We bought food from Cosco, and brought it home in a crate. The crate stayed in our van, and now our van in infested with warehouse beetles. We have cleaned the van, tried to remove food, and still they are there. They have also spread to our other car. How can I get rid of these.
Warehouse beetles are almost always confined to kitchen areas, pantries and other places food is stored. Transport vehicles have been known to get a problem from time to time and no doubt the van used for carrying the crate would fall into this category. Once they migrate out of the food or crate and into the open expanses of the van, the carpeting, nooks and crannies will offer plenty of food and safe harborage for them to thrive. As explained in our WAREHOUSE BEETLE CONTROL article, these guys are quite resourceful and can live on most anything. No doubt whatever is lying down on the bottom of your vehicles is fueling their continued success – even if it’s not what we would consider real “food”!
To get rid of the infestation, you’ll need to do three things. First, a thorough clean-out of the van and car is most definitely in order. The most important thing about this clean-out has nothing to do with the outside of the vehicle. In fact, it’s the interior that needs to be vacuumed real good. This will remove eggs, pupae and potential food sources. Remember, even the tiniest of crumbs can provide an excellent source of food for these beetles.
Second, do a good treatment with some PT PHANTOM AEROSOL. This product has virtually no odor and therefore would be a good choice for use in a confined space like your auto’s. It comes with a straw injector and you’ll need to use this straw to direct the spray into all the cracks and crevices where these beetles are likely to nest. Be sure to get around the seats, where the carpeting meet door panels and up under the seating to where they might be hiding.
Third, set out some XLURE BAIT TRAPS. These work on a wide range of insects including warehouse beetles. Set at least one trap up front and one trap in the back of each vehicle. These traps are normally used on the floor and they’ll work well placed under seats up out of the way where people are active. In theory, the spray should get most if not all of the beetles if you treat thoroughly. But in case you miss any, the traps will be the back up protection. Remember, if you do a good job removing any food they might be living on when you vacuumed, the lure of the traps will be irresistible. Also remember the Phantom is slow acting and takes a few days to effect target insects. But it’s low odor and goes on “dry” when used properly so it’s a good option for areas like this.
Here are direct links to the products and information listed above:
Warehouse Beetle Article: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1141.html
PT Phantom: http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html
Xlure Traps: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page2186.html
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