Drugstore Beetle Control

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Drugstore Beetle Control

Most Effective Products

Pyrid Insecticide Aerosol
Aerosol
As low as $27.99
Flex 10-10 Insecticide
Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC)
As low as $54.99
Keith's Pro Tips

"When you're at the grocery store, do your best to inspect the packaging of any dry foodstuff for any signs of rips or holes. This is a good sign that there could be drugstore beetles or other pantry pests inside."

Drugstore Beetle Control: How To Get Rid of Drugstore Beetles

This page is a general drugstore beetle control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of drugstore beetles. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of drugstore beetles.

They may be called Drugstore Beetles, but that doesn’t mean they are limited to just your local pharmacy. Drugstore beetles can become a problem anywhere there are food goods stored away. The Drugstore Beetle has a very wide appetite and isn’t too picky when it comes to what it will munch on.

Drugstore beetles are also called biscuit beetles or bread beetles. The "Drugstore" in their name came from its longstanding history of invading pharmacies and contaminating various drugs and herbs that were stored away. However, the most common place they invade now are households.

Drugstore Beetles enjoy a broad range of dried stored foods but can also eat non-food items such as paper from books and wool, fur, leather, and museum specimens. Drugstore beetles are deceptively strong in that they can drill through wood to get to food they are craving. Their habits result in hundreds of dollars in food damage if not treated.

If your pantry has been invaded by Drugstore Beetles, our DIY Drugstore Beetle treatment guide can help you get rid of a drugstore beetle infestation with ease. 

Identification

Before you can apply pesticides, you need to identify the pest and be certain that you are dealing with Drugstore Beetles. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong products, costing you time and money. Here are some identifying traits to look for:

  • Drugstore beetles closely resemble the Cigarette Beetle, another pantry pest. The main difference that distinguishes the two bugs are that the antennae of the Drugstore Beetle has a distinct three-segmented club structure compared to the cigarette beetles serrated antennae.
  • Drugstore beetles have small hairs on their body, typically range from 2 to 3.5 millimeters in length, and usually have a brownish-red color with a round, cylindrical shape.
  • When adult Drugstore Beetles lay eggs, their larvae look like small white grubs. Drugstore beetle larvae are extremely small and it is unlikely that you will see them without the aid of some magnifying equipment.

Drugstore Beetle Adult and Larva

Use the images and descriptions above to help you in properly identifying Drugstore Beetles. If you are not totally sure, contact us and one of our pros will assist you with identification. 

Inspection

inspection drugstore beetles

After properly identifying the Drugstore Beetles, proceed with an inspection in order to locate where the Drugstore Beetles are hiding and what items they are infesting.

Where To Inspect

Begin the inspection process by searching the areas where you store food products. Most drugstore beetle adults will emerge from cocoons which are located very close to where larvae have eaten. If you have discovered adult drugstore beetles in the pantry then you most likely have some type of cereal, spice, flour, cookie, grain, bean or some other item which they are actively eating

Check your pantries, shelves, cabinets, garages, and areas where pet food is stored if you have pets. 

What To Look For

Inspect open food packages for adult and larvae drugstore beetles.  Because larvae are so small, you will have better luck spotting an adult drugstore beetle. Even if you cannot spot adult drugstore beetles, there is a chance they have already laid their eggs in your products.

Treatment 

Once you have confirmed drugstore beetle activity, it is time to begin treatment. Remember to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) before handling or applying products. The products you will be using are Pyrid and Flex 10-10 Insecticide. Pyrid will be applied as a crack-and-crevice treatment while you will use Flex 10-10 for residual spot treatment.

Step 1 - Clean out Your Pantry

drugstore beetles preparation

Before applying treatment, you need to prepare your pantry and food storing spaces. For this, you will need a vacuum and cleaning supplies. What we recommend is to initially clear out everything you have stored in your cabinets and toss them out so you leave nothing to chance. This also saves you time or else you would have to conduct the timeconsuming task of going through every single item in your pantry to check for an infestation. 

