Identifying a Tiny Bug Found in the Bathroom?

Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts

September 25, 20180 found this helpful

This is some kind of harmless beetle, looking for water.

jinxie5000

September 25, 20180 found this helpful

When I had unidentified bugs in my son's bed, I freaked thinking that they might be bed bugs, which are almost impossible to eliminate.

I found out that you can send them to the Harvard School of Public Health & the entemologists will identify it & send you a report with the identification as well as instructions for how to get rid of them (for free, if I recall correctly). I think they asked me to collect 2-3 onto clear tape. Even better, now you can send a photo for perhaps an immediate identification.

I was thrilled to learn that my son's bugs were common beetles attracted to his supply of hamster food. All I needed to do was vacuum floor & mattress, and store the food in an airtight container.

Sorry so long. Here's a link to Harvard's (bug ID) web page:

identify.us.com/

MJ

Pghgirl40
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September 26, 20180 found this helpful

I tried to magnify the photo and it blurs for me...it looks a lot like a flour beetle when at the regular size photo. Match yours to this picture so you can verify:

www.wellspest.com/.../flour_beetle_lg.jpg

One I usually don't worry about, but more than one, you will want to check all of your flour, cereal etc. You could have had some hitchhike from the store into your house.

I take them outside....friends suck them up with their vacuum. If you do have them in your products, you need to trash them all, clean out where they were stored really well and think about keeping these type of products in a different place until you are sure there are no eggs or infestations.

This site gives good info:

www.pantrypest.com/flour-beetles.html

Good luck!

cybergrannie
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September 29, 20180 found this helpful

Certainly looks like a beetle but there are several different very similar beetles so it could be any one of these. They are all about the same and feed on flour products.

• These beetles will do damage to packaged flour products (cereal, rice, cornmeal, etc.) so it would be best to check your boxed foods just to be sure there are no unwelcome guests residing there. There may just be very small holes in the packages.
• Yours could be the flour beetle as it is the most common but it could also be the Confused Beetle or the Red Beetle as they are so similar but may be more common in different parts of the country.
• Getting rid of them is all the same - clean out food storage and discard anything that has "loose" powdery marks on the shelves or when you shake/beat it on the counter.
• Wipe shelves with vinegar and try to put any of these susceptible products in sealed containers or sealable baggies.
• entnemdept.ufl.edu/.../red_flour_beetle.htm