Small black beetles in the house and garden

the essentials in brief

• Common small black beetles in the house are: grain beetles, meal beetles, fur beetles, house billy beetles, and black bacon beetles
• Small black beetles in the garden are called black weevils, timber bark beetles, Asian ladybirds, rapeseed beetles and black diver beetles.
• Small black beetles cannot bite or sting and are not poisonous to humans.

Identify small black beetles in the house.

Are little black bugs just paying your home a brief courtesy visit or are you facing a pest problem? The answer to the question is a correct determination of the beetle species. The following table provides initial indications of the identity of five common black ones Beetles in the flat:

The following short portraits provide more detailed information on the five most common black beetle species in the house.

Grain beetle (Sitophilus granarius)

When fully grown, grain beetles are still tiny. You need a magnifying glass to locate the long trunk as a head extension with a powerful mouthpiece. The black body is elongated and decorated with distinctive grooves and bright points. There are no more functional wings under the cover wings.

• Where to find it inside: in the kitchen on all kinds of grain, preferably rye, on pasta, in dried vegetables
• When to find: all year round

Flour beetle (Tenebrio molitor)

Flour beetles, following their name, are often found in flour

From the black beetle family, the tiny meal beetle specializes in human supplies that contain plenty of starch. Bakeries have declared the nocturnal black beetle the number one enemy. Arched, black wings with longitudinal grooves and red-brown legs reveal the name of the storage pest.

• Where to find it inside: in flour, grain and on baked goods
• When to find: all year round

Fur beetle (Attagenus pellio)

The fur beetle makes itself unpopular in apartments and warehouses because its larvae devour textiles, furs, dried meat, long-life sausage and dog food. The elongated oval black beetle is densely hairy and has three light hairy spots on the pronotum, in addition to white spots on the elytra.

• Where to find it inside: in living rooms, pantries, in wardrobes
• When to find: all year round in the house, from April to September in the garden

House buck (Hylotrupes bajulus)

The house billy does a lot of damage in wooden furniture

If elongated, black beetles appear in the apartment with long antennae, white spots and two bulges in the pronotum, there is legitimate cause for concern. Another clue to the profile of the wood pest are lighter antennae and legs. Highest railroad for Control measures exists when piles of drilling dust can be found in the house because billy goats and larvae eat their way through the wood of the roof structure or furniture.

• Where to find it: in the house, in the wood
• When to find: all year round

Digression

Little black bugs or cockroaches?

Black bacon beetle (Dermestes ater)

The black bacon beetle is representative of more than 60 species of bacon beetle in Central Europe. The little black beetle is a feared material pest in private homes and public buildings.

• Where to find inside: hides, leather, dried meat, dry food
• When to find: all year round

Identify small black beetles outside.

In most cases, small black bugs are cause for joy in the garden. Gardeners who are close to nature know that every insect makes an important contribution to the ecological balance of nature. Sometimes a dark beetle cheats in the bed, nibbling on plants and is not welcome. The following table presents five common black beetle species that like to hang out in the garden:

Did the information in this table put you on the right track as to which beetle has floated into your garden? Then please consult the following short portraits with further information for a precise determination.

Black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus)

You don't have to see a vine weevil live to guess its presence in the garden. Beech-shaped damage to plant leaves is a typical indication that Germany's worst weevil was at work here. Its black shell is littered with dark brown spots. Noticeable are the thighs with a thickened center. Nocturnal black weevils are persistent hikers and thus compensate for their inability to fly.

• Where to find: in the garden on roses, rhododendrons, thuja, Firethorn, Cherry laurel, lilac
• When to find: May to October

Have you been able to identify small black beetles in the garden as vine weevils? Then please take a look at the following video with useful tips for successful control without poison:

Timber bark beetle (Xyleborus germanus)

Its name refers to a pronounced preference for fresh, felled wood. While the feared Bark beetle concentrate on infestation of the bark, the timber bark beetle bores up to 3 cm deep into the sapwood. The wood pest can be recognized by a black shell with a purple sheen and orange-colored antennae.

• Where to find it outside: in the garden on the stored firewood, on pine and spruce in the lower trunk area
• When to find: March to September

Asiatic ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

The Asian ladybug was born in the late 20th century. Introduced as a beneficial insect in the 19th century because it eats huge amounts of aphids. As a result of its explosive reproduction, the spherical, small black beetle is a frequent guest in German gardens. The hallmarks are yellow or orange dots on the shiny cover wings. However, the points can also be missing.

• Where to find it outside: on plants, often near aphid colonies
• When to find: April to October / November, in mild winter also all year round

Green rapeseed beetle (Meligethes aeneus)

The rapeseed beetle is vanishingly small

It has to be a lot of very small black beetles for the pollen beetle to get into the hobby gardener at all eye falls. Despite its size of 1 to 2 mm, the shiny metallic beetle is tough. When the air temperature is cool 10 ° Celsius, the dwarf goes in search of food and prefers to fly to cruciferous vegetables.

• Where to find it outside: on rape, coltsfoot, dandelion and yellow flowers
• When to find: March to June

Black Diver (Podura aquatica)

Black, scaly body, six short legs and a 1 mm small body suggest that the black diver is a beetle. In fact, it is a member of the springtail family (Collembola). Because many small black beetles already occupy the garden, the tiny lightweight has specialized in water surfaces. A fork-shaped tail attachment serves as a spring, with the help of which the insects can jump several centimeters over the water.

• Where to find it outside: in the pond, in the pool, on the surface of the water
• When to find: spring to autumn

frequently asked Questions

Many small black beetles sit in the dog's fur. Which can it be?

The deer louse fly has not been around for long

In the course of global warming, the dark deer louse fly (Lipoptena cervi) is on the rise and is primarily a major headache for dog owners. The black insect is tiny at 3-5 mm in length and at first glance looks like a small beetle or a tick with wings. Deer, roe deer, horses and dogs running freely are approached. The beasts bite into the skin and suck blood.

How can you prevent small black beetles in the apartment?

Fly screens on windows, patio and balcony doors are an effective prevention against flying black beetles. Material pests such as fur beetles often get into the house via used goods. Do not buy second-hand clothing or send the textiles to the dry cleaner immediately after purchasing them. Storage pests get from food packaging to the kitchen and pantry as stowaways. Immediately transfer food into glass and plastic containers or freeze the food.

Tips

The good news is, little black bugs don't bite or sting. If you are tormented by tiny insects in bed, bed bugs or fleas are the culprits. You can read here how you can accurately identify and successfully combat the infamous vermin.