Ground beetles are insects belonging to the order Coleoptera. This is the largest family of beetles, the number of which increases every year. The color and shape of the ground beetle body are varied. Most of this species of insects either fly poorly or do not do so at all. Some are still little known, while others are very common. The most famous species that lives in apartments is the bread ground beetle.
The body shape is oval, length - from 15 to 50 ml, the body is black above and dark brown below. Strong, blunt jaws at the ends, visible antennae.
Both adult beetles and larvae can cause damage. The highest peak of their activity is summer and autumn, mostly in the evening and at night.
Penetration methods
- These beetles often enter homes with trees and go in search of food. Larvae can enter the house along with dust from the street.
- Ground beetles are attracted to the food of hamsters and rats if the cage is not cleaned in time.
- Insects are attracted by the light in the windows, and the absence of a mosquito net on them is a direct route for ground beetles to enter the house.
- They live in old furniture, in window sills - in places where there is old wood.
- They are often found in foods - potatoes, cereals, flour.
What danger do ground beetles pose in the house?
The bread ground beetle is more of a nocturnal beetle. During the day he simply hides under stones and trees, and if he lives in an apartment, he lives in furniture in dark areas where it is very difficult to get to him. They usually live near fields.They love wheat, barley and rust, but sometimes they do not disdain oats and corn. If there are no crops, they can eat leeks.
This beetle enters the house only under suitable conditions for it. To a greater extent, ground beetles prefer fields with cereal crops. But if an insect enters the house, with the coming of darkness it tries to find food. They see food as crumbs that have not been cleared from the table, food and cereals. The bread ground beetle prevents you from falling asleep, disturbs you with its rustling noise, and often falls from the ceiling onto the bed or directly onto a person. And if they managed to get food, then the next step is reproduction. If you find a bread ground beetle in your home, then the first priority should be getting rid of it.
Prevention measures
It is necessary to carry out wet cleaning every day - this is the first and main preventive measure, because these beetles love dust, dirt and crumbs. If any wooden furniture is brought into the apartment, it should be treated in advance with special anti-beetle agents. If you don’t want to treat furniture with household chemicals, you can get by with a folk remedy – vinegar water or soda.
Due to the fact that ground beetles often live in cereals, flour and potatoes, it is necessary, after purchasing all these products, to review them and place them in glass containers. Flour should always be sifted through a sieve. It must be kept in a tightly closed container. Potatoes need to be sorted and washed.
Pest control
If a ground beetle was found in an apartment, getting rid of it will not be difficult. The main thing is to establish her favorite place on your territory.When cleaning your house, you need to wash these areas very thoroughly. To avoid the insect moving to another place, you need to remove crumbs from the table and do not forget the food on the table. It is advisable to get rid of garbage every evening.
Places where insects are most often seen should be wiped with insecticides (Dichlorvos). They can be purchased at any hardware store. There are also home remedies for bugs available. The chosen place of residence must be treated with soda or vinegar water. To quickly forget about harmful guests, products should be hidden and placed in airtight packaging.
Temperature control methods
If most of the ground beetles have settled in cereals or flour, then it is better to take these products to the trash bin. But if you don’t want to throw them away, you can destroy them using high temperatures. There are 3 methods that can help you get rid of beetles:
- Calcination in the oven. Flour and semolina need to be calcined at a temperature of 50 degrees. Other cereals should be heated at a temperature of 100 degrees. They need to be kept in the oven for about half an hour.
- The influence of ultraviolet radiation. Almost all beetles avoid sunlight, so placing the grains in the sun for 5-6 hours will be sufficient.
- Freezing. Place the food in the freezer or on the balcony if the temperature there is minus 15 degrees. While the grains are being treated with frost, you need to treat the cabinets where they were stored. Baking soda or soap solution will help with this. For prevention, you can put several bags of pyrethrum, a type of chamomile, in the corners. Its smell will repel pests. This species is also not welcomed by moths.
Small cracks must be treated with boiling water. But here you need to be careful, since not all coating can withstand high temperatures. If you are not sure about this, it is better not to risk it.
Boric acid
Using boron bait is a very good way to combat obnoxious beetles. Almost all types of insects die from it. The beetle that ate this bait will die after some time. During this entire period, it infects other individuals. This method is good because the beetle brings poison to their main place of residence. Infects all beetles, both small and large.
To prepare the bait you will need paper. Powdered sugar and boric acid should be poured onto it. Instead of powdered sugar, you can take any cereal or honey. This bait should be placed in the corners of food cabinets, or in those areas of the apartment where beetles are most often found. Cereals and sweets strongly attract beetles.
Traditional methods of combating bread ground beetles
You can destroy uninvited guests using the following methods:
- Herbs and plants with a pungent aroma. Place garlic, bay leaf, and cloves in food cupboards. The aroma of these plants is very repellent to beetles.
- Metal nails. They must be placed in bulk products, having first washed and dried them, so that they do not rust later.
- Fridge. If there is enough space in it, it is better to place the cereals there. If the pest is in the cereal, the low temperature will kill future pests.
And the best and surest method of avoiding ground beetles from entering your home is to store cereals and flour in glass containers immediately after purchase.Before pouring the product into a glass container, it is necessary to inspect it. This is due to the fact that not all stores have cleanliness and ideal storage conditions for food, so it is very easy to bring insects home.
By adhering to the rules of prevention, the insect will never bother you. Don't forget about keeping the kitchen in perfect order and regularly cleaning work surfaces with disinfectants, and then nothing will be able to attract various insects. If a bug accidentally gets into such a place, survival in it will be unsuccessful. In this situation, he will look for another place to live. There is no need to be afraid of the corn ground beetle. The main thing is to start fighting it as soon as its presence in the house is discovered in order to prevent it from spreading throughout the house.
