Cigarette Beetles
What are cigarette beetles?
Like the drugstore beetle, the cigarette beetle is another common stored product pest. In our region they are more common in the fall and winter months. As their name implies, the cigarette beetle is a pest of dried tobacco.
These pests also feed on book bindings and stored products found in homes. An adult cigarette beetle is yellowish to reddish-brown in color and is about 1/10 inch long. Oval in shape, this pest appears hunchbacked because its head is bent downward.
A female cigarette beetle can lay up to 100 eggs on the food products from which the larvae will feed. A bit smaller than the adult beetle, larvae are creamy white in color and have a worm-like shape.
The development time from egg to adult is six to eight weeks and adults live two to four weeks. The larvae feed on a variety of pet foods, including dried and processed foods such as grain, pasta, raisins, rice, seeds and even cockroach poison.
Cigarette beetles will sometimes feed on furniture stuffing and dried floral arrangements as well. They prefer temperatures over 65 degrees Fahrenheit and low-lit areas. Cigarette beetles appear similar to drugstore beetles with two exceptions:
The wing covers of the cigarette beetle are smooth. The drugstore beetle’s wings have a lined, striated appearance.
The cigarette beetle has serrated antennae. The drugstore beetle’s antennae are smooth and end in a 3-segmented club.
Request Your Pest Control Estimate
Frequently Asked Questions
Cigarette beetles are active all year long in Washington D.C., and throughout Maryland and Virginia. They will infest storage areas that contain dried tobacco. They will also invade homes to feed on cereal, flour and other stored products that are a staple of most pantries.
Cigarette beetles are not considered harmful to humans or pets. Their habit of infesting people and pet food make them a nuisance pest.
Because of their ability to infest a variety of food products, cigarette beetles are difficult to control. Contact American Pest to take control of the situation.
Controlling pantry pests can be a tedious task because the source of the infestation may be difficult to find. You must carefully examine food products, including dried pet food. Look for signs of infestation. You should also store these items in tightly sealed containers. Discard infested food or floral arrangements. Freezing susceptible food items can prevent infestation. It will also kill cigarette beetles that have infested food products. An American Pest professional will also look for infestations in other areas of the house and treat if necessary.
Controlling pantry pests can be a tedious task because the source of the infestation may be difficult to find. You must carefully examine food products, including dried pet food. Look for signs of infestation. You should also store these items in tightly sealed containers. Discard infested food or floral arrangements. Freezing susceptible food items can prevent infestation. It will also kill cigarette beetles that have infested food products. An American Pest professional will also look for infestations in other areas of the house and treat if necessary.
At American Pest, we pride ourselves on our speed and delivery of service. For that reason, we will make every effort to be with you the same or very next day.
Your health and safety is our number one priority. That’s why we only use products that have been registered by the EPA for pest control use. American Pest voluntarily supports the EPA’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) and is recognized as a champion within our industry.
Careful sanitation is helpful in avoiding pantry pests. Inspect food items at the store to prevent bringing cigarette beetles home with you.
Trusted by 30,000+ Homes & Businesses
“American Pest service technicians are always willing to take their time and listen to concerns, answer questions and crawl around checking out areas that may show signs of intruding insects or rodents.”
“I wanted to write to say how impressed I am with your entire crew and the general way you operate. Everyone who entered my home was sympathetic, sensitive, competent, and respectful. I think what stands out was the way your company understood, and expressed in its own way, the psychological damage that bed bugs inflict.”
“Everyone at this company is wonderful to work with – whether it’s customer service, billing, technicians and even the web team! I love this company!”
“I called American Pest because of an ant problem but they wound up treating so much more. Great conversation with the main office and the tech who came to the house was incredibly punctual, courteous, extremely knowledgeable/excited about his work. Happy to say I no longer share the house with ants or any other insects!”
“Excellent service!! Our rep was great, answered all our questions, and explained things well. Had a lot of spiders and other crawlers; nothing since our service!! Would highly recommend!!”
Contact Us Today!
Do you need an estimate for service or have questions about pests? We’d love to hear from you!
Fill out the form and receive feedback today. For immediate service, please give us a call!