After removing all products, vacuum your area, giving special attention to the corners. Thoroughly wipe and clean any shelving. Check for cracks and crevices. Once your food storage area is clean and empty, you can begin treatment.

Step 2 - Use Pyrid to Treat Cracks and Crevices

Pyrid application in pantry crack

Pyrid Aerosol is a ready to use, insecticide aerosol that is used as a flushing agent and is great to use as a crack and crevice treatment inside pantries. The reason cracks and crevices need to be treated first is because Drugstore Beetles can crawl in small spaces and lay eggs without you knowing.

Pyrid comes with a crack-and-crevice applicator, which effectively targets the product to your cracks and crevices. To use, remove the white applicator from the top of the can and replace it with the red straw tip applicator.

Shake the can and then spray along the length of crack and crevices of your pantry shelving in quick bursts usually at about 1 second of spray per foot. Pyrid will flush pests out of these areas. It will not leave behind a residual but will provide an immediate knockdown after flushing any pest out.

Step 3 - Apply Flex 10-10

Spraying Flex 10-10 Along Crevice in Pantry

After applying Pyrid to your cracks and crevices, apply Flex 10-10. Flex 10-10 is a pyrethroid insecticide that has a residual effect of up to 30 days that will kill Drugstore Beetles long after application. 

Use Flex 10-10 as a general surface spray to spot treat the pantry shelves. You would first need to dilute the product in a pump sprayer. Measure the square footage of your pantry (length x width = square footage) and based on your findings mix the Flex 10-10 at a rate of 3.2 fl. oz. per gallon to treat 750 sq. ft. of surface. Fill the sprayer with a half-gallon of water, add the appropriate amount of Flex 10-10, then fill the rest of the way with water and shake the sprayer.

Apply the Flex 10-10 as a low-pressure fan spray along the back and side edges of the pantry shelving where the shelf meets the wall. Keep all people and pets away from the treated area until dry. Once the product has dried completely, you can restock your pantry.

Prevention

prevention drugstore beetles

After you have treated your pantry for Drugstore Beetles, you will want to make sure they don't make a return. Here are some preventative measures to ensure you don't get a reinfestation:

  • Start by checking every food packaging you purchase at the grocery store. Make sure the packaging is secure with no rips or tears. If the packaging is tampered with, there is a chance they are already infested. Most infestations occur because food products are purchased and kept in storage for many months.
  • After noticing cracks or crevices in your foundation, consider sealing them up with caulk to prevent drugstore beetles from coming into your area.
  • Use plastic containers for every food item you buy. By replacing the original packaging with plastic containers, you will prevent drugstore beetles from accessing your food.

Key Takeaways

What are Drugstore Beetles?

  • Drugstore beetles are small, brownish-red insects that invade areas with opened food packaging. They primarily infest pantries and garages. 
  • Drugstore beetles are a common problem in every part of the world. While their name suggests that they are typically a problem in drugstores and pharmacies, drugstore beetles mostly infest and invade residential homes.

How To Get Rid of Drugstore Beetles

  • Locate the source of the infestation and toss out the food item. To be on the safe side, discard all your stored pantry items and vacuum the shelves once they are cleared.
  • Apply Pyrid and useFlex 10-10 as a residual spot treatment around cracks and crevices along shelving.

Preventing Drugstore Beetle Reinfestation

  • Check all the food items that you buy from the grocery store prior to putting the food away in your pantry. If there are rips and tears, it may be infested and should be thrown away.
  • Use plastic containers to keep your dried food goods rather than stock them in the pantry in the original containers.
  • Seal cracks and crevices with caulk to reduce points of entry for Drugstore Beetles.
Questions and Answers
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  1. Size:
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    Pyrid Insecticide Aerosol
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    Flex 10-10 Insecticide
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    Solutions Electric Sprayer 1.5 Gallon
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