Drugstore Beetle Instruction Sheet

SAFESTORE: Fact Sheet

BISCUIT / DRUGSTORE BEETLE
Stegobium paniceum

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT:

Stegobium paniceum has world-wide distribution and is cosmopolitan in it’s habitat choice. The specific name paniceum was given because of the tendency of this insect to eat almost anything. It has been documented to bore a straight line through a whole shelf of books, and has even been documented as being able to penetrate sheet lead. In temperate climates, it is generally endemic to heated premises.

BIOLOGY:

The Drugstore / Biscuit beetle is cylindrical in form, 2.5mm long and uniform brown in color. Although it resembles the cigarette beetle fairly strongly, it may be distinguished by the three segmented antennal club.

Females lay eggs singly within the foodstuff. Larval stages last between four and five months, pupa stage lasts 12 to 18 days, with a complete cycle requiring seven months. When in powdery foodstuffs, the larvae usually form a "ball" or cell which will become its cocoon, and in which it will pupate. Under optimum conditions, the life cycle may be completed in two months with four broods per year, but in most conditions, one or two broods is more usual. The Biscuit Beetle is one of the most common pests of stored products, but it is able to live and breed successfully in the urban environment also.

Stegobium paniceum may be distinguished from other anobids such as Anobium punctatum by its more oval shaped body and less strongly reflexed prothorax and elytra (wing cases).

SIGNIFICANCE AND PEST STATUS:

The Biscuit Beetle or Drugstore Beetle will eat practically anything edible to man, plus many commodities that are not edible to man. Although it mainly feeds on grain and flour, other products are at risk including spices cocoa beans and liquorices. Almost every form of packaging offers no protection from S. Paniceum infestation, as well documented examples of this anobid being able to penetrate lead and foil abound.

SAFESTORE: Instructions

BISCUIT / DRUGSTORE BEETLE –Stegobium paniceum
With Diamond Traps

Stegobium paniceum population monitoring kit contains ten "Diamond Trap" units, one 10ml tube of attractant pheromone gel, and a chart for record keeping.

Best results can be obtained by using the SAFESTORE system to set up a monitoring program. When in place, such a program can help you to identify when and where infestation problems will arise.

RECOMMENDED: that a thorough inspection of the area involved be carried out, and potential infestation "hotspots" are identified and marked on a site plan or map. The position of the traps can be marked on this map when they are placed, to facilitate the reading of catch levels.

PREPARATION: hold the diamond trap at the top (hole punch is located at the top of the trap) and grab the underside fold and pull down. The diamond trap is now open and ready for placement of the pheromone gel. Simply squeeze 1 ml (approx. 1cm bead) of the pheromone gel into the center of the glue area inside the trap. It is now ready to hang in place (wire hanger provided).

PLACEMENT: can affect the amount of insects that will be caught, so for an effective program, it is important that the traps are placed in the best position available, and when they are replaced, the positioning is altered as little as possible so that information from different times of the year can be compared.

BEST POSITIONING: varies from site to site, so there is a certain amount of choice available in the placing of the traps, however good results can be obtained by following a few guidelines:

Wherever possible, place units where moths are likely to fly or have been observed.

If possible, positions should be chosen that offer shelter for the trap.

Ensure that sanitation staff is informed of the program to prevent trap removal.

Mark the position of the traps on the site plan, and assign them a number.

Never store monitoring equipment with insecticides.

Wash hands before placing or inspecting trap units.

Avoid placing traps in areas where large volumes of air are moving out of the building.

REGULAR CHECKING: once per week is recommended, however it may be necessary to inspect more often if you have a zero insect tolerance policy.

The sensitivity of the area to be monitored dictates how often they should be inspected, but whatever frequency they are checked should be kept constant so that the records you keep can be compared to each other. Click here to see our Record Charts for monitoring of specific and non-target pests. These tables can be printed, photocopied, completed and filed for future reference.

Trap units should be replaced every 4 - 6 weeks. Care should be taken during inspections to check the condition of the glue areas in the units, especially in dusty conditions or high insect catch situations, which may cause the glue surface to deteriorate. Should this occur, the trap should be replaced.

The information given in this instruction sheet is provided as a general guide, and is by no means extensive. The biology of pests is the subject of a great many texts and although every effort has been made to provide factually correct information, Russell Fine Chemicals will in no circumstance be liable in respect of any omission or error.

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