Did You Know Beetles Survive the Winter?

There are over 300,000 species of beetles worldwide, and at least 30,000 species have been identified in the United States, enough to populate a small city of individual species. Beetles make up around 40% of all insect species, making them by far the most prevalent species worldwide.

Thankfully, not all of these species are in your home. However, if beetles get into the walls of your home they can set up camp and easily survive the winter, feeding on household items and causing some serious damage along the way. 

Beetles are not picky about what they eat. In the wild they typically eat plant fibers, such as roots and leaves. In your home, they will eat crumbs, book bindings, carpet and more. Anything that has starch and is consumable. Additionally, some species of beetles can go up to three weeks without eating, so you need to be vigilant about cleaning.

Even when not in your home, beetles can survive the winters through a process called diapause, an inactive state of arrested development. This process is unique to insects, but similar to the hibernation process that many mammals go through. They look for shelter, burrowing into the ground, or under rocks, or into your home. When days get shorter, beetles’ metabolic rate drops, and they use excess stored fat to survive in cold weather.

What are Winter Beetles?

“Winter Beetles” is a common misnomer that gets thrown around when people find these pests inside their homes in the winter. In truth, all beetles are winter beetles, as long as they get into your home before it gets too cold outside. If they’re in an artificially lit area like your home, they are less likely to go into diapause and can stay fairly active throughout the cold months. Besides beetles hiding in your walls, you may also have carpet beetles, who are a common pest that live in and eat the carpet in your home. Vacuuming often is the best way to prevent these insects from overrunning your home and creating serious damage.

How to prevent beetles in your home? 

While beetles outside are okay, nobody wants beetles in their home at any time of the year, winter or summer. Follow these tips to discourage beetles from getting into your home:

• Fill cracks in the foundation of your home
• Replace damaged weather stripping around windows and doors
• Maintain your lawn and landscaping
• Move firewood at least 20 feet from your home
• Trim tree branches that are near your home or roof
• Fix Leaky Faucets and reduce standing water
• Clean your fireplace
• Clean houseplants

Do You Have an Existing Beetle Problem?

If you already have beetles in your home, and home remedies aren’t fixing the problem, call Fox Pest Control today and we will send a pest professional out to your home. They will do a thorough inspection and give you an estimate of how bad your infestation is, and how fast it can be eradicated using our top of the line, pet and kid friendly products.