Dealing With Beetles in Your House During the Winter

Beetles indoors during winter can be a nuisance, but with some knowledge about their habits and prevention tips, you can keep them out of your house. As a homeowner, arming yourself with information is key to pest prevention and control.

Why Beetles Invade Homes in Winter

Beetles invade homes more often in winter because they are seeking shelter from the cold. As temperatures drop outdoors, beetles look for places to spend the winter protected from freezing conditions. Small cracks and openings around your home’s foundation, windows, doors and exterior walls allow them to sneak inside.

Once indoors, beetles prefer warm, dry areas like attics, basements, garages, kitchens and living spaces. They hide in wall voids, under insulation, behind baseboards and inside pantry items. The artificial lighting found indoors can also disrupt their hibernation, keeping them active through winter.

Common Household Beetles in Winter

There are a few beetle species most likely to take up residence in your home during cold weather:

• Carpet beetles These small black, brown or multi-colored beetles feed on fabric carpets clothing and other natural fibers. They can damage upholstery, mattresses, pet bedding and more.

• Drugstore beetles: Known to infest dried foods, spices, pet food, cereals, pasta and more. They bore into packages to consume the contents.

• Mealworm beetles: Also a pantry pest, mealworm beetles infest all types of grain-based foods. Their larvae are known as mealworms.

• Wood boring beetles: These include furniture beetles, old house borers and others that tunnel into wood items. They damage framing, furniture, bookshelves, trim and wood decor.

• Dermestid beetles Feed on animal-based products like pet hair, feathers, carcasses wool and silk. They can seriously damage taxidermy specimens and fur clothing.

Signs of a Beetle Infestation

Watch for these common signs that beetles may have moved into your home

• Small round or oval holes in pantry items like cereal, pasta, baking mixes etc.
• Clothing, linens or furniture with holes eaten through the fibers
• Sawdust or frass (beetle droppings) under baseboards or on windowsills
• Tunnels visible in wood surfaces
• Presence of small brown or black beetles around food sources or wood
• Larvae crawling around pantries or cupboards

Preventing Beetles in Your Winter Home

Here are some tips to make your home less inviting to winter beetles:

• Seal cracks, crevices and openings on your home’s exterior using caulk or weatherstripping
• Repair damaged screens on doors and windows
• Keep tree branches and shrubs trimmed back from the house
• Store firewood and lumber at least 20 feet from your home
• Vacuum and clean pantries regularly to remove any spilled foods
• Keep pet food in sealed containers and clean up any spills
• Fill small holes in window screens or walls with steel wool or copper mesh
• Use pheromone monitors and traps preventatively around your home

Getting Rid of An Existing Beetle Infestation

If you already have an active beetle infestation in your house, taking immediate action is important to stop further damage. Here are some effective treatment options:

• Discard infested foods, fabrics, and other items if the beetle damage is too extensive. This eliminates their food sources.

• Use insecticide dusts labeled for beetle control. Apply dusts into wall voids, under carpets, and other beetle hiding spots. The bugs walk through the dust and die.

• Fog or mist insecticide sprays can kill adult beetles and larvae on contact. Concentrate treatments in infested rooms.

• Heat treatment involves warming rooms to 130 – 140°F temperatures lethal to beetles. This is useful for large-scale infestations.

• Freeze fabrics, clothing or small objects for a minimum of two weeks to kill any beetle eggs or larvae.

• Fumigation involves sealing the home and releasing insecticidal gas to penetrate all areas and kill beetles. For severe, widespread cases.

Getting professional pest control is recommended for difficult beetle problems. Exterminators have the right tools and insecticides to eliminate beetles and prevent future infestations.

Beetle Prevention Year-Round

While winter beetle invasions are common, you can take steps all year to deter them by:

• Keeping your home’s exterior sealed and repaired
• Storing dry goods like pet food in airtight containers
• Cleaning pantries and vacuuming regularly
• Not allowing clutter like stacks of paper or fabrics to accumulate
• Checking for signs of beetles in spring and fall
• Acting quickly at the first sign of an infestation

With vigilance and preventative measures, you can help keep beetles from invading your home this winter. If an infestation does occur, take prompt action for the healthiest home environment.