Help! Horrible beetles in the house

Jo1972 · #1 (**permalink**) 17-06-2011, 05:45 PM

Moved to Lincolnshire about 4 years ago and every summer from June until August I get the ugliest dark brown beetles in my house. They've got my nerves frayed and hate going to sleep at night - they are mostly in my living room, hall and upstairs in my room - all of these rooms are at the front of the house which has dormer windows where I always have problems with lots of birds nesting.

I've never come across these beetles until I moved here and at first assumed they were coming into the house when the farmers had been out cutting their crops, but now I'm wondering whether they could be coming in because of the birds nesting in the dormers/eaves?

I should mention that these beasts fly too (I can always tell when they are in a room as I can hear their wings clacking. I believe, from looking on the internet that they may be flour-based beetles (they look like the mealworm beetle things, although the article did say that they don't fly).

I'm considering getting those plug-in insect repellant things, but would welcome any advice as they are freaking me out that bad, I could put the house up for sale and high-tail it out of Lincolnshire without looking back!!

Kayleigh · #2 (**permalink**) 17-06-2011, 08:23 PM

They could be a biscuit weevil type thing try going through the house and get rid of any crumbs in cupboards giving them a good clean and hoover they live on any food but they also could be carpet beetles if you can get a pic then someone can id them for you.

Klaas Reißmann · #3 (**permalink**) 17-06-2011, 09:34 PM

Could you please make a photo of these beetles? Maybe we can help when we know what species it is.

Regards
Klaas

Jo1972 · #4 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 06:36 PM

I have taken a pic today of one of the ugly bugs and will try to attach it now.

It looks like just a beetle but the back does part into wings, if that makes sense.

Jo

There wasn't 4 in a row - I'm new to posting pictures, lol.

Englishrose212 · #5 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 08:39 PM

Hello, I live in Lincolnshire and have just read your post and have the same thing happening to me with the beetles only difference is mine have white patches on their backs and most of them are very sluggish and on their backs in the morning. Im not sure if they are flying in or coming in through holes in my conservatory which has just been built. I had them last year in the summer months but not in the winter. Cant seem to track where they are coming from. They are not in my cupboards and I dont keep any food at ground level. I do live right in the middle of the country and there are corn fields all round me so they could be some sort of corn/field bug! help! im so fed up of putting them outside, they probably come straight back in again. Ha!Ha!

Matt Smith · #6 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 08:40 PM

Mealworms, probably developing in the birds nests you mention.

Klaas Reißmann · #7 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 09:27 PM

It is Tenebrio molitor or, as you want it this way, the mealworm beetle. Birds nests can be one thing, but these beetles fly very well and often come in threw open windows attratcted by our lights. It depends on how many beetles you find in your house. Is it only a few during June to August, or do you find a number of these beetles each day.

Developement in your house I think can't be, because than you would find them threw the year and not only in the summer time. so let us know how many you do find and within what time.

Regards
Klaas

Englishrose212 · #8 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 10:18 PM

Thank you for your reply, I do have quite a lot maybe five or six in the morning when I come downstairs. They are in my living room. Tonight I have found one in the conservatory down by the door. There is a gap between the new floor and the wall so I have blocked it up for now and will put filler in it tomorrow. Hope this stops the little blighters! One thing I do have is my own springwatch Ha!

Jo1972 · #9 (**permalink**) 18-06-2011, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klaas Reißmann

It is Tenebrio molitor or, as you want it this way, the mealworm beetle. Birds nests can be one thing, but these beetles fly very well and often come in threw open windows attratcted by our lights. It depends on how many beetles you find in your house. Is it only a few during June to August, or do you find a number of these beetles each day.

Developement in your house I think can't be, because than you would find them threw the year and not only in the summer time. so let us know how many you do find and within what time.

Regards
Klaas

From around mid-june, it does vary but on average I probably get about three to four of these beetles a day (sometimes more, sometimes less). I continue to get them until the end of August. I never see them in the house at any other time of the year.

Klaas Reißmann · #10 (**permalink**) 19-06-2011, 08:20 AM

At this number of beetles they don't get into the house from outside, if there is nothing very close to your house (like a barn with corn or similar) where they can develope. In that case you have to find the resource they are fed on (it has got to do with corn, flavour, bread, maybe pidgeons nests and similar). Eliminate it and you get rid of them.

Regards
Klaas

Edit: @ Rose

I didn't get any explanation or translation for "springwatch". So please can you explain?