How to Get Rid of Larder Beetles?

If you're dealing with a larder beetle infestation in your home, it's essential to act quickly. These pests can cause significant damage to food products, stored items, and even animal products like furs and mounts. At Eaglebugs, we offer professional extermination services to help you remove larder beetles and keep your home safe.

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What are Larder Beetles?

Larder beetles, also known as Dermestes Lardarius, are dark brown insects with a distinct yellow band across their wings, which features black color spots. They are part of the skin beetle family, often found in homes that have ample food sources, such as meats, pet food, and stored animal products. Adult larder beetles measure around 8 mm in length. In the larval stage, larder beetle larvae are small, hairy, and reddish-brown, measuring between 3 to 5 mm long. Both adults and larvae are common pests that thrive on animal by-products, dead insects, and decaying matter.

Development and Behaviours

Female larder beetles lay up to 200 eggs near a food source, such as animal carcasses, dead insects, or food products. After 12 days, the beetle larvae hatch and start feeding. Larder beetle larvae cause most of the damage in homes:  once their development is completed, they move about randomly and end up reaching various rooms of houses through cracks, fissures, crawl spaces and ceiling lights.

Larder beetles are often found in new buildings or recent constructions. They bore into materials like wood, fabrics, and stored food, but can also tunnel into animal skin, animal mounts, and even books as they search for hiding places to pupate.

Adult larder beetles, just like their larvae, mainly feed on dead insects (mainly cluster flies and ladybugs), as well as dead rodents, birds or dead animals that they find in attics. They feed on a wide range of food such as rotten food or things stored in walls by a rodent population that has infested your building.

Are Larder Beetles Dangerous?

While larder beetles don’t bite, they can carry bacteria and pathogens, particularly when they’ve been feeding on decayed matter or dead animals. They are known to contaminate food items and stored meats, which can lead to foodborne illnesses. In addition, larder beetle larvae can cause allergic reactions due to their small bristle-like hairs. Over time, an infestation of larder beetles can lead to substantial damage to animal products, food items, and even fabrics.

If you believe there are larder beetles in your home, we strongly recommend that you contact an extermination company!

Pest Prevention

Here are some preventive tips to follow in order to avoid a larder beetle infestation in your house:

• Wash your curtains.
• Remove dirt from the cushions.
• Keep your home clean by vacuuming regularly, particularly behind furniture and in storage areas.
• Store all food items in airtight containers to prevent access.
• Make sure there are no grease stains on the floor or on the walls.
• Thoroughly clean any textile item.
• Seal any cracks, crevices and openings such as vents and holes around your home, including window screens and door frames.
• Clean your pet food dishes, floors, and pantry shelves frequently.

You have to find the beetle’s nest as soon as possible

Larder beetles are not inclined to leave larvae scattered everywhere or to separate from each other over great distances. This is an opportunity for you to find the nest as soon as possible before the infestation gets worse.

The main places they can hide without you noticing are:

• Attics
• Air ducts
• Illuminated places where there is a lot of shade or places to hide
• In places where you keep your food (pantry, etc.)
• In upholstered furniture or textile products made of leather or feathers

 

Recommendations by Larder Beetle Exterminators

The presence of beetles can become a nightmare if the necessary intervention is not done in time. Normally, people use synthetic or organic insecticides, traps or even natural predators to get rid of them.

Here are some recommendations to follow if you have an infestation of larder beetles:

• Prevent flies and ladybugs, among other things, from entering your home before the winter.
• Pest control treatments could be necessary to control the presence of larder beetles and other pests whose activity had not been detected previously.
• Chemicals are especially used to kill beetles, however, you need to know what species you have to kill, in addition to knowing how to handle these products properly, as they are toxic and can pose risks to you and your pets.

Sometimes the invasion can reach such a level that even if two or more methods are put in place, it still won’t be enough to eradicate the larder beetle population. The safest way to get rid of larder beetles is to hire a pest management specialist.

 

Contact our Larder Beetle Exterminator Service

If you have a larder beetle problem, schedule an appointment with one of our Eaglebugs branch offices right away to get advice from experienced professionals in the field who will be able to advise you about the best treatments on the market for a safe, healthy environment.

 

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Learn More About Larder Beetles

Why Are Larder Beetles in my Home?

Larder beetles are attracted to homes for several reasons. They thrive on decaying animal products, meats, and dead insects that may be hidden in cracks, walls, or attics. If your home has had a history of rodent or bird infestations, larder beetles will likely follow. They are also drawn to poorly stored food products, especially in pantries or containers that aren't sealed properly.

Does a Larder Beetle Bite?

Adult larder beetles do not bite humans or pets, but their larvae can cause skin irritation due to their hairy bodies. If you've been exposed to larder beetle larvae or their waste, you may experience an allergic reaction. While they don't bite, they are still a nuisance due to the damage they can cause to food and materials.

By staying vigilant and using professional pest control services, you can prevent and eliminate an infestation of larder beetles before it gets out of hand. Rely on Eaglebugs to safeguard your home from these destructive pests.

How Long Do Larder Beetles Live?

The lifespan of a larder beetle varies depending on environmental conditions, but in general, their lifecycle can last between 3 to 6 months. After the female larder beetle lays her eggs, the larvae hatch within 12 days and begin feeding. The larval stage is the longest and can last up to 2 months. Adult beetles can live for up to two months, during which they seek out new food items and places to lay their eggs. The entire lifecycle, from egg to adult, can take between 40 to 90 days, depending on the availability of food and the temperature of their surroundings.