Cigarette Beetles

The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius), gets its name from attacking stored tobacco. It is a stored product pest throughout the world. The adult beetle is a small insect (1/8” or less). It is usually light brown. The head is bent down and barely visible from above. This gives the beetle a rounded or “humped” appearance.

^{Tobacco Leaf Damaged by a Cigarette Beetle}

The adult beetles are strong fliers. They are very active in subdued light. They fly readily in late afternoon and on cloudy days. Cigarette beetles “play dead” for a few seconds when they are disturbed.

The female beetle lays her eggs in or on the food material. These beetles infest a wide variety of products, including: pet food, flour, cereal, spices, and pasta. They have also infested books, dried flowers, spices, leather, silk, old rodent bait, and even museum specimens.  In homes, spices and dry pet food are very common foods for cigarette beetles.

The larvae eat and grow. They spin a cocoon when it is time to change into an adult. The entire life cycle, from egg to reproducing adult takes 30 – 90 days. Development slows in cooler temperature and stops below 65°F.

Controlling cigarette beetles in homes begins with a thorough inspection. Since these beetles can feed on such a variety of products, it is important to find all infested items. Discard any food that is infested. Since these beetles can infest so many types of products, inspect thoroughly. There may be several infested products.

Use a vacuum to clean the shelves of all pantries and cabinets where food is stored. Vacuuming will remove food residue. It will also remove any beetles that are still in their cocoons. Store new food products in sealed glass or plastic containers.

Insecticide application is the final step. It should be applied into the cracks and crevices - behind the pantry shelves and behind baseboards. The object is to eliminate beetles that are still in their cocoons. If the treatment misses any beetles, they can re-infest quickly. For that reason, it is usually advisable to have a pest control professional do this treatment.