I am having issues in the kitchen with a very tiny bug on my countertops. At first I thought I had spilled coffee grounds, but on closer inspection found out they moved, ever so slowly. Under a magnifying glass you can clearly see they are hard shelled with tiny legs under the bottom side.
By Nana
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I laid a toothpick by this tiny bug to show size. It has a hard shell
Thank you so very much for this! I have been going crazy trying to figure out where they were coming from!! The source was a cornmeal bag in my cupboard.
First comes the weevil then this bug. Check your flour and meal for weevils. The best way to avoid this is to place your flour and meal in the freezer when you first come in the house with it.
Cigarette and drugstore beetles are two closely related species of small, reddish brown beetles that are moderately common pests in Iowa homes. The cigarette beetle was at one time a very important pest of the tobacco industry and got it's named from the damage it did to stored tobacco. The drugstore beetle gained its name because it was frequently found feeding on drugs in pharmacies many years ago.
Now, both insects are customarily found infesting all types of dry stored food products, spices, seeds, grains and dried plant material. We have recently received samples of cigarette beetles found in rice, dried potatoes, paprika, raisins, grain-based mouse bait, dried straw flowers and a table center piece made of varnished bread. Drugstore beetles are known to feed on leather, wool, hair, books and drugs.
For both insects an infested item will contain the 1/8th inch long, reddish brown, oval beetles and small, white larvae. Adult beetles often wander away from infested materials and may be found throughout the kitchen or house.
Control of cigarette and drugstore beetles requires locating and eliminating the infested item(s). All potentially infested materials should be carefully examined, including unopened boxes and packages. Cupboard shelves holding infested items and shelves in the vicinity of where the beetles have been noticed should be emptied and thoroughly vacuum cleaned. Household cleaners containing bleach or ammonia will have no effect on the insects.
* Printer-friendly version
This is my photo of my tiny buggers, looks like I have my answer now!
This bug question has been asked over and over online. I hope other will see this now and then know just what this mystery bug is ! Besides annoying !!
I now remember bring home dog biscuits and after a while we noticed these bugs where in them. They were covering every biscuit and I threw them all in the trash. But it must have been to late. Because that was last year and I still have them.
It sounds like there is no easy way to get rid of them fast. Clean cupboards and drawers over and over again is the best answer and check all dry goods over and over. Good news is they are harmless, just annoying as heck.
I ordered Tupperware today for all of my dry good foods. These bugs can chew through cardboard and tin foil and they can move about the house into other rooms as well.
I sprayed my emptied cabinets with Raid ant killer and put Terro ant traps in the corners of the cabinets. After a few days, the bugs were gone BUT-they appeared in my hallway and powder room!
I have been finding these same exact little bugs only in my kitchen. They are on the floor mainly & find some on kitchen counter. We have a water leak underneath our kitchen sink & condensation on floor from refrigerator... I push down on them & hear a little crackling noise & put in a cup of water. One day/night I must've found at least 20 of them. How do I get rid of them?
You may want to put bay leaves in your pasta, rice, flour, corn meal, etc. to repel the little critters. I keep my flour in the freezer, just to be sure I don't get weevils, have had them too many times to count! Tupperware is a good storage solution as well.
Good luck!
Smart on the bay leaves, I've been doing that for years. Can't remember how I discovered that, reckon we DID figure things out before google!!!
Finally, after months and months of battling these tiny buggers, we have won! They are dead and gone and I now have very well organized cupboards, drawers, and counter-tops. Everything was examined and just about all of it was pitched. Now everything is in Tupperware and I mean everything. We all buy food in boxes and this is how they get in the kitchen and take root. Mine came in the dog's biscuit treats.
actually the bugs that come in flour and grains etc are hatched in there.. putting them in Tupperware wont help.. keep everything in the freezer that you dont expect to be used up within a few months..the eggs are in all that stuff when you get it.. they will just hatch out eventually when conditions are right..
Dishsoap helps a lot. In the morning when I woke up I have caught a lot, the straglers that get away. They are hard to get rid of. Put the soap in a saucer, you'll find they come to you. Vacuum the cabinates after you go through everyting.
If you have dog biscuits, check them. I dont know if that's what brought them into my house, but I started noticing these bugs everywhere in my kitchen and living room. And today I went to get my dog a biscuit and they have gone crazy in the box of treats. So if you have dog biscuits and you notice these bugs, check there. I bet thats where they are coming from. Put treats in a container.
Thanks for the dog biscuit idea. I have had these bugs for a while and cleaning did not help. Just went to check the dog biscuits and there were many, many in the box. Just threw box and all outside until daylight. Sure hope this cleans the little "buggers" out.
The dog bones is exactly where they are coming from. I started noticing them all around the vicinity and sure enough the box was infested. Get rid of any grainy dog biscuits or bones. Then vacuum then up and then try the soap thing for stragglers. Hopefully that does the job. I threw away all paper by it as well
I went nuts trying to get rid of these things over a period of about 6 months but finally found a good solution that seems to have worked.
