At a glance
- The palo verde beetle is one of the largest beetles in Arizona, reaching about 3 to 4 inches long, and adults emerge in the Phoenix area during the summer monsoon season.
- Most outdoor beetles around Phoenix-area homes, including palo verde beetles, green fig beetles and darkling beetles, are a nuisance rather than a health risk.
- Carpet beetle larvae feed on wool, fabrics and stored items, and the itchy rash their hairs can cause is sometimes mistaken for bed bug bites.
- Cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles and sawtoothed grain beetles infest flour, spices, pet food and cereal, and getting rid of them starts with finding and throwing out the infested package.
- Platinum Pest Management controls beetles with exterior treatment, advice on lighting and door sweeps, and inspections that trace indoor beetles to their source.
On this page
Common beetles around Phoenix-area homes
Most beetle questions we get in summer are about four kinds of outdoor beetles that fly to lights or wander in under doors.
Palo verde beetles
Palo verde beetles are among the largest beetles in Arizona and can reach 3 to 4 inches long, with dark bodies and long antennae. Adults dig out of the soil around the start of monsoon season and fly to lights at night. They are harmless to people, though the strong jaws can pinch if one is picked up. The larvae spend several years underground feeding on the roots of palo verde and other trees.
Green fig beetles
Green fig beetles are metallic green, about an inch long, and fly with a loud buzz in early summer. They gather on ripe fruit, especially figs, peaches and grapes, and their larvae grow in compost piles and manure.
Darkling beetles
Darkling beetles are the slow, black, flightless beetles many people call stink beetles, and they are common around desert homes. When disturbed, one will tip its rear end up and may release a fluid with a sharp smell.
June beetles and chafers
June beetles, chafers and other brown scarab beetles crowd porch lights on summer nights. Their larvae are the C-shaped white grubs that feed on roots in lawns and planters.
Beetles like these are a nuisance rather than a health risk. They do not breed indoors, and the ones that get inside can be swept up or carried back out.
Carpet beetles in closets and stored clothing
Carpet beetles and pantry beetles are the beetles most likely to damage things inside a house. Most adult carpet beetles are round, mottled or solid black, and 1/8 inch long or smaller, and they often turn up on windowsills because they fly toward light. The damage comes from the small, fuzzy brown larvae, which feed on wool, silk and feathers in closets and stored clothing, and on pet hair that collects under furniture.
Their shed hairs can irritate skin and leave an itchy rash that people sometimes mistake for bed bug bites. Our bed bug treatment page explains how to tell the two apart.
Pantry beetles in flour, spices and pet food
Pantry beetles live and breed in dry stored food, and the adults are about 1/8 inch long or smaller. Three kinds are common in Valley kitchens.
- Cigarette beetles, reddish brown and humped, which favor spices such as paprika and chili powder along with flour and pet food
- Drugstore beetles, which look much the same and turn up in flour and dried herbs
- Sawtoothed grain beetles, slender and dark brown with small teeth along each side of the body behind the head, found in cereal, dried fruit, nuts and pet food
Many pantry beetle problems start with one package that sat too long at the back of a cupboard. The beetles spread from there to nearby food, and people usually notice them when adults wander out onto counters and windowsills.
How wood-boring beetles differ from termites
Wood-boring beetles are a separate problem from termites and call for a different approach. Powderpost beetles, one of the more common wood borers found indoors, leave small round exit holes and fine, flour-like powder, and they usually arrive in furniture or lumber. Desert subterranean termites build mud tubes on foundations and walls instead, and the wood they damage is packed with soil. Our termite treatment page describes the signs of termites in Arizona homes, and a technician can look at damaged wood during an inspection.
How our beetle control works
Platinum Pest Management's beetle control depends on where the beetles are coming from. All treatments use EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label.
Beetles that come in from outside
Ground-dwelling beetles and beetles drawn to lights are part of our general pest control service. Each visit includes exterior treatment along the foundation, around door frames and at the garage, where beetles cross to get in. Technicians also check door sweeps and window screens, since worn sweeps and torn screens let most of these beetles inside.
Outdoor lighting has a lot to do with how many beetles reach the door. Yellow or warm-color bulbs attract fewer beetles than bright white bulbs, and moving a fixture away from the door keeps the ones that do come from gathering at the entry. The same changes cut down on crickets, as our cricket control page explains.
Carpet and pantry beetles indoors
Beetle problems inside the house start with an inspection to find the source. For carpet beetles, that usually means checking closets, rugs, stored wool and places where pet hair collects. Pantry beetles call for going through every dry food package, including birdseed and pet food. Infested items go in an outdoor trash can, the shelves get vacuumed, and new dry food goes into sealed glass or hard plastic containers. Interior treatment is available on request once the source is gone.
How to keep beetles out of the house
- Switch porch and garage lights to yellow or warm-color bulbs, and turn off fixtures nobody needs.
- Replace worn door sweeps and torn window screens.
- Pick fruit as it ripens and clean up fallen fruit to draw fewer green fig beetles.
- Store flour, cereal, spices and pet food in sealed containers, and use up older packages first.
- Vacuum closets and rugs regularly, and keep wool clothing and blankets in sealed bins.
Outdoor beetles are part of the general pest service on our pest control plans, and if covered pests come back between scheduled visits, we return and re-treat at no extra charge. The technician can identify the beetle and find where it is coming from during a free inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Are palo verde beetles dangerous?
Palo verde beetles are harmless to people, though their strong jaws can give a painful pinch if one is picked up. Adults live only a few weeks in summer and spend that time looking for a mate. Their larvae feed on tree roots underground for several years, and healthy trees tend to handle them better than stressed ones.
What are the black beetles that stick their rear ends up?
The black beetles that tip their rear ends up are darkling beetles, often called stink beetles or pinacate beetles. Raising the rear end is a defense, and some can release a fluid with a sharp smell. Darkling beetles are harmless to people and cannot fly, so door sweeps and a tight garage door seal keep most of them outside.
How do I get rid of beetles in my pantry?
Empty the pantry and check every dry food package, including flour, cereal, spices, pet food and birdseed. Throw out anything with live beetles or larvae in an outdoor trash can, then vacuum the shelves and corners. Store new food in sealed glass or hard plastic containers. If beetles keep turning up, an inspection can find a source elsewhere in the house, such as pet food in the garage.
Do carpet beetles bite?
Carpet beetles do not bite. Their fuzzy larvae shed tiny hairs that can irritate skin and cause an itchy rash, which is sometimes mistaken for bed bug bites. Bed bugs leave small dark stains along mattress seams and bed frames, and our bed bug treatment page explains how to check for them.
Is beetle control included in general pest control?
Platinum Pest Management's general pest control plans cover beetles that come in from outside, with exterior treatment around the foundation, doors and garage on each visit. If covered pests come back between scheduled visits, we return and re-treat at no extra charge. Carpet and pantry beetles start with an inspection to find the source inside the house.