Frequently Asked Questions About Insects - Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University

Frequently Asked Questions

Topic:	Beetles, food products
Question:	I have been perusing your images to find out who these little critters are that are making themselves at home in my central Texas one. My little guys look like the sawtoothed grain beetle ( http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/images/b-txt/bimg157.html ) or the striped blister beetle (Image 169). Can you tell me why they are in my house and how do I make them leave? Also, are they detrimental to our new home or plants? Thank you so much for your time.
Answer:	Thanks for sending in specimen. They really helped with answering this one. It confirms the need for entomologists to see specimens before they can identify insects with certainty. The beetles sent in were a long horned wood borer and a carabidae or ground beetle. Both of these groups are known to come to lights at night. It seems that they come into the lights and then found a way inside the home. The species that you send are not household pests, post no medical threat, and will not feed on the plants around the home. You may get some relief by reducing the lighting and sealing the home with weather stripping and caulking. Treating the exterior of the home with a pyrethroid pesticide may provide some additional benefit.
Related Link:	http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg157.html
Related Link:	http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg167.html
Image Link: **
Response by:	John A. Jackman
Title:	Professor and Extension Specialist
** Most of the Related Links above also contain images.

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