After a busy day, you look forward to spending time with the family in a nice, cozy apartment. The desire to have dinner together suddenly disappears when one or even several black bugs crawl across the floor. Where are you from? Is a lack of hygiene the cause? Do they transmit diseases? How do you get rid of those annoying insects?
Flour beetle (Tenebrio molitor)
If large black beetles appear in the apartment, they are often meal beetles. The pest occurs in bakeries, grocery stores and farms and can enter homes through flour and grain products, as well as dog and cat food.
- Length up to 2 centimeters
- glossy black upper side, yellow-brown lower side
- yellowish colored larvae (mealworms)
Appear
- wherever grain products and animal feed are stored
- in salt dough handicrafts and flower arrangements made from dried flowers
Harmful effect
- Contamination of grain products and animal feed
- Mealworms carry tapeworms
Combat
Food contaminated by flour beetles must be completely destroyed. As soon as flour beetles appear in the apartment, supplies of flour and grain products should be checked for the presence of mealworms.
Tip: When shopping for food, make sure that the packaging is undamaged to prevent the unpopular animals from being introduced.
Fur beetle (Attagenus)
Fur beetles live on trees, bushes, on the ground and on carrion. Fur beetles are attracted to light. They enter the apartment through the open window and cause great damage. Fur beetles destroy textiles, furs and carpets.
Common species
Dark fur beetle(Attagenus unicolor)
- black-brown coloration
- up to 2.8 to 5 millimeters in size
- oval body shape
Brown fur beetle(Attagenus smirnovi)
- dark red-brown to black color
- Length 3.5 to 5.5 millimeters
- yellowish hairs on the elytra
- frequent occurrence in apartments with parquet floors
Spotted fur beetle(Attagenus pellio)
- colored black-brown
- light brown spots on the elytra
- Length 4 to 5 millimeters
- Development from egg to beetle takes two to three years
Appear
- Households with pets
- Apartments with wide cracks in the parquet or plank floors
- in dried flowers
Damage
- Destruction of home textiles, furs and items of clothing
Combat
In the event of an infestation with fur beetles, the apartment must first be cleaned thoroughly. Affected textiles must be disposed of. Textiles are washed at at least 60 degrees Celsius to remove bugs, eggs and larvae. Effective insecticides are available from specialist retailers.
Tip: Our grandmothers used the snow in winter and knocked out the carpets in it. This removes dirt and eliminates larvae, eggs and beetles in the cold.
Flour beetle
The black-brown rice flour beetle comes from Southeast Asia and is exported all over the world. Rice flour beetles are stored food pests. They attack flour and grain stocks as well as nuts. They can fly well and quickly spread throughout the home.
Common species
Big flour beetle(Tribolium destructor)
- chestnut brown to blackish brown color
- very shiny
- Length up to 5.5 millimeters
- 11 segment antennas
Black flour beetle(Tribolium madens)
- black-brown coloration
- Length up to 5 millimeters
Harmful effect
- Contamination of flour and grain products
- Release of quinones, which are considered carcinogenic
Combat
Infested food must be destroyed. Heat treatment is recommended for large supplies.
Note: The quinones given off by rice flour beetles turn flour pink. There is an unpleasant odor. The flour loses its baking ability and must no longer be processed.
Cockroaches (Blattodea)
Cockroaches occur almost everywhere. They are the best known pests of stored products, materials and hygiene. More important than the material damage caused by cockroaches is their function as a disease carrier. They transmit diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis B and typhoid. At the same time, they are suspected of spreading mold. Cockroaches have strong legs and can run quickly. The pests develop an unpleasant odor.
Cockroaches are heat-loving insects. They are attracted by the heat of electrical devices, penetrate them and often cause short circuits and defects.
Common species
Australian cockroach(Periplaneta australasiae)
- colored black-brown
- yellowish transverse band, yellow edge of the wing
- Length up to 30 millimeters
Oriental cockroach(Blatta orientalis)
- dark brown color
- Length up to 30 millimeters
- Occur mainly in cellars
- Activity in the dark
Brown band cockroach / furniture cockroach(Supella longipalpa)
- black-brown coloration
- Length 10 to 12 millimeters
- not airworthy
- Occurrence in apartments, hotel rooms
- important cause of allergies
- dangerous disease vector
Occurrence
- in food factories, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, basements and homes
Damage
- Carriers of disease
- Allergy triggers
- Spread of mold
- Feeding damage
- bad smell
Combat
Cockroaches are fought with bait and sticky traps. Contact insecticides are suitable for use behind cupboards and stoves. The feeding bait must be applied over several months for the pests to be completely eliminated.
Bacon beetle (Dermestidae)
Bacon beetles are among the most common hygiene, storage and material pests in homes. While they used to appear mainly in butcher shops, today they are mainly found in neglected apartments. It is difficult to control them because there are no food baits available and insecticides rarely have an effect.
Common species
Common bacon beetle(Dermestes lardarius)
- Length 6 to 9.5 millimeters
- two-tone colored wings
Thornless bacon beetle(Dermestes frischi)
- Length up to 6.5 to 10 millimeters
- showy yellow bristles between the neck and the elytra
Peruvian bacon beetle(Dermestes peruvianus)
- Length up to 10 millimeters
- can fly well
- whitish hairy, shiny wings
- Occurrence in large kitchens
Striped bacon beetle(Dermestes bicolor)
- Length 7 to 9 millimeters
- deep longitudinal furrows on the wings
Bacon beetle(Dermestes maculatus)
- Length 6 to 10 millimeters
- Elytres slightly hairy and elongated thorn-shaped
Appear
- in dirty apartments
- in the trash
- in large kitchens
- in textiles, furs, collections of insects
Damage
- Eating damage to bacon, meat, cheese, dried fish
- Destruction of collections of insects and animal preparations
- Damage to fur, hides and leather from larvae
- Damage in furniture and floorboards
Combat
It is extremely difficult to get rid of bacon beetles in the home. The animals live hidden, so the use of insecticides is often not possible. Bacon beetles are sensitive to very high or low temperatures. The treatment with heat (over 50 degrees Celsius) leads to the death of the animals within a few hours. Cold treatments (below -20 degrees Celsius) require more time. High-quality textiles and furs do not tolerate heat treatment. They are freed from the pests by a specialist using nitrogen.
Tip: In apartments with wooden floorboards, sealing the floorboards is recommended to combat the bacon beetles.
Preventive measures in the house
Even if the appearance of large black bugs in your home cannot be completely prevented, there are effective ways of preventing it.
- Check food supplies regularly
- if larvae and beetles appear, dispose of food immediately
- Seal foods such as flour, cereals, pasta, nuts and dried fruit well
- Regularly clean rooms, cupboards and storage containers where food is stored
- Clean vacuum cleaner
- Attach the fly screen
- ventilate extensively
- Iron clothes
- only keep washed clothes in cupboards
- Brush, pat and clean carpets
- Clean cracks and corners in the apartment
- Seal parquet and plank floors
- Dispose of kitchen waste quickly
- react quickly when pests occur
- commission professional pest controllers in the event of severe infestation
Attention: Due to the toxic effect, the use of insecticides in the home is not recommended. If the infestation is severe, professional pest controllers can help.
