Ever found tiny brown specks in your kitchen food cabinets? Thought they were just crumbs, only to see them again the next day? These are actually cigarette beetles, a common pantry pest in Hong Kong homes.
Learn to identify them, trace the infestation source, and eliminate them safely using BioKill Insecticide, a non-flammable spray with long-lasting residual protection.
Oval Brown Insects in Cabinets? It Might Be Cigarette Beetles!
Description and Identification
Adults are small reddish-brown beetles about 2-3mm long. The body is oval and hump-backed when viewed from the side, and the head is partly hidden beneath the thorax.
Biology
Females lay eggs on or near stored products. Larvae feed within the food before pupating. Under warm conditions the life cycle is usually completed in about 6-8 weeks, though it may vary with temperature and food quality. Adults commonly live about 2-4 weeks.
Find Cigarette Beetles? Locate the Infestation Source First
Habit
Besides being the most damaging pest of stored tobacco, the cigarette beetle is also a major pest of many stored products:
- Common dried foods: dried herbs, tea leaves, spices, cereals, nuts, seeds, dried flowers and many stored foods.
- Other sources found by customers: scented candles, dried flower pillows.
3 Steps to Control:
- Inspection: Inspect all dried foods in the infested cabinets or drawers to find the source of infestation. Discard any infested items immediately.
- Seal: Transfer all unaffected dry goods to sealed containers.
- Cleaning and Protection: Clean the kitchen and apply BioKill insecticide, which has both killing and preventative effects.
Essential for HK Homes: BioKill Insecticides - Kill & Preventive Action
Why Choose BioKill:
- BioKill Insecticide is water-based and non-flammable, making it safe to apply in the kitchen. Once dried, you can resume your normal daily cooking activities.
- BioKill Insecticide is virtually odorless and contains no added artificial fragrances.
- Prevent before pests appear. BioKill’ s revolutionary broad-spectrum formulation helps eliminate common household pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, ants, fleas, moths, mites, beetles and more — while helping prevent re-infestation for lasting peace of mind. Residue Effective up to 3 months.
- BioKill insecticides only carry the “CAUTION” label and are “POISON” label exempt by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
Where to Spray BioKill? Application Guide
- Surface Application
Apply along baseboards, around door and window frames, behind and under refrigerators, sinks, cookers, shelves, drawers. Apply in cracks & crevices where pests crawl and hide and onto any surface flying insect may rest. - Evenly Spray the Surface
Spray surface until moist but not to the point of run off. Once dried, it acts as a contact insecticide and repellent for pests. - Reapply Regularly
Reapply regularly especially during hot and humid seasons, after mopping the floor, and after rainfall. - Resolve the Breeding Source
When the breeding source of an infestation has not been resolved, the insects will keep appearing and die after contacting the insecticide. Therefore, a clean environment always helps us to treat and control insect problems.
FAQ
No. BioKill Insecticides are most effective if left where sprayed. The residue can last up to 4 weeks for BioKill Universal Insecticide and 3 months for BioKill Micro-Fast Insecticide, depending on surface and environment conditions (sun light, organic environment, rain etc.).
BioKill Insecticides are water-based and non-flammable, making them safe to apply in the kitchen. Cover food before spraying. Once dried, you can resume your normal daily cooking activities.
There may still be an undiscovered infested package nearby, or recently hatched larvae emerging. Once the food source is removed, any newly emerged beetles contacting any treated surfaces will be affected by the insecticide.
