The name “biscuit beetles” can seem very intriguing. Their name comes from the fact that they are found in your dried food in the pantry, especially biscuits. They are found in abundance in the pantry and kitchen cabinets, especially if you are someone who doesn’t clean around the counters and has a habit of not checking their food lying on the shelf for months and years.
Biscuit beetles are alternatively known as drugstore beetles and can impose risks of food contamination and other health hazards if you aren’t careful. If you leave your kitchen counters with prevailing humidity, it creates an ideal environment for them to grow and thrive in.
Since they pose such harm to humanity, it isn’t surprising that individuals are consistently looking for ways to get rid of biscuit beetles. We have sorted out all the information for you in this article.
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Table of Contents
What are Biscuit Beetles?
Before we proceed with the preventive measures, it is always ideal we discuss what biscuit beetles are. These are small, oval-shaped beetles with yellowish hair all over their body. They often mimic the structure and appearance of the standard Furniture beetle, so getting the right infestation reports is important to implement correct treatment.
Although they aren’t necessarily parasitic, these insects tend to feed on dried foods found in the kitchen and pantry. So, if you have a habit of never checking your food before eating, it can cause issues with your digestion and GI tract functions.
You will often find them infesting the back of the cabinets in the kitchen, where it’s dark, humid, and warm. The best way to prevent these kinds of infestation is to move around the items in the pantry every few months.
List of Ways to Get Rid of Biscuit Beetles
With the basic introduction out of the way, we move ahead to the ways to get rid of these insects for good. Typically, we’d recommend that you take quick action once you are confirmed that the infestation is severe and needs immediate interventions.
Here are some of the effective ways to get rid of these beetles for good:
1. Start by Finding the Source of the Infestation
You can’t treat the infestation if you don’t know where it is arising from. Typically, we’d recommend checking the back of the kitchen cabinets and pantry to find these beetles. Once you find them, it becomes a lot easier for you to treat them in their confines without spraying the entire house down with insecticides.
So, typically, you should look for them around your pantry and kitchen because that is where they mostly thrive. Once you find the source, hit them where it hurts with the right pest treatment options.
2. Opt for Deep Cleaning
Biscuit beetles tend to infest areas with food very quickly. So, your best bet would be to get a vacuum or hoover and wipe down every last inch of the area, so you don’t complain about any remnants of these insects around the counters.
While vacuuming, make sure you take all of the containers and the infested boxes out of the cabinets because those need to be cleaned too. If possible, check the individual food items for signs of infestation. If you find these pests in any food, get rid of them immediately without further thoughts.
Steam cleaning with the vacuum sometimes helps too. However, if you are steam cleaning, make sure that you dry out the space thoroughly and ensure there are no damp spots before you store your containers back on the shelf.
Also, after you are done vacuuming, be responsible for clearing out the hoover’s content. The last thing you want is to end up with more infestation due to the lack of proper disposal of the collected insects.
3. Use Pyrid
One of the most common infestation sites for these pests is around the cracks and crevices in the pantry. Since those are tight spaces with no optimal exposure or visibility, most people miss out on those spots, leaving behind some of the biscuit beetles, which later cause further infestation.
Your best bet with those would be to use pyrid. The pyrid aerosol is a readily available flushing agent for these kinds of insects that help kill them on the spot, so they don’t make a comeback in the future. Make sure you get every last crack in the infested area because those cracks are the spaces that the beetles have a habit of laying eggs.
Also, they do contain chemicals, so avoid spraying them in excess. Prevent kids and pets from getting around when you have sprayed the surfaces.
4. Try Pheromone Traps
Although not readily available, pheromone traps are good alternatives if you don’t want to use heavy-duty chemicals and insecticides. These traps are ideally effective in trapping the male biscuit beetles by attracting them with the pheromones sprayed in the trap.
Keep these traps spread across the kitchen or pantry to prevent these beetles from causing further infestation. Typically, they will also catch the moths if they try to indulge in an infestation in the same spot.
5. Get Professional Help
Getting rid of the biscuit beetles is not as easy as it seems. They tend to reproduce very quickly and in spaces that we’d not be able to reach or see. So, getting professional help is always advised. If you are finding the infestation getting out of hand, always opt for calling in pest control.
Since they are professionals, they have in-depth knowledge about the situation. They also have the tools and resources needed to ensure that the infestation doesn’t spread beyond control. Typically, they are also equipped enough to get rid of the infestation in one attempt without needing to try different DIY methods, which can be taxing on an individual.
If you are wondering how to get rid of biscuit beetles, we hope this article was informative enough. Just ensure that you focus on getting the right preventive measure or treatment that eradicates their presence from your kitchen for good. If nothing else works out, it is always best if you check in with a professional pest control team to help you out. Your best bet would be to leave everything in their hands and get the necessary cleaning done.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Biscuit Beetles Harmful?
Although they aren’t fatal to humans, their infestation can cause food contamination, leading to digestion and GI tract issues. So, if you are eating your food without checking it for infestations, you are likely putting your health at risk.
What Attracts Biscuit Beetles?
Dried foods are their source of attraction. From biscuits to dry pantry items, they feed off of every last food crumb that you’d notice lurking around on the kitchen counter. Typically, we’d recommend that you clean out the space and remove all the infested foods.
Do Biscuit Beetles Bite?
No, contrary to popular belief, biscuit beetles don’t bite. However, they will infest the food and make them improper for consumption. So, if you notice any signs of infestation, you must avoid consuming the food without questions.
