Beetle Control In Calgary

Asian Lady Beetle: The scientific name of Asian lady beetles is Harmonia axyridis. They grow up to 8 mm in length and can have different colors, such as orange, red, or yellow, and have different numbers of black spots on the body, while all species bear a distinctive M-shaped mark behind their head on the thorax. An infestation of Asian lady beetles is marked by large groupings of these insects, often in overwhelming numbers, as well as finding piles of dead Asian lady beetles around windows and in light fixtures. While Asian lady beetles may deliver a painful bite, they do not break the skin nor transmit disease.

Carpet Beetle: The scientific name of carpet beetles is Anthrenus verbasci. They are 2 to 5 mm in length, are dark brown to black in color, with an oval body shape, chewing mouthparts, and very short clubbed antennae. Some species also bear colored scales (white, yellow, orange, red, brown) unique to the specific species. A carpet beetle infestation is commonly detected when adult beetles are observed on windowsills. However, most damage by carpet beetles is caused by their larvae that feed on carpets, fabrics, and textiles.

In contrast to moth damage which creates tiny holes all over the fabric, carpet beetle larvae eat a single large area of the garment. Another sign of carpet beetle infestation is discovering cast off skins from carpet beetle larvae molting, which are linked to allergic reactions and dermatitis in susceptible individuals.

Drugstore Beetle: The scientific name of drugstore beetles is Stegobium paniceum. The drugstore beetle can be up to 3.5 mm in length, also known as the bread beetle, biscuit beetle, and misnamed as the biscuit weevil (despite not being a true weevil), is a tiny, brown beetle that can be found infesting a wide variety of dried plant products, where it is among the most common non-weevils to be found. The drugstore beetle has a worldwide distribution though it is more common in warmer climates.

It is similar in appearance to the cigarette beetle, but is slightly larger. Additionally, drugstore beetles have antennae ending in 3-segmented clubs, and also has grooves running longitudinally along the elytra.

Flour Beetle: Flour beetles are members of the darkling beetle genera Tribolium or Tenebrio. They are pests of cereal silos and are widely used as laboratory animals, as they are easy to keep. The flour beetles consume wheat and other grains and are adapted to survive in very dry environments. They are a major pest in the agricultural industry and are highly resistant to insecticides.

The most common flour beetle found in Canada is the Aphanotus brevicornis, the North American flour beetle.

Fungus Beetle: Pleasing Fungus Beetles are part of the Erotylidae family, they feed on plant and fungal matter and have gained notoriety as pests of some significance. They are light brown, reddish brown or dark brown, can range from 2 – 4 mm in size and are oval and flattened in shape, with fine hairs on their wing cases. They can also be known as Silken fungus beetles, Hair fungus beetles, Spotted hairy fungus beetles.

Grain Beetle: The scientific name for the merchant grain beetle is Oryzaephilus mercator. It is a small, flattened beetle about 2.5mm in length. It is a common, worldwide pest of grain and grain products as well as fruit, chocolate, drugs, and tobacco. In the home, products susceptible to infection should be kept in sealed containers to exclude these beetles.

Freezing infested foodstuffs at -18 °C for six days will kill all stages of the O. mercator life cycle. Infestations always center around a food source used for breeding and the identification and removal of all infested foodstuffs will eliminate the population.

Ground Beetle: Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America. Members of the family are primarily carnivorous, but some members are phytophagous or omnivorous. Although their body shapes and coloring vary somewhat, most are shiny black or metallic and have ridged wing covers (elytra).

Old House Borer Beetle: The Hylotrupes, or Old House Borer Beetle, as it more commonly referred by, is a monotypic genus of woodboring beetles in the family Cerambycidae, the longhorn beetles. This species, originating in Europe, and having been spread in timber and wood products, now has a practically cosmopolitan distribution, including Southern Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, and much of Europe and the Mediterranean. Some can reach a body length of about 8–20 mm. These beetles are brown to black, appearing grey because of a fine grey furriness on most of the upper surface.

Plaster Beetle: Latridiidae (sometimes spelled “Lathridiidae“) is a family of tiny, little-known beetles commonly called plaster beetle or minute brown scavenger beetles. Adult beetles in this family are some shade of brown and between 1.2 and 2 mm in length. They may be present in ripening cereal crops but will not persist in clean, dry stored grain; however damp grain, or grain heavily contaminated by other insects, will support them.

Wood-infesting Beetle: The term wood-infesting beetle encompasses many species and families of beetles whose larval or adult forms eat and destroy wood (i.e., are xylophagous). In the woodworking industry, larval stages of some are sometimes referred to as woodworms. Wood-infesting beetles include ambrosia beetles, long-horned beetles, wharf borers, metallic wood borers, true powderpost beetles, false powderpost beetles, and deathwatch beetles.