I tossed everything in my pantry that contained grain that was opened.(once again) I got jars to put all my food in moving forward, and I wiped the countertop and cupboards with oil of oregego and put a small bowl with some of the oil in my cupboard. I continued to see some strays for a few days after that, and every time I did, I wiped the entire area with more of the oil. It took care of it. I am going to keep a close eye on it for quite awhile but this seems to have worked where nothing else did. I don't like the smell of oil of oregeno but it doesn't bother me as much as the bugs.
What is oil of oregego? I have never heard of it and can't find it in a google search.
I think it's oil of oregano that you are referring to. Like the spice.
I got a bottle of oil of oregano from a doTerra party that I attended. I think you could look for it at any natural food store but I'm sure it is available online too.
These bugs can be incredibly hard to get rid of. They primarily come from flour and rice from the grocery store. First, freeze the flour as soon as you bring it home for 96 hours. It is recommended to store flour, rice or other grains in a sealed container. Once you have this infestation, you need to throw away old flour and/or rice. Then clean cupboards with soap water and make sure to get in every nook and cranny!
Putting Bay leaves in with your grains will help deter these bugs from coming back. Another great tip is to rub Eucalyptus oil on your shelves! Good luck.
They look like flour beetles. They get into flour and cereal. Check you flour and cereals for an old package. They come in all flour products, so the best way of getting rid of them is to rotate all products on a regular basis.
I never saw these before, sorry you have them but glad I know what they are now. Anyway, I buy plastic containers at the store (Dollar Tree, Walmart, Restaurant Supply). I have them filled immediately after going to the supermarket. I put my flour, rice, sugar, etc in them. I do it for organization and easy stacking in my cabinets but you might find it helpful too.
If after you have checked every grain type of product in your cabinets you determine that these are weevils, then I suggest you check out e-how.com for getting rid of them. That is what helped me when I had them. After removing everything from my cabinets and losing a lot of food, I froze everything I had left. They were living in the cabinetry for a while. It took me three weeks of daily cleaning and spraying with a spray made to kill weevils, but I won!
Thank you all for your help.
Beth, please what is the name of the spray that you used? I went to E-How and couldn't find the spray.
Moosemom, yes I read that about Bay leaves, they also say to put clove and or bay leaves in the corners of your shelves.
Hello 'nanakess' My kitchen has those small brown beetles that you uploaded a picture of on 19th september 2010. I have completely scrubbed and tidied my kitchen countless times but they won't go away. I was wondering if you know what they are called or how to get rid of them? Thank you
I keep seeing these things sound my berm window and under my heater. Anyone know what they are? I was sprayed for varied carpet beetles. They're gone I think. But these creepy things are still around. Help! theresagibson1959 AT Gmail. Com
Try using diatomaceous earth. It is available from Home Depot or Lowes. Ask for the "food grade" type. That's what I've read anyways. Gonna try it myself!
Yes they absolutely come from dog biscuits!!!! I bought some in bulk and had them stored in a pantry cabinet in my kitchen. When my doggy ran out of his other treats, I opened these. WHOA! SWISS CHEESE!!!!! Tons of holes all over. Well I thought that it was just an odd batch, until.......ALL OF THE BUGS. Then I went to get him a bone and they were everywhere in that cabinet. Disgusting!!!!! So out the back door that box went. Thank goodness it wasn't a food cabinet, but I still have to go thru EVERYTHING!! I dont like dirty.....anything. I am going all natural with my dog treats. Thats just gross!
Do you get food from farmer's markets or anything like this? I had never seen these bugs before, but one of the local farmers at my church brought in ears of corn for everyone and I found one in the shucks...I put a clear bowl over it until I could find out what it was...just telling you this is where the bugs could have come from...
We just built a new house and I have these little brownish/red bugs everywhere. They primarily look dead and you touch it or pick it up and it starts moving. First I was just seeing them in kitchen cabinet drawers (none really in pantry except dead on floor). Now, I am seeing them throughout the house on the floor. In the master bath I cleaned it thoroughly and the next day there were a few more. They don't fly....could they be coming from my carpet? My pest control guy has sprayed twice inside but not sure it is doing anything. Please help!
I have the same tiny bugs but I don't keep food in the cabinet where I found those bugs and I though that my nephew brought them in after cutting grass in the yard. Can someone tell me what to do I have pesticide spray but if I used that I'm going to have to leave here for a day and I'm handicapped. I found these bugs today
yes, my exterminator said they come from certain food, then or outside, tiny black round bugs, hatch in kitchen , ortho bug spray does not work! help!!!!!
Ive found 409 works wonders !!!! I spent 3 hours cleaning my kitchen of these bugs!
It is midnight and I have been cleaning these little buggers for hours now. I am so happy I found this thread. Earlier this evening I brought a box of dog treats up from the basement storage area and an hour later I had bugs all over one shelf and the floor of the pantry. I wiped and vacuumed and not 20 minutes later I had more. Found this thread through google, opened the treat box and it was moving inside. I now have it in a zip bag, out on the patio ready for the trash can in the alley. I have also checked the basement but only found a few bugs and disposed of then down the drain.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
