Sudden Infestation
Location:  Northeast U.S.
September 1, 2010 12:07 am
Hello, I live in western New York. I found a bunch of bugs in my kitchen yesterday on the countertops at lunch time. I quickly wiped them of and discarded of them outside. At that point there were roughly 15 of them. I came home from work last night and suddenly there were probably one hundred of them. So I got out the bleach and scrubbed down the whole kitchen. I knew this was probably only a temporary fix. They have come back today. I have two dogs and at first I thought ”Oh my goodness they have fleas”, but upon checking them out the are a little bigger than what a flea would be. They also are very easy to catch and discard. They are brown in color. They do appear to have wings and the ability to fly but for the most part they don’t move very much. I was trying to find the source of the bugs and though there were some on the kitchen floor, the first place I noticed them were on the kitchen counter. So I thought maybee they were falling from the ceiling. Low and behold when I looked up they appeared to be coming from the light on the ceiling. I tried to find them in other rooms before but they seemed to only be in the kitchen. Well the lights in the kitchen are always on so I checked other lights. I noticed that they seem to be collecting at any light. I recentley had my roof redone. There were old ceder shake shingles on the house before. I wonder if they could be some kind of termited that were upset when the roof was tore off and moved from the attic down my walls or if they are just some kind of gnat. Please Help me I will attach a couple of pictures.
Scott

Drugstore Beetles perhaps

Hi Scott,
Your photos are lacking in detail, but based on your description and the image with the penny as scale, we believe you have an infestation of Drugstore Beetles.  Drugstore Beetles, Stegobium paniceum, are cosmopolitan in distribution and may be found year round thanks to our climate controlled environment in the home.  According to BugGuide:  “larvae feed on prescription drugs, flours, dry mixes, breads, cookies, spices, chocolates and other sweets, plus a variety of ‘non-food’ items.” BugGuide explains “Larval non-food material includes wool, hair, leather, horn, and museum specimens. Larvae have been known to bore into books, wooden objects, and, in some cases, tin or aluminum foil and lead sheet.”  Drugstore Beetles are not the only small beetles that will infest stored food products in the kitchen.  Another possible culprit is the Cigarette Beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, but you probably do not care exactly what food infesting beetle is living in your kitchen.  You need to search the pantry thoroughly to find the source of the infestation.  Your letter mentioned dogs and if you buy large quantities of dog food, the infestation might have begun in the bargain bag of pet food, or it might have begun in the long forgotten cake mix that expired in 2002 on the top shelf of the cupboard in the back behind the canned goods.  If the infestation is really bad, the beetles might have spread to other items already, so you might want to clear out all stored food products and that should take care of the problem unless the beetles have been proliferating in the stuffed stag’s head over the fireplace or some exotic artifact made of leather or other animal products that a world traveler presented you after returning from Africa or South America. In England, Drugstore Beetles are known as Biscuit Beetles and adults do not feed.  The Ohio State University Extension Program has a good fact sheet on both Drugstore Beetles and Cigarette Beetles.

Drugstore Beetles possibly

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Is this a bed bug
May 23, 2010
I woke up this morning and wanted to clean my sheets. I tore off my bedding and when looking under the mattress I found this guy curled up. I thought he/she was dead but upon prodding he/she woke up. I placed him/her a glass and took this picture. I live in Brooklyn and I have had friends with bed bugs so I am curious if this is one. He/She doesn’t look like a bed bug because he/she isn’t that flat nor does it want to start sucking blood.
I searched the surrounding area all around the wood frame and cluttered parts of my room. I haven’t found any more guys yet.
A man in Brooklyn
Under my matress

Spider Beetle

Dear man,
While under the mattress is a good place to look for Bed Bugs, it is not a typical habitat for Spider Beetles, like the one in your photo, which typically infest stored foods.  Perhaps you eat in bed and the crumbs accumulate.

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Apartment Bug – Manhattan NYC
April 12, 2010
Hi Thanks for your help! I live in a newly renovated apartment in Manhattan, New York and keep coming across these bugs. (image attached). I am concerned that they might be ticks or bed bugs? I usually find them crawling the walls, but found a bunch in a light fixture. Any help identifying them or any risk they may pose? Thanks so much!
Bob from NYC
West Harlem, New York, NY

Spider Beetles

Hi Bob,
You have a sizable infestation of Spider Beetles, Gibbium aequinoctiale.  You should check your stored foods as they often infest items in the pantry.

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It’s invading my home
April 6, 2010
We get these beetles? in our house whenever it’s not winter. We find them mostly in the bathrooms and in the kitchen under the stove. Thanks,
C. Lloyd
Upstate NY, Saratoga County

Larder Beetle

Dear C. Lloyd,
Larder Beetles, Dermestes lardarius, infest stored foods, but they also do considerable damage to organic museum specimens.  Larder Beetles may be found year round, and they have a cosmopolitan distribution.  Search the pantry for the infestation.

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