What are Drugstore Beetles?
Drugstore beetles are considered pantry pests and commonly infest a wide variety of foods, including those made from dried plant or animal products. Reddish-brown in color, the drugstore beetle is oval in shape and is about 1/8 inch long.
The drugstore beetle gained its name from its tendency of feeding on pharmacy drugs.
In addition to prescription drugs, drugstore beetles often feed on spices, seeds, dried pet foods, bread and other flour products including cereals, cookies, dry mixes and meal.
The beetles sometimes feed on non-food items such as wool, leather, books, wooden objects and even tin or aluminum foil. The entire lifecycle of a drugstore beetle lasts about two to seven months.
The beetle will generally cause most of its damage in the larval stage. A female drugstore beetle will lay up to 100 eggs on its food source. For about four to twenty weeks, the small, white larvae burrow through the food and consume it before building a cocoon and pupating within the span of 12 to 18 days.
Drugstore beetles can be distinguished from cigarette beetles by their smooth antennae that end in a 3-segmented club and their striated wing covers.
