Help?
Hello,
Please don’t ask where I took these photos but these "bugs", I am guessing larvae of some sort, were discovered in a refrigerator and freezer which has had no power for numerous months and obviously wasn’t cleaned out prior to the power being turned off. They are approx 1 inch or so long and kind of a grey color. I have a couple more pictures if necessary. Several of these things were seen on the floor and what I would "guess" is excrement can be found in large quantities near an open bag of grits. Trails lead from the cupboards to the fridge. There were no flies to be seen in the house, only spiders and fleas. Estimated count is well into the hundreds. We would like to fumigate this place and clean it out really well but would like to know what we’re up against first. Can you help us out? Other than using LOTS of bleach, are there any special precautions we should take (gloves and respirator a given)? Thank you in advance,
Dave
Hi Dave,
Your image isn’t detailed enough for an exact identification, but your vivid description indicates Mealworms. Mealworms in the genus Tenebrio are the largest Pantry Beetles. The size you indicate as well as the food source, the grits, makes this a near certain positive identification. You do not need special precautions when cleaning, just a strong stomache.
silverfish photo
After thoroughly searching your website, it seems I have silverfish in my apartment (although this is the first one I have seen). Just thought you might need another photo to post, as most of the pictures of silverfish seem to be from the top angle. I live in Richland, Wa (south-eastern part of the state), and this silverfish was moving slowly across the carpet, and would repeatedly jump away if I got too close to it. It did not seem to be a fast runner, as my shoe was still able to get the better of it. Thanks for your site, it has been very helpful!
Melanie L.
Hi Melanie,
In addition to the angle, your image shows the silver coloration nicely.
Okay, I’m a little more calm now…
Dear WTB:
Long time reader, second time e-mailer… firstly, thank you so much for your wonderful website! It is an excellent educational tool and an essential public service! Thanks to you, my daughter is growing up to appreciate and love bugs (with the exception of wasps and hornets — she was bit twice last year) and, thus far, is not acquiring my neurotic hang-ups.
Please find attached pictures of a bug that I found this morning. He was kicking on his back in my darkened kitchen. I am not responsible for the damage to his one antennae and to a couple of his legs. This maiming was doubtless the work of my tiny perfect carnivore (domestic tabby cat). While on his back, I feared that he was an oriental cochroach. Having covered him with a translucent plastic container, I was able to slip a sheet of construction paper under him and tape the container down onto the paper, thus securing him for further observation and study. I spent a couple of hours on your website researching him and was quite convinced that he was an oriental cochroach until we managed to flip him over. Now, I’m pretty sure that he is a harmless species of ground beetle. He is 1.5 cm. long and .5 cm wide (5/8 " long, 3/8 " wide). He appears reddish-brown on his underside and black on his back. I can’t tell you how much I would appreciate it if you would view the pictures and confirm whether he is a beetle or a roach.
Sincerely,
Neurotic, fussy, home-maker (knowing it is half the battle)
near Toronto, Canada
Dear Neurotic, fussy home-maker,
Based on your self-evaluation, we are pretty certain we know what you will be doing the minute you get this response. We are relatively certain this is a Mealworm, Tenebrio molitor. We located a website with the following information: “Tenebrio beetles are black or dark brown and they feed as larvae and adults on grain products. T. molitor is an important post-harvest pest and occurs spread all over the world. Adult beetles are attracted to night-lights, are strong fliers, and are found in dark places. Each female lays about 275-600 eggs, which hatch into larvae in 4 to 14 days. Eggs are laid singly or in clusters during the spring over a period of 22 to 137 days. Larvae firstly eat the germs of stored grains and can feed on a wide variety of plant products such as ground grains, flour, tobacco and foodstuffs. Larvae are very voracious and highly resistant to low temperature; they can remain alive for 80 days at -5
Mastic Beach beetles
I sent you some pictures of the tiny beetles we have last week but it was from an email account I’ve been having problems with. I haven’t seen them posted nor did I get a reply so I’m sending you them again from an email account I know works. I’ve been through all of the beetle and ant pages and nothing posted looks like these creatures. Photos are all of dead bugs, the live ones won’t pose for me: IMGA0981 – several on the handle of a plastic knife; IMGA0989 – best I could do for a closeup of the head area
Thanks for your help.
Jeff
nevermind searching
I found the bug on another site, it’s as follows: Sawtoothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis): The Sawtoothed grain beetle is another very common pantry pest. It does not feed on intact whole grains, but feeds on many processed food products such as breakfast food, bran, dried fruits, nuts, sugar, chocolate and macaroni. It is especially fond of oatmeal and birdseed. These flat beetles can even get into sealed boxes and packages of food. Adults are nearly 1/4-inch long, slender, brownish-red and active. Their name comes from the six saw-like teeth on either side of the thorax behind the head. After finding a potential food, the female lays white, shiny eggs that hatch into yellowish-white larvae. There can be as many as seven generations each year, but sawtoothed grain beetles often stop breeding in the winter, unless buildings are heated and moisture is sufficient. Adults are very long lived and remain active in the winter. The habits and traits are a perfect description and I think the source is the food we get for our parrot. Here’s the link to the other site and a copy of the photo. Between my closeup and the description I think I have a match.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the information, and sorry we have been slow, but we could literally spend 24 hours a day answering letters, which is impossible. There is another closely related species, the Merchant Grain Beetle, Oryzaephilus mercator, that looks very similar. According to Hogue: “Its distinguishing feature is a small swelling on the head behind the eye which is lacking in O. surinamensis.” Your closeup seems to indicate this swelling. We favor the Merchant Grain Beetle.
