Cigarette Beetle

Lasioderma Serricorne

Size: Less Than 1/8”

Color: Reddish-Brown

Legs: Six

Facts about Cigarette Beetles

The Cigarette Beetles, who are also called as Tobacco Beetles can commonly be found in stored products in every corner of the world. They can commonly be found in chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and tobacco leaves.  In addition, you will be able to see them in many other commercial food products, including packaged foods and stored seeds or grain. Cigarette Beetles are capable of doing a tremendous economical and physical damage to stored products.

It is also possible to see Cigarette Beetles in book bindings and the tomb of King Tut. They can feed on a variety of food items, including seeds, pasta, raisins, dates, ginger, dried fish, chili, paprika, pepper and cottonseed meal. They are also a pest to wreathes and dry flower arrangements. Moreover, they can do a significant damage to furniture stuffing in the long run.

Bites of Cigarette Beetles

No cases have been reported on Cigarette Beetles on sting people. However, these small insects have the ability to get into the clothing and hair of human beings. As mentioned earlier, they are also capable of eating almost all the types of dry food, including medicine and spices. Fabrics and books can also get damaged due to the endless munching of these small insects.

Read: Learn Best Control Tips on How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetle Bites!

Infestation of Cigarette Beetles

An average adult female insect can lay about 100 eggs at a time. The eggs are white in color and have an oval shape. These eggs would hatch after a period of 6 days. After that, larvae would burrow through food, which can cause contamination and destruction to food items such as grain. These bugs would become adults within a period of 30 to 50 days. Their lifespan is in between six to eight weeks.

When a Cigarette Beetle is disturbed, it would not move and legs would be placed on the head. It is possible for you to see Cigarette Beetles resting in dark places around your home. But when they become active, they would fly across your home in search of another dark place to hide. These bugs are extremely active at night. In fact, they would keep on buzzing throughout the night. Cigarette Beetles don’t need on food. Instead, they are ingesting liquids obtained from various sources. Moreover, the body of Cigarette Beetles would produce yeast, which consists of Vitamin B. This would help them to thrive on a wide array of food items.

Cigarette Beetles would not only cause damage to the dry food items that are stored in your home. They can also create a significant damage on floral arrangements, furniture, pills, book bindings, wreaths and dried plants.

How to Detect a Cigarette Beetle Infestation

As mentioned earlier, Cigarette Beetles prefer to feed on the stored tobacco items. However, they are likely to attack many other types of food items as well. In other words, Cigarette Beetles can attack seasonings, pet food, seeds and similar food items. If you suspect that there is a Cigarette Beetles infestation, you can use a flashlight and a magnifying glass in order to take a closer look at these food items. Then you will be able to figure out whether there is a Cigarette Beetle infestation or not.

Read: All You Need to Know About Ladybugs Poisonous

How to Identify Cigarette Beetles?

The Cigarette Beetles are extremely small. In other words, the body dimensions of these bugs are less than 1/8^th of an inch. Their body has a reddish brown color. The heads of these insects are rounded whereas the body looks oval. The wings of Cigarette Beetles are covered with extremely fine hair. The body hairs deliver a fuzzy appearance to these insects.

In most of the cases, people fail to differentiate Cigarette Beetles from Drugstore Beetles. If you take a closer look at their appearance, you will be able to figure out the difference that exists in between them. It is possible for you to see antennae on the body of Cigarette Beetles. They look more like a saw. On the other hand, you will not be able to see any rows of pits on the body of Cigarette Beetles, as in Drugstore Beetles.

How to Get Rid of Cigarette Beetles?

When you figure out that Cigarette Beetles live inside your home, you will need to take necessary steps in order to get rid of them. If you are looking forward to get rid of Cigarette Beetles, the first thing you should do is to locate the exact source of infestation. These bugs prefer to rest in the dark places around your home, so you need to take a look at the crevices and cracks of your shelves. Then you can clean and vacuum those places in order to get rid of the infestation.

It is also possible for you to use pheromone traps in order to get rid of Cigarette Beetles. The pheromone traps can be purchased from the market at a reasonable price tag. They offer a sex pheromone, which can be used to trap and catch the male beetles. Moreover, the pheromone traps are in a position to attract male moths. You just need to purchase a few pheromone traps and place them in your pantry or kitchen. This is considered as a convenient method available for the homeowners to get rid of Cigarette Beetles.

Insecticide aerosols are also capable of helping you to deal with a Cigarette Beetles infestation. You need to use them after you clean the shelves. However, it should be used before you place any food on the shelves.

Why Should You Get Rid of Cigarette Beetles?

Plenty of reasons are available for the homeowners out there in the world to locate Cigarette Beetles infestations and get rid of them. They are in a position to cause damage to your food items, which can impact your health. On the other hand, you will have to throw away the food items, which can cause a lot of money. They can also ruin the other valuable items around your home such as furniture and books. Therefore, it is always recommended for you to get rid of Cigarette Beetles.

Posting Facts about Cigarette Beetles And How to Get Rid of Them ditampilkan lebih awal di Thefollisreport.