Does anyone know what kind of bug this is? Hundreds of them are living behind my oven which I need to pull out to clean. And they are living under a unit near my dog's bowl, feeding on any kind of food that falls under. I rarely see them unless I pull something out to clean. They grow up to about 2cm long and are a brownish colour. They look kind of like a small version of a centipede. What are they and how do I get rid of them for good?
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It does look like a centipede. Put it in a plastic bag and take it to a place that sells pesticides. They will identify it and tell you what to do to get rid of it.
They look like the larvae of a Dermestes maculatus beetle (yucky beetles that feed on food, hair and such.) They are not harmful but let's face it, we want them in the outside and us on the inside. Scroll about 1/2 way down, but I think they match (there is a pic of the larvae stage)
entnemdept.ufl.edu/
That they are near dog food makes sense...they also like bird food.
The best way to get rid of them is a good cleaning with solutions like bleach if you have surfaces that can tolerate it. If not, hot water and Tide or Dawn or even hot water with vinegar and baking soda can help you get everything cleaned.
Dump all open food sources that they may have touched and get all of your foodstuffs into glass containers with tight lids or put them in the fridge or freeze if appropriate (Like I keep flour and sugar in the refrigerator).
Worst case is you will need to call in a pro if the usual cleaning methods don't work. Be sure to ask what they spray if you get a pro and follow their instructions carefully as the chemicals they use are VERY harmful to people...and pets.
Wishing you a quick and easy solution!!
It may be the larvae as Pghgirl says but it seems a mystery that you do not see the "grown" bugs?
I think you should send your question to your home extension service as they will be familiar with the bugs that are most prominent in your area as well as all types of household bugs.
Just send pictures and state where you are finding them and also describe any other bugs you may be seeing.
www.pickyourown.org/
If this is no help, try bagging several and take them to either Ace or True Value Hardware stores and ask them for help. These stores usually have better "insect" people than larger stores.
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