Beetles

Larder beetle:

Common in birds’ nests, found in poultry units, animal feed mills and domestic premises.

Up to 200 eggs per female is laid singly on larval food over a 6 month period. Hatches in a week. Egg to adult takes 2-3 months or longer. A full grown larva bores in to a hard material (wood) to create pupation chamber. This causes serious stuctual damage to timber.

These beetles are a serious pest in an industrial and domestic kitchens usually associated with poor hygiene.
Most residual insecticides will be effective if applied thoroughly to structure concentrating on the treatment of cracks and crevices. All infested bird nests should be removed and destroyed.

Variegated Carpet Beetle:

Common in bird nests, domestic premises, museums. Up to a hundred eggs are laid singly on a larval food of animal origin including woollen carpets, clothing, furs and museum specimen. Larvae does the damages and are known as woolly bear. Adults are harmless.
Serious pest of museum specimens, clothing and carpets in domestic situation. Removal of old bird nests includes vacuuming cracks and crevices and using residual spray/dust on carpets usually enough to control infestation.

Thorax and wing cases are covered in coloured (white, pale yellow, brown and black) scales. Scales, producing irregular patches or extended “W” marks

Biscuit Beetle:

Pest of food stores and domestic larders. Feeds on cereal products, spices and wide range of dried stored food. Can damage food by penetrating the packaging. Up to 60 eggs can be laid singly by the female on/or near larval food. Larvae may bore holes through hard materials, because of this behaviour this may be confused with the furniture beetles (woodworm.)
To eradicate infestation destroy any infested materials, fumigate of bulk foods and use residual insecticides for structural treatments. Good hygiene can help the problem.