supply of dried food but can be found anywhere in the home. They are also attracted by lights when it’s dark, especially blue LED lights. 

You will typically find a nest of these pests in places around the kitchen with a cozy warm temperature not far from a supply of dried food, such as cupboards, pantries, and drawers.

They love to snack on all sorts of dried food, including grains, pasta, beans, bread, spices, and pet food, and will even consume drugs. 

Adult Biscuit beetles can fly; thus, they may move from place to place in your kitchen until they find somewhere safe and full of food.

However, they will eat non-food products such as leather, horns, fur, and even books if no food is available. 

They will consume as much food as possible when they are in their infant years; thus, they will live in your kitchen for months before deciding to move around. Once they reach adulthood, they tend to feed far less often and will begin to fly around. 

Will Biscuit Beetles Disappear On Their Own?

Numerous bugs often leave the house on their terms as they typically like to venture outside again; this is usual for bees, mosquitoes, and even spiders.

However, Biscuit beetles are not one of these bugs, and they will stay in your home for most of their young adult life. 

While adults will eventually begin to fly and have the opportunity to move around your kitchen a little, the larvae dig burrows into your dried food goods and nest here as they eat as much as possible to promote growth. They typically only leave the area if there’s a food shortage, but then they may move onto a new cupboard. 

How To Get Rid Of Biscuit Beetles?

Biscuit beetles are typically not considered a dangerous pest. However, they will eat through anything they get their hands on and leave behind small excrements wherever they are hiding out; thus, if you notice that there’s an infestation of these pests, it’s best to get rid of them. 

There are a few signs that you have a Biscuit beetle infestation, including small holes in your dried food packaging and possibly small debris left behind from their last feed. You may even see the adults flying around a food source. 

If you notice a few of these pests and believe there is an infestation in your kitchen, you can use a trap to monitor the biscuit beetle’s activity.

These are available from numerous wholesalers and online, and they use the pheromones of the adult beetles to lure them in. This only works as a preventative measure and will not rid your kitchen of the females or larvae.

To ensure you don’t end up with an infestation, as you notice a small number of Biscuit beetles,  remove any food items that show signs of being eaten by the beetles. 

After this, it’s a good idea to secure food items in a sealable container wherever you’ve noticed Biscuit beetles; remember that the pests can eat straight through thin aluminum and cardboard, so plastic is typically the best. 

How Are Infestations Of Biscuit Beetles Removed?

If you have noticed numerous Biscuit beetles and have determined that you may have a slight infestation, the first thing you should do is trace the beetles back to the source of where they are living. This will require thoroughly inspecting the kitchen and all the infested foods and dried goods. 

Following this, you’ll want to give the infested area a deep clean with any good cleaner, as this will remove any loose food particles, larvae, and adult beetles that remain.

A thorough cleaning of the area and the removal of open dried goods should be enough to stop a widespread infestation. 

You can use the vacuum to do a portion of the cleaning and remove the various food particles; however, remember to empty the bag straight away and throw it directly in the dustbin. 

If needed, numerous sprays available from stores can aid you in your disposal of these pests. While this isn’t the most natural way to rid your kitchen of these bugs, it’s typically a quick and easy way. However, if you’re against the excessive use of chemicals, you can stick to a natural alternative. 

Suppose it becomes more of a problem, you may opt for a professional to go through your kitchen with a residual spray treatment.

Another option is the fumigation of the infested areas. However, this is typically only used on commercial premises such as restaurants where the infestation reaches a significant level. 

Natural Remedy To Rid Your Home Of Biscuit Beetles?

If you prefer to keep chemicals in the home to a minimum and you’d like to steer clear of sprays produced by companies like Bayer, you can make a few natural Biscuit beetle sprays at home yourself. 

You can make a strong lavender spray that will keep the Biscuit beetles at bay until you have a chance to get in and clean up the area they have infested.

Start by mixing one part lavender oil in a spray bottle with ten parts water. Shake gently and spray this around the infested area. 

Once you’ve completed this, you can also make your cleaning solution that can be used to wipe down the infected area and rid the last of the larvae.

Mix one cup of white vinegar with three cups of water. Add a little natural dish soap and give it a good shake before you wipe down the surfaces where they nest.

The Prevention Of Biscuit Beetles

Once you have rid your kitchen of the infestation, you may now realize that prevention is often easier and cheaper than treatment.

They can always return, so it’s up to you to ensure this is not the case by acting on what you have now learned. 

You know they are attracted to numerous kinds of foods, and any available food packets are an inviting signal to these pests, from which they will nest and live, but there are a few ways to prevent this from happening. 

Purchase food that has a sealable packed, even after it’s been opened once. Avoid foods that have damaged packaging.

In the worst-case scenario, invest in a selection of reusable food containers for poorly packaged products that you can’t go without. 

Don’t purchase large quantities of dry foods, grains, and pet food. Try to buy what you need for the week, as this will ensure that most of this food gets eaten and doesn’t sit around waiting for the Biscuit beetles to find it. This is especially important during summer when Biscuit beetles are at their height. 

Set up a cleaning schedule where you will go through your pantry, cupboards, and anywhere else you store dried foods at least once a week.

This will keep the Biscuit beetles at bay and ensure a clean and tidy kitchen, which doesn’t attract numerous other bugs, such as cockroaches. 

As you know, Biscuit beetles will also eat through a stack of paper when no food is available. So, ensure that you inspect your bookshelves from time to time. This is most important for the books that you seldom read.

You can help deter the biscuit beetles from entering your kitchen and home by ensuring that all entry points are sealed.

This includes window screens, cracks in the walls, and even small entrances into the pantries and cupboards. 

Are Biscuit Beetles Harmful?

Biscuit beetles cause no significant harm to human health; they are simple pests who eat and contaminate food sources by laying eggs or leaving behind feces.

They are typically more of a burden than any threat but can be dealt with in numerous easy ways. 

Do Biscuit Beetles Bite?

Biscuit beetles are not known to bite or even annoy humans, as they typically stick to eating your dried foods in their hiding places and usually won’t be flying around your home from room to room like a mosquito or bee. 

Do Biscuit Beetles Carry Diseases?

Unlike mosquitoes and various other flying pests, Biscuit beetles do not carry any known diseases; thus, there’s no need to worry, even if you have an infestation. You’ll not get sick when trying to get rid of these little pests.

Conclusion

So, if you begin to notice that Biscuit beetles have been nesting in an area of your kitchen and are eating their way through various bags of your dried foodstuff, you don’t need to worry. These pests can be dealt with quickly and easily by simply cleaning the infested area. 

Remember to identify the infestation first, and from there, remove the contaminated foodstuffs and clean the area with basic cleaning products.

Follow this up with some of the preventative steps in the article, and your kitchen should stay free from further infestations. 

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:

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