How To Get Rid of Ground Beetles

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Infestations of beetles are frequent in and around commercial and residential buildings. Like cockroaches and other household pests, ground beetles are typically most active at night, flying close to outdoor lighting posts or basements. 

They come in various shapes and sizes based on what they eat and how they live. You can find them anywhere, even in your yard, furniture, and cupboard food. 

If you are dealing with beetles in your home or outside your yard, this guide can help you. This short guide outlines how