Does anyone know what this bug is?
February 28, 2010 4:16 PM
About 2 months ago, I started seeing these little brown insects in the bathroom. Please help me identify them (and figure out how to get rid of them)!
I've been seeing these small brown insects in my bathroom (no where else...so far) for about two months; I moved into this apt about 7 months ago. The apartment is rather bug free otherwise, except for the occasional silverfish (also in the bathroom). All of a sudden though, I'm finding these things everyday - one or two at a time, somewhere on the floor. I suspect they're coming out from behind the baseboards since I've never seen them in the tub or sink, but I could be wrong. When I find them, they're usually crawling pretty slowly or seem dead.
Pictures are here, here and here.
I think it's some kind of beetle or mite but I haven't been able to find anything that looks like what I'm seeing online...has anyone else ever encountered this bug and knows what it is? And do you have any suggestions for preventing them from coming back?
I've been seeing these small brown insects in my bathroom (no where else...so far) for about two months; I moved into this apt about 7 months ago. The apartment is rather bug free otherwise, except for the occasional silverfish (also in the bathroom). All of a sudden though, I'm finding these things everyday - one or two at a time, somewhere on the floor. I suspect they're coming out from behind the baseboards since I've never seen them in the tub or sink, but I could be wrong. When I find them, they're usually crawling pretty slowly or seem dead.
Pictures are here, here and here.
I think it's some kind of beetle or mite but I haven't been able to find anything that looks like what I'm seeing online...has anyone else ever encountered this bug and knows what it is? And do you have any suggestions for preventing them from coming back?
The mouth parts look like a weevil of some kind. Try searching by that name.
posted by eleslie at 4:42 PM on February 28, 2010
posted by eleslie at 4:42 PM on February 28, 2010
Looks to me like a grain weevil. I had them when I moved into an apartment once, I guess left over from the previous tenants. They like things like grain (duh), but also cereal, cat food, etc. If you have mice, a mouse may have stashed some goodies in the walls, which the weevils found.
I had the management company send an exterminator and they were gone for good. (Also, I normally keep food like that in glass jars or tupperware anyway, not in cardboard boxes or plastic baggies.)
The university agriculture department closest to you will be able to identify the bug if you can't be sure from the Internet "what is this bug" sites. that's what I did after I was pretty sure what it was, and they confirmed it. They were supposed to charge me $15 or something to ID it, but they didn't feel like taking my money that day, I guess.
posted by ctmf at 5:05 PM on February 28, 2010
I had the management company send an exterminator and they were gone for good. (Also, I normally keep food like that in glass jars or tupperware anyway, not in cardboard boxes or plastic baggies.)
The university agriculture department closest to you will be able to identify the bug if you can't be sure from the Internet "what is this bug" sites. that's what I did after I was pretty sure what it was, and they confirmed it. They were supposed to charge me $15 or something to ID it, but they didn't feel like taking my money that day, I guess.
posted by ctmf at 5:05 PM on February 28, 2010
I also meant to say, I can't be very confident that that's what it is from those photos, but it does look like what I had. That's what mine looked like, though.
This Granary/Rice Weevil info says they like to play dead, which is also what I noticed.
posted by ctmf at 5:11 PM on February 28, 2010
This Granary/Rice Weevil info says they like to play dead, which is also what I noticed.
posted by ctmf at 5:11 PM on February 28, 2010
Definitely not a bed bug. The granary weevil looks like a distinct possibility.
posted by Tsuga at 6:00 PM on February 28, 2010
posted by Tsuga at 6:00 PM on February 28, 2010
« Older From Tokyo Big Site to Narita Airport | Twitter to Flicker (not the other way around) Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by deacon_blues at 4:33 PM on February 28, 2010