Question: I have found this bug that is oval in shape, 6 legs, goes from a light brown to a dark brown towards the end, and is banded horizontally across it”s back. I”ve noticed about 6 in the last two weeks in various places of my home.  Could you please tell me what kind of bug this is?

ANSWER  There are several species of household beetles that are called larder beetles, and they are all in the family Dermestidae.  The actual ”larder beetle” (Dermestes lardarius) is a common household pests.  It is about one-quarter inch long or a little smaller, blackish brown and with a pale yellow, horizontal stripe on the back.  These beetles are usually found in kitchen cabinets or places where food is stored.  The larvae and adults feed on a variety of plant and animal material.

The first control is to remove everything from the pantry and cabinets. Inspect it all and discard what is infested.  Then vacuum the cabinets very well.  Then vacuum again in a week.

Question: I have searched for answers to what kind of bug is infesting my kitchen and can”t find anything! It looks like a pillbug, and has gotten into my dry food boxes and I see them crawling on the kitchen counter occasionally.. they don”t appear to roll up in a ball or anything.. just wander around. I am tired of opening unopened boxes of food and finding that these critters have already gotten in the box.. what are they? And how do I get rid of them?