Do you know how to get rid of carpet bugs with natural pest control? There are a few amazing Essential Oils for Larder Beetles that will keep them away.
Larder beetles, like many other types of pests and beetles, generally remain a permanent irritant during the winter season. As it is imminent from the name, larder beetles are mostly found in freshly stored and unrefrigerated meat at room temperatures in our houses and storage areas.
What are Larder Beetles?
Visually they are black and dark brown in color with an oval shape. Their size remains between 1/2 inch for larvae and 1/4 inch for adults. Six black and dark brown spots on its back are the most common sign to recognize this type of beetle.
A female can lay near 135 eggs, which hatch in approximately 12 days into larvae. The larvae are worm-like insect, with hairy outlook and reddish or dark brown color. These larvae generally hatch and nourish in protein-containing substances. Once they can move around, find a place to hide to pupate, for which they can bore into wood up to 1/2 inch.
Being nocturnal, these beetles avoid flying out under harsh light conditions. Therefore, they move out at night in search of fertile places to live and to breed further.
Inside our houses and storage facilities, these beetles may be pests, but outside they are considered the best source of recycling and breakdown of animal protein.
What are Larder Beetles attracted to?
Like many other types of beetles and pests, larder beetles enter our house premises at the commencement of the winter season to find a warm place to hide and lay eggs finally.
These beetles are also attracted to and feed primarily on animal associated stuff like fur, meat, hair, hide, feather, and dried stuff. They also infest the stuffed animal sculptures inside museums, warehouses, and homes.
Food storage in houses and shopping malls remains a major area of appeal for these beetles to enter and lay eggs.
This type of beetle enters houses from the negligible gaps in doors, windows, sewerage system, etc, especially in the spring season.
Any source of proteins including dead insects like cluster flies and boxelder bugs, birds, and animals remains appealing sources for larder beetles. Some insects may get attracted to high protein grain storage as well.
Where do Larder Beetles hide?
Most lucrative and a favorite place for these beetles to hide in the food items like cheese and meat where females can lay eggs.
Stored decorative hides and skins in houses will also attract these beetles to house.
Wood frames and structures are appealing to the larvae when they move out of their food source to find a place to pupate. Serious damage has been reported to wood structures where pesticides have not been applied well in time.
Dead animals and birds within attics and other unidentified gaps in walls of our houses provide a perfect hiding place for these pests.
Most of our house items consist of fabric elements like carpets, rugs, fur clothing, cushioning, and bedding items. These all objects offer the best hiding places to larder beetles especially at the onset of winters.
Barns, poultry sheds, dog kennels, and pet houses are almost common features in urban and rural areas. They provide all essential requirements which larder beetles require for their survival and nourishment.
Can I use Essential Oils for Larder Beetles?
Many essential oils are proven to work against insects such as carpet beetles. For example, eucalyptus oil can kill them in no time. Carpet beetles consider the acid scent of eucalyptus oil as hazardous and avoid it. You can apply it on clothes, on your skin and as well as on pets. The eucalyptus oil is safe and can be used as a medicine when treating skin ulcers. Simply mix a bit of peppermint or clove oil with some water and spray it where you see suspect beetle activity.
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