Cigarette Beetle

How to tell if you have Cigarette Beetle

There are over 1000 described species of anobiids. Many are wood borers but the cigarette beetle, (Lasioderma serricorne), also known as the tobacco beetle are pests of stored products. Stored-product pests are responsible for tremendous damage and economic losses to post-harvest and stored grains and seeds, packaged food products, and animal and plant-derived items and commodities. Besides causing direct damage by their feeding, they also elicit disgust, annoyance, and anger in those who find them infesting these products.

• Cigarette beetles are quite small, measuring about 2 to 3 mm (about 1/8 of an inch), and are reddish brown.
• Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to help with the inspection.
•  The elytra (wing covers) are covered with fine hairs.
• They prefer to reside in dark or dimly lit cracks, nooks, and crevices but become active and fly readily in bright, open areas.
• They are most active at dusk and will continue activity through the night.
• The antennae of the cigarette beetle are serrated (like the teeth on a saw).

Upon identifying an infestation,  DO NOT tidy up any evidence just Contact Us and we will help/advise with the next step in preparing an eradication program.

The program will consist of:-

• We would start with a thorough inspection of all known and suspected spots where they might be hiding.
• Customer to try get a sample for us to identify.
• We only carry out a treatment when a confirmed infestation is present as this is the correct thing to do for many reasons, but the main one is cost savings. There is no point in paying to try and kill something that is not even present.
• Identifying the insect species causing the problem.
• We will ask you to start by removing all infested products, cleaning and vacuuming all areas to pick up any loose debris/insects
• Education explaining the life cycle and how their habits, habitat, and behavior affects the control plan.
• Treating affected areas by using safe effective control products.
• Scheduling a follow-up visit if required.

Prevention

Inspect and Discard: First, investigate the infested items and discard them. If an item passes inspection, it is a good idea to seal it up in an air-tight container. Cigarette Beetles migrate to new materials quickly, so a complete inspection is critical. Don’t forget to check the dry flower arrangements and any artwork that has dried natural foods or plants.

Clean and Vacuum: Vacuum and clean shelves thoroughly. Pay attention to cracks and crevices and under your shelves, and around wire shelving.

Use Pheromone Traps: These traps have a sex pheromone in order to catch and trap male cigarette beetles. They will also attract male moths. Place only a couple of traps in the kitchen or pantry. We recommend either Invite Multi-Insect Lure or Pantry Patrol.

Use Insecticide Aerosols: This is to be done after cleaning and before placing the foodstuffs back on the shelves. They will help prevent future infestations in the cracks and crevices.