PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS: Answers To Your Tough Pest Questions

Different Kinds of Beetles
Q: I found an infestation of what I believe to be carpet beetles (or some dermestids) in a customer’s closet. There does not appear to be any damage to the carpet or clothes but the beetles are present in large numbers. What are they and how do I approach a control program?

A: The specimens the reader sent are indeed beetles but not dermestids. They are lesser grain borers and the closet is an odd place for them to show up. After discussing this with the reader I have the following thoughts:

The beetles probably came from a “neck sachet” that the homeowner bought but never used. These “sacks” of materials (beside being scented with lavender or some other herbs) usually contain a grain of some sort — usually barley.

These sachets are made to be heated or cooled, depending on their use. They are placed around a person’s neck to relieve tension, neck aches, muscle spasms, etc. The most common way of heating these neck sachets is to microwave them. If the homeowner had done this soon after he or she purchased the neck sachet, any beetle larvae that were in there would have been killed. But because the homeowner did not microwave the sachet and had it around for quite some time, judging by the number of beetles found, the beetles either were infesting it when she bought it or they found it in the closet. (I’ll bet on the first.)

Inspect thoroughly, vacuum the closet and perhaps use a residual crack and crevice insecticide. I suspect removing and vacuuming will suffice.

The author is president of George Rambo Consulting Services, Herndon, Va. Fax questions to him at 703/709-9637 or send them via e-mail to grambo@pctonline.com.