What are Spider Beetles?
With over 900 different species, spider beetles are one of the most prominent families in the beetle world. Often called “trash-pilers,” these insects will instinctively set up shop in places where food can be found.
They usually feed on whatever they can scavenge, but because they’ll eat just about anything, that may include items like soap or paper, making them a pest to householders. Spider beetles can be found worldwide, and there are several species found across North America.
Spider beetles are in the family of insects known as Ptinidae. Spider beetles get their name from their unique appearance, especially males with narrow abdomens that resemble a spider. Their thorax has large humps behind the head, giving them a generally spherical shape when viewed from the side. This is why they are often mistaken for ladybugs since they also have rounded shapes when viewed from above or below.
The larvae look similar to mealworms but are usually smaller and hairless. They are typically reddish-brown in color, and their bodies can reach 1/8 of an inch (or 1.5 cm), making them one of the larger insects that like to wreak havoc in your cupboards.
Adult spider beetles can reach up to 3/8 inches long, while their larvae can grow up to 1/2 inches long, so identifying them isn’t always easy unless you know what you’re looking for.
One sign that your house has an infestation of spider beetles is if you notice tiny little oval-shaped pellets, which are actually their droppings. It’s essential to act fast if you suspect your house is affected by these pests since they reproduce very rapidly and can cause damage to many different types of stored foods.
If you find that you have a serious infestation of spider beetles, it may be necessary to hire a professional pest control service to rid your home of them. If the problem isn’t severe, then preventative tasks such as vacuuming with a HEPA filter will help keep them from multiplying in the first place.
How do Spider Beetles Get into My House?
Spider beetles are common pests that are found all over the world where there are humans. They often enter a home using floor and counter liners made from wood, cardboard, or gypsum. Spider beetles are very good at hiding, so they often go undetected until their populations have already become quite large.
Another common entry point is in packages or boxes made with any processed wood since these items tend to harbor spider beetle eggs before they’re shipped out to customers. Once inside your house, female spider beetles quickly lay hundreds of eggs throughout the area where they came into contact with food sources.
Where do they hide? Look around your house, and you will find out where these insects hide during the day. The most likely place will be in dark areas like cracks or crevices. They also prefer dry places, so this might be their favorite spot if you have a damp basement!
It would help if you looked for them around windows and in cupboards, in the corners of rooms, or any dark place in general. Once you notice them, it’s time to learn what to do and how to get rid of spider beetles quickly!
How Do I Get Rid of Spider Beetles?
One way to prevent them from getting into your food is by cleaning up crumbs around the house. Crumbs can make an ideal home for these little guys. If you clean up the crumbs in your kitchen every day, they won’t have anything to eat, and they’ll leave you alone! You should also store dry goods in airtight containers so that bugs won’t get inside your cereals or breads or whatever dry goods you keep in there.
When these tips aren’t enough to stop the spider beetles, here is what you need:
- A glass jar
- Cotton balls
- Rubber bands
To get rid of them, follow these steps:
First, take a good look around your home for where the spider beetles are coming from. They could be in your breakfast cereal or your old bag of chips in the pantry! I wouldn’t be surprised if you found some in there, considering how many things they like to eat. Once you find their base camp, take it away and seal it up so they can’t come back!
Put this out of reach of any kids or pets because it will probably contain poison that could hurt them! Then get rid of all of their food sources by throwing everything away.
Once you empty the cupboards and closets, scrub everything down with soap and water to eliminate spider beetle droppings. Now you’re ready to make spider beetle traps!
- Take your jar (with the lid removed) and dip some cotton balls in some jelly.
- Put these cotton balls near where they were coming from, but not right on top of it because then they’ll just crawl inside of them before you can catch them!
- Then take a rubber band or piece of tape and put it over the opening so that the little guys have to go through the cotton ball maze to get out. This will ensure that they are stuck in there when you check back tomorrow!
If none of this works for you, it’s time for drastic measures. You need to call an exterminator to get rid of the spider beetles for you! They probably have some incredible ways to get rid of them that take less time than playing with cotton candy all day. I’d recommend calling one in if this is taking too long or if you don’t want little black droppings all over your cereal box.
How Can I Prevent Spider Beetles?
The best way to prevent an infestation of spider beetles in your home is by making sure that all stored food items are tightly sealed or stored in air-tight containers. Since they invade homes through tiny cracks and crevices, all entry points such as windows and doors must have weather stripping installed around them so the pests won’t be able to sneak inside unnoticed.
Suppose there is any wood present in your home, especially countertops and flooring; in that case, you should either replace it with something else or seal it entirely so the spiders can’t hide inside waiting for an opportunity to get into your pantry.
If you notice that there are little piles of sawdust-like pellets near areas where food items have been stored, it’s a good indication that spider beetles have infested your home. Take a look around the area and see if you can spot any adults or larvae so you can determine whether or not getting rid of them is going to be an easy task or not. If you find anything out about these pests, then remember what needs to be done, so they don’t find their way back inside again.