?fly
This picture isn’t very good, sorry. But we have seen these little “flies” about .75 cm long, on our walls. They don’t fly off quickly and are easy to kill. We are on the sea in Croata. Thanks for any help.
Bathroom Flies breed in the sludge that accumulates in sink drains.
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Posted 23 May 2006
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Help with this one
I know my bug isn’t glamorous like a Luna Moth but I am really concerned about this thing and if somehow, not seeing any for 3 years, it has followed me from Chicago to New York. I sent a message a little over a week ago with a pic that wasn’t that clear. Hopefully these are better. He is pretty small so it is tough to get a good close up focus.
This is a Mezium Spider Beetle. They are pests in stored grain products.
Expert Update: (05/22/2008) spider beetle errors
Dear Bugman,
I believe I had written earlier when looking at many of the spider beetle pictures. Almost all of the shiny brown, globular body, images are of Gibbium aequinoctiale and not Mezium species. There is a combined 2 image photo (finger and beetle & 2 beetles) of Mezium : the answer was posted by Eric Eaton, I believe. Gibbium species do not have a velvety covering on the thorax, Mezium species do. You should correct your website postings so people will have a better idea of what they have been finding. Best regards,
Lou
Louis N. Sorkin, B.C.E.
Entomology Section
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
New York
Dear Lou,
Thanks so much for resending this vital correction to our website. We really appreciate your expertise on this. We sincerely hope that addressing you with such familiarity doesn’t detract from your professional status.
Whats this ?
Can anybody help ? Is this a carpet moth emerging from its cocoon ? The case is approx 1cm long. I have several fist sized areas of damage to carpets under cupboards where the cocoons are attached. They are also attached to walls.
Cheers
Robert
Hi Robert,
We are not sure if this is a Clothes Moth or a Case-Bearing Clothes Moth. Our suspicion is thqt it is the latter, Tinea pellionella.
unknown bug sitting on walls
Dear Bugman,
I’m glad that i found your website, i live in Spijkenisse, The Netherlands and i keep on finding this bug in my house, always sitting on walls, or running around in the bathroom. For a couple of years now they seemed to be there. A few years ago they where only half the size and only apeared in the toilet and bathroom, always on concrete walls or floor. Now they also appear in my bedroom. I’ve tried to catch one but they are very fast. What i like to know is what this little bug is, can you help me?
Kind Regards
Nick Dutrieux
Hi Nick,
Silverfish are common household pests that are generally found in cool, damp, dark places, like the bathroom and under the sink. They have a reputation for ruining books by eating the glue in the binding.
Squirmies
Hi. I live in Michigan and was curious about this bug. I see them in the bathroom sometimes along the crack between the floor and the wall, they are very fast and hard to photograph,(I had this one trapped for about a week hoping he would die so I could get a picture). He is still alive although he did change from brown to a very light color and is about 2.5 cm long. Not as interesting as some of the other bugs you feature but I wonder what this one is and if he changes into something else. Thanks,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
You have Silverfish, primitive insects and common household pests that are usually found in dark damp areas.
mystery beetle
Greetings!
Can you please identify the bug in the attached photo? It appears to be some type of beetle. Actual size is just under 1/8 of an inch long. It’s very slow moving, and will sit motionless for long periods. Coloring consists of alternating gray and black bands. I live in Northern New Jersey, and this bug was found indoors in February. I’ve seen this kind of bug occasionally all my life, always indoors, and always just sitting motionless. I have no idea what they eat. They’re never around in large numbers, but I’ll see three or four throughout the year, in various parts of the house. They are not associated with the kitchen, or anyplace else where there’s food. Thanks! I hope you can tell me what this is.
Don Riemer
Hi Don,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle, one of the Dermestids. Here is what Charles Hogue has to say: “These are the common Carpet Beetles. The adults have conspicuous variegated patterns of red, white, or black splotches on the back. The larvae are stout and less than three times as long as they are wide; they have hairs along the body that are generally stiff and erect, and there are two tufts at the rear end. These beetles are hated by entomologists because they often destroy collections of dry insect specimens.”
I’ve got a bug for you!!
These first started appearing in our bathroom early last spring. (2005) It seems like there is always one or two in our bathroom every morning. This is before the showers start and there hasn’t been any activity in the bathroom overnight. They don’t fly fast and easy to squash. They’re about the size of a pencil eraser. It’s annoying as hell! Mater bathroom (where they’re appearing) is on the 2nd floor of a 2 story house in Omaha, Nebraska. Any help as to what they are and where they’re breading? Don’t be confused by the picture. It might look like a common housefly, but it’s not. It’s smaller and doesn’t fly as fast.
Thanks in advance.
Tim Hayes
Hi Tim,
This is a Bathroom Fly, Clogmia albipunctata. Indoors, they breed in sink traps, drains and dead flow areas in household plumbing.
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Posted 06 February 2006
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micro beetle
thanks for the past questions. i got a new bug for you.. whats this tiny micro beetle.
Charles
Hi Charles,
We thought this was a species of Carpet Beetle, and we have seen them on our squash blossoms. We checked with Eric Eaton and here is his response. “Ah, a carpet beetle in the genus Anthrenus! Please keep it away from my insect collection:-) You are correct that, outdoors, many species in the genus pollinate flowers in their search for pollen to eat. Eric” The larvae are destructive to collections and natural fibers.
