Yellow Mealworm Beetle

How to tell if you have Yellow Mealworm Beetle

Yellow Mealworm beetles are widespread throughout the United Kingdom. The adult beetles fly and are attracted to light.

• Yellow mealworms have a smooth, highly polished, shiny, elongate, hard, cylindrical (wormlike) body about 1/8 inch thick and up to 20mm long at maturity.
• Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to help with the inspection.
• Beetles are robust, black and nearly 3/4 inch long, resembling many ground beetles in size, shape, and color.
• Yellow mealworm beetles are shiny, dark-brown or black.
• Larvae are a honey-yellow color with hard, highly polished worm-like body.

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

Homeowners often find yellow mealworms in neglected areas of homes prone to humidity. Forgotten bagged or boxed items in kitchen pantries are hotspots for these pests. Yellow mealworms are common wherever stored food becomes damp or grows mold. Mealworm larvae are one of the largest insect larvae that infest stored products since the full-grown mealworm larvae is about 1 inch long.

Using airtight containers for food storage is a great way to prevent the infestation. Airtight containers are tightly fitted and have no opening for the entry of mealworms. Ziplock packets are not so effective in preventing their growth as they are capable of piercing the thin plastic covering. Food items that are not used frequently can be stored in the freezer to avoid their unwanted growth as they cannot stand low temperatures.

Mealworms are basically found to grow in food. It is essential to throw away the entire infected food because even after the removal of worms, their eggs might be left over which would later grow into larvae and eventually render it inedible.

Mealworms do not grow on their own. A potential source of their eggs might be responsible for the infestation in your house. Try to look for open nooks and corners that might be acting as an entry for these creatures in the house. If a source is identified, seal the opening to avoid further entry.

If all this appears to be a difficult task, getting in touch with a Dream Environmental Post Control professional exterminator will solve your problem quickly and permanently. As they are trained professionals in dealing with any form of pest infestation, no one can do a better job than them in eradicating the mealworms from the house. A professional help definitely calls for an expenditure.