Question about beetles

susiestar

Roll With It
Not about THE beetles, but about bugs.

I am getting these icky little black striped beetles in the house. They are very tiny, 2 or 3 could fit onto a pencil eraser. They have black and cream stripes that run sideways across their bodies. They don't seem to bite, but they are making me NUTS.

Anyone have ANY idea what these are, where they come from (besides outside - I got that part!) and how best to keep them OUT of my house??

I really dislike bugs. Phobic about them, I am. So having these enter my home is NOT doing good things for me. I am finally to the point where I am not screaming for Jess or husband to come and kill them (the ONLY bugs INSIDE my house are SUICIDAL bugs!), I can get them onto a piece of paper and squish them in it, but I just want them GONE.

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.
 

klmno

Active Member
Try going to a store like Souther States and getting some powder that will kill that type of bug to sprinkle on thresholds and window frames or anywhere else you can see that they are entering.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
gcvmom - not any of those. They are very small, rather round, and the stripes run the other way - from right to left instead of top to bottom.

I didn't know OSU had those online. I will have to look there. I was thinking of taking a couple of the bugs down to OSU to have one of the entomology profs look at them, but they can be hard to find (the profs, not the bugs).

Thanks for the pics though. If you find other pics, please post them!
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I wonder how cantharidin is related to the substance from beetles bottoms used to produce a red color in some lipsticks, foods, etc.... I know the name is similar. I also know many people are allergic to it. Burt's Bees has a basic lip balm that has it as an ingredient. Not their colored lipstick kind of lip balm, one of the unisex ones has teh coloring agent.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Okay, how'sabout this?

http://bugguide.net/node/view/67132

(Though it's not really a beetle.)

Otherwise, I think taking a couple of the critters to OSU or some other university would be your best bet! :)

Or maybe you could take a picture of one and email it to a prof... saves you the hunting trip!
 
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susiestar

Roll With It
nope, not that. The stripes are close, but these have no antennae. They sort of resemble ladybugs more.

Thanks though. I really appreciate it. I am going to try to take them to the extension office through the county. They will look at them for free!
 
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