Bugs

[Jodie]

Oh God Oh God Oh God....

I just opened up my cupboard to get some loose tea and saw a bunch of creepy-crawlies scatter. They were literally crawling all over everything, and there were a bunch of droppings, shed exoskeletons and dead carcasses in there too.

Oh God Oh God Oh God... gross... ew.....

I keep my loose tea in paper bags, and apparently they found their way into one of them and have been happily living there for the past few days (I've taken an item from that cupboard within the past week and they were NOT there last time I looked).

I just pulled everything out, threw out all the tea that was not in sealed containers, bleached the crap out of the cupboard and cleaned off all my canned goods (they were also hanging out on the shelf with the canned goods, living in the space between a couple of stacked cans).

Okay, so WTF are these critters, where did they come from, and how worried do I have to be that they have invaded my kitchen? I'm afraid they have a nest somewhere, and that the tea cupboard is just going to be the start of my problem.

They were about 2mm long and 1 mm wide, smooth, oval shaped and reddish-brown in colour.

Anyone?

 

[Jodie]

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Yes, I do live in an apartment.

GROSS!

What do I do???

 

[Jodie]

No, I don't think they are cockroaches

I just looked up dozens of pictures of different species of cockroaches online, and I can't find any that resemble the bugs I saw.

These things were just little smooth oval-shaped bugs... almost like tiny beetles - no antennae, no feet sticking out.

 

[InTheBum]

Call Pest Control...

Tell your Caretaker...that way you probably don't have to pay the bill for pest control and they will check out your neighbours place.

Sounds like some type of cockroach to me...definately not silverfish.

 

[threepeat]

Maybe they are carpet beetles?? http://www.bcpestmgnt.com/others/carpetbeetle/index.html

I get the occasional one in my appt... though nowhere near the quantity you described... yuck...

On the bright side, they do appear to be harmless, in small numbers.

 

[Torvaald]

Sounds like meal beetles....they probably got into your flour, oatmeal or cereal grains...had'em in university...just throw out any open boxes/containers of cereal, oatmeal, bran etc...use something like Raid...

 

[hmm3030]

After you get pest control in, make sure you store everything in your cupnoard in sealed containers.

 

[EdenLee]

OH god, my sympathies.

Breathe deeply.

I still remember the time a cockroach fell on my head from above..I lost it and almost needed a padded room.

Well I still need the padded room but not because of roaches. LOL.

Good luck in getting rid of those pests, the bugs I mean..haha not the men.

 

[Jodie]

I found out what they are

They are either drugstore beetles or cigarette beetles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drugstore_beetle

http://www.pantrypest.com/cigarette.htm

(it's the brown one in the middle)

So, I got rid of the source of the infestation (the dried tea leaves), but it sounds like I'm going to have to do a thorough cleaning of all the cupboards, behind the appliances, etc., as they are hardy little buggers who will pretty much feed on anything they can find.

Good excuse for a spring cleaning, I guess...

 

[Absinthe Minded]

They're probably Confused Flour Beetles... a common pantry pest

Do they look like this?

http://www.uidaho.edu/so-id/entomology/Pantry_pests.htm

 

[BS Detector]

Well...

Aren't I glad that I'm not eating at my computer right now

 

[Rob1]

That is a wood bug thay live in roton wood get a can of rade and go nuts

 

[aznboi9]

I've heard that the most effective control for these particular pests is pming naked pictures of oneself to asian pooners.

It's always worth a shot, I guess.

 

[Jodie]

They're probably Confused Flour Beetles... a common pantry pest

That is a wood bug thay live in roton wood get a can of rade and go nuts

Nope, I'm absolutely certain that they're either cigarette beetles or drugstore beetles, and leaning towards the former rather than the latter (I'd be able to confirm which one if I had a magnifying glass to get a better view). They look just like the photos I've found of them, and the description of their physical appearance and habits is spot on. Cigarette beetles in particular are known to feed on dried plant matter such as spices and teas.

I got a pretty good shot with my digital camera, but I don't have an account to load it to, so I can't post it on here.

 

[Jodie]

I've heard that the most effective control for these particular pests is pming naked pictures of oneself to asian pooners.

Nice try

 

[Cosmo]

(shivers)

Last time I ask Jodie what's bugging her.

 

[belair]

try red wine vinegar in a jar with holes punched in the lid.

Let us know if what u did, to eradicate them, was successful.

p.s.. Was that the proper use of the comma? The comma drives me crazy lol
or should it read
Let us know, if what u did to eradicate them, was successful?

No comma is needed in your sentence, "Let us know if what you did to eradicate them was successful." as no new topic is introduced.

 

[Very Veronica]

They're probably Confused Flour Beetles... a common pantry pest

Flour moths and flour beetles are common pests in stored products. They can infest flour, pasta, grains, dried beans, nuts, dried fruit, candy, spices and other food; they also infest dry pet food, bird seed, dried flowers and even tobacco. Flour moth larvae leave a trail of silk thread behind so food infested with them contains clumps of food spun together with webbing. Flour beetles show up as small, reddish brown or nearly black specks. Bulk food stores as well as supermarkets are occasionally a source of such pests when they bring in products that became infested in warehouses. The older food is, the more likely it is to develop an infestation, so buy small amounts and use them up quickly or store surplus in the freezer until needed. A wise precaution, especially when you buy from open bins, is to seal the food in a plastic bag as soon as you bring it home and freeze it 3-5 days before putting it in a cupboard. Insects can get into cardboard or paper packages, therefore dry and bulk food should be stored in glass or heavy plastic containers with tight lids. If you find an infestation, dispose of the contaminated food and inspect the other food in the cupboard. Even it it looks clean, it is still a good idea to freeze treat it before replacing it on the shelf. Vacuum or wash out the cupboards to clean up spilled food and remove other stages of the pests (moth larvae leave the food to spin their cocoons nearby). A light dusting of diatomaceous earth or silica gel throughout the cupboards will help prevent further problems.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/ipmp/Brochures/housebug.htm

 

[all night long]

had a similar problem when moved into a new apartment.
At home hardware found Chemfree Insectigone which worked great. Its a powder that is safe in presence of pets, but found it very effective. Just put it in the seams of the cupboards and behind the appliances. Re apply for a week or so as necessary.
Hope this helps