Exterminating & Pest Prevention 

Dermestes beetle sp., aka hide beetles or larder beetle

Dermestes lardarius​

It is the most frequently encountered crawling insect pest in residential housing throughout urban Glasgow and the suburban areas of Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire, as well as rural Ayrshire, which we all cover with our insect control service. Dermestes beetles like to infest kitchens where they can feed on food scraps. Their presence may be indicative of hidden food spillages or of housekeeping or cleaning issues in the kitchen or in the whole flat, or even throughout the whole building, where they may crawl through between apartments and individual rooms using pipe chases and structural voids, gaps and floor and wall cavities. Adult Dermestes sp. beetles can fly and are attracted to light sources, such as illuminated windows at night. They may also originate from birds' nests if they are on the building or in its loft. Dermestes beetles sp. and their subspecies are not known as vectors of diseases transferable to humans, but they can spread harmful germs and pathogenic bacteria by crawling from dirty or unsavoury places onto clean areas of the kitchen such as worktops or food storage cupboards, where they can contaminate stored food, cutlery, etc..

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Appearance, size, and life cycle of Dermestes beetle sp.

The length of adult beetles is 7-9 millimetres, their larvae are longer. The colour of adult beetles is usually shiny black but can vary by subspecies, e.g. a combination of black and white in larder beetles. Their larvae are brown to black, worm-like in shape, with bristles. They have full metamorphosis; i.e. egg-larva-pupa-adult. Eggs hatch in 1 week. Larvae develop in 1-2 months after which they bore into solid materials such as wooden floorboards or structure of cupboards and timber to pupate. Adult beetles emerge from pupation chambers after another 2 weeks. The life span of Dermestes beetle sp. is about 6 months.​

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How we control Dermestes beetles sp. in Glasgow and Ayrshire 

To control Dermestes beetles, we spray liquid formulation pyrethroid-based insecticides into cracks and crevices and as bands and spot treatments. Dust formulation pyrethroids and desiccants may also be applied into cavities or voids. ​

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How much it costs to exterminate Dermestes beetles sp.

Our treatments for Dermestes beetles vary by the degree and extent of the infestations, but usually we focus on treating the kitchen and also the rest of the flat or house. The prices of our treatments are by the size of the property to be treated (or of its part). All the prices (on this page) are for 1 survey and 1 insecticidal treatment on 1 pest control service visit. We do not charge our customers more for treating heavy infestations, although, in the scenarios when eradicating severe/heavy or widespread infestations of Dermestes beetle sp., we recommend repeat treatments after 2 months and consequent monitoring with insect traps/monitors. A 20% discount is available on a repeat treatment within 3 months of the initial treatment. 

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£80       any 1 room excluding kitchen

£87       kitchen only

£95       1-bedroom flat, studio or bedsit

£103     2-bedroom flat

£111     3-bedroom flat or 2-bed house

£120     4-bedroom flat or 3-bed house

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Survey before treatment and identification of Dermestes beetle sp.

You might need our help with identification of Dermestes beetle or you may prefer a separate visit for insect identification and survey done before the treatment. Whatever the case, we can help. You are welcome to use our pest identification aid on a dedicated page of the website, or take a close up photograph of your insect pest and email it to us requesting identification of the insect. We always do a survey before any insect treatment; however, you may request a survey and (optional) monitoring with insect traps to be done on a separate visit (prior to our visit for treatment) which would cost you extra £50. A follow-up visit to inspect our insect monitors would bear no additional cost. We can also identify your insect pest/s on the (optional) surveying visit. If you arrange for an insecticidal treatment within 1 month of the survey (that was done on a separate visit other than the treatment), and no monitoring with traps and a separate follow-up check were involved, you are eligible for a £20 discount off the insecticidal treatment.​

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How to prepare your house before our treatment for Dermestes sp.

Please undo skirting boards under your kitchen units where it is possible. In all rooms, pull furniture 1ft away from walls where you can. Clean the floor or carpets before our treatment as you will be advised to not clean the edges of them for 2 weeks after the treatment. If you have pets, you will need to make arrangements for them to be out of the house for the time when we administer our treatment (it takes usually up to 1 hour) and for 2-3 hours after. For health and safety reasons, we advise you and your family to also keep out of your house during and after our insecticidal treatment for the same length of time.

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Australian and golden spider beetles​

Australian spider beetle - Ptinus tectus

Australian spider beetle is a common insect pest in our area of Greater Glasgow and Ayrshire that we cover with our insect control service, as well as they are common in the rest of Scotland and throughout Great Britain. The insect species originated from Tasmania but they were brought over in the 19th century and have since well established. In the colder Scotland's climate, they like to live indoors. Australian spider beetles occur in birds' nests and their presence within buildings may be connected to active or old birds' nests on or around buildings. They prefer high animal protein diet but can also attack cereal products, dried fruit or spices in your kitchen as well as dog biscuits. Adult beetles may contaminate the foodstuffs and their larvae damage packaging. 

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Appearance, size, and life cycle of Australian spider beetle

The length of adult Australian spider beetles is 2.5-4 millimetres, Adult beetles are brown in colour, their larvae are whitish. They have full metamorphosis when breeding, i.e. egg-larva-pupa-adult. Eggs are laid on or near food sources to hatch in 7-10 days. Larval stage takes 40-50 days and pupation 20-25 days. Coincidentally, It also takes about 3 months for an infestation of Australian spider beetles to develop.

Golden spider beetle - Niptus hololeucus

​Golden spider beetles are bigger size (3-4,5 mm), compared to smaller Australian spider beetles and golden-brown in colour. They like vegetable-based diet and may infest foodstuffs such as flour and flour products or cereals. We come across them commonly throughout Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire (that we cover with our insect control service) but infestations of golden spider beetles are not as often encountered (as those of Australian spider beetles.​

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How we control spider beetles in Glasgow and Ayrshire 

In controlling Australian spider beetles, residual pyrethroids are dispensed in the form of liquid sprays and/or fog. The application methods we employ are by using a compression sprayer and/or an electric atomizer. Coarse spray is applied along the edges of the floor, into the corners, around door frames and the areas where Australian spider beetles have been seen, an electric atomizer is used for application of insecticidal fog in the loft spaces. The target area of our treatments usually includes the whole flat or house, including the loft.​

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How much it costs to exterminate spider beetles in Glasgow and Ayrshire

Our insecticidal treatments for spider beetles vary by the degree and extent of each infestation. The prices of treatments are by the size of the property to be treated, or of its affected part to be treated.

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£80        any 1 room excluding kitchen

£87        kitchen only

£95       1-bedroom flat, studio or bedsit

£103     2-bedroom flat

£111     3-bedroom flat or 2-bed house

£120     4-bedroom flat or 3-bed house

£37       Add insecticidal fogging of a small loft (over 1-2 bedroom house)

£47       Add insecticidal fogging of a bigger loft (over 3-4 bedroom house)

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Survey before treatment and identification of spider beetles

You may need our help with identification of spider beetles or you might prefer a separate visit for insect identification and survey done before the treatment. Note, a separate visit to survey only isn't usually necessary before a treatment for this insect pest. Whatever your choice is, we can help. You are welcome to use our pest identification aid on a dedicated page of the website, or take a close up photograph of your insect pest and email it to us requesting identification of the insect. We always do a survey before any insect treatment; however, you may request a survey and (optional) monitoring with insect traps to be done on a separate visit (prior to our visit for treatment) which would cost you extra £50. A follow-up visit to inspect our insect monitors would bear no additional cost. We can also identify your insect pest/s on the (optional) surveying visit. If you arrange for an insecticidal treatment within 1 month of the survey (that was done on a separate visit other than the treatment), and no monitoring with traps and a separate follow-up check were involved, you are eligible for a £20 discount off the insecticidal treatment.

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How to prepare your house before our treatment for spider beetles

If you have infested foodstuffs by spider beetles (larvae can bore through food packaging), you will need to clear and clean your food cupboards before spraying. You would also have to cover or remove all of your food and kitchen utensils that could be contaminated with insecticides during our treatment in the kitchen. Moving furniture 1ft away from the walls in other rooms would help our technician to apply spray treatment there. Clean the floor or carpets before our treatment as you will be advised to not clean the edges of them for 2 weeks after the treatment. If you have pets, you will need to make arrangements for them to be out of the house for the time when we administer our treatment (it takes usually up to 1 hour) and for 2-3 hours after. For health and safety reasons, we advise you and your family to also keep out of your house during and after our insecticidal treatment for the same length of time.

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What else we advise for spider beetles

Disposal of the foodstuffs infested and/or contaminated by spider beetles, removal of old birds' nests, proofing holes and gaps, good hygiene.

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Varigated carpet beetle​​

Anthrenus verbasci

Varigated carpet beetles (in Greater Glasgow and Ayrshire) are commonly found indoors, however they also live outdoors. Adult varigated carpet beetles are harmless as they feed on pollen and nectar on flowers but damage can be done by their larvae than readily attack carpets, clothes, animal furs and skins. Their presence in buildings can be associated with bird nesting activities.​

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Appearance, size, and life cycle of varigated carpet beetles

The average length of an adult varigated carpet beetle is 1.5-4 millimetres. The insect's body is of an oval shape and the back speckled in white, yellow, brown and black colours. Their larvae are longer (about 5 mm) and covered in bristles. In breeding, varigated carpet beetles have complete metamorphosis i.e. egg-larva-pupa-adult. Their eggs take 10 days to 1 month to hatch and larvae several months to develop via 5 moults before they pupate inside the larval skin and can emerge as adult beetles. Usually only 1 generation per year.​

How we control varigated carpet beetles in Glasgow and Ayrshire 

Residual sprays of pyrethroids on carpets and bands of insecticidal spray along the edges of the floor, in corners, around windows and doors, including a band around an external perimeter with a wettable powder liquid formulation insecticide. To compliment our treatment, we recommend to add insecticidal fogging of the loft with a pyrethroid insecticide by an electric atomizer.​

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How much it costs to exterminate varigated carpet beetles in Glasgow and Ayrshire

Our insecticidal treatments for variegated carpet beetles may vary by the degree and extent of infestation. The prices of treatments are by the size of the property to be treated, or of its affected part to be treated.

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£80        any 1 not carpeted room only (residential)

£83        any 1 carpeted room only (residential)

£95        1-bedroom flat, studio or bedsit (not carpeted)

£95        1-bedroom flat, studio or bedsit (carpeted or partially carpeted)

£100      2-bedroom flat (not carpeted)

£102      2-bedroom flat (carpeted or partially carpeted)

£106      3-bedroom flat (not carpeted)

£114      3-bedroom flat (carpeted or partially carpeted)

£120      4-bedroom flat or 3-bed house (carpeted or partially carpeted)

£37         Add insecticidal fogging of a small loft (over 1-2 bedroom house)

£47         Add insecticidal fogging of a bigger loft (over 3-4 bedroom house)

FREE       Add a perimeter spray 

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Identification of varigated carpet beetles and survey

You may need our help with identification of varigated carpet beetles or you might prefer a separate visit for insect identification and survey done before the treatment. Note, a separate visit to survey only isn't usually necessary before a treatment for this insect pest. Whatever your choice is, we can help. You are welcome to use our pest identification aid on a dedicated page of the website, or take a close up photograph of your insect pest and email it to us requesting identification of the insect. We always do a survey before any insect treatment; however, you may request a survey and (optional) monitoring with insect traps to be done on a separate visit (prior to our visit for treatment) which would cost you extra £50. A follow-up visit to inspect our insect monitors would bear no additional cost. We can also identify your insect pest/s on the (optional) surveying visit. If you arrange for an insecticidal treatment within 1 month of the survey (that was done on a separate visit other than the treatment), and no monitoring with traps and a separate follow-up check were involved, you are eligible for a £20 discount off the insecticidal treatment.

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How to prepare your house before our treatment for varigated carpet beetles

Vacuum carpets and clean the floor as you will be advised to not clean the edges of the floor or to vacuum carpets for at least 2 weeks after the treatment. Pull furniture 1 ft away from the walls where it is possible to enable us for better access when spraying insecticide. If you have pets, you will need to make arrangements for them to be out of the house for the time when we administer our treatment (it takes usually up to 1 hour) and for 2-3 hours after. For health and safety reasons, we advise you and your family to also keep out of your house during and after our insecticidal treatment for the same length of time.

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What else we advise for spider beetles

Removing old birds' nests from the loft and vacuuming, especially cracks and crevices, in the rooms.​

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Biscuit beetle, tobacco beetle, saw-toothed grain beetle, grain and flour beetles, and other stored-product beetles

All of the above beetles are stored-product insects. They are serious pests in the food and catering industries, warehousing and also in the retail, not as much in domestic kitchens; however it is not impossible or even unusual (in the UK) to encounter them occasionally too.

 

Identification of stored-product beetles and survey

You will most likely need our help with identification of stored-product beetles, alternatively, you might prefer a visit for insect identification and survey done at one time. Note, we recommend a separate visit to survey before a treatment for all stored-product pests. You are welcome to use our pest identification aid on a dedicated page of the website, or you can take a close up photograph of your insect pest and email it to us requesting identification of the insect. We always do a survey before any insect treatment; however, you may request a survey and (optional) monitoring with insect traps to be done on a separate visit (prior to our visit for treatment) which would cost you extra £50. A follow-up visit to inspect our insect monitors would bear no additional cost. We can also identify your insect pest/s on the (optional) surveying visit. If you arrange for an insecticidal treatment within 1 month of the survey (that was done on a separate visit other than the treatment), and no monitoring with traps and a separate follow-up check were involved, you are eligible for a £20 discount off the insecticidal treatment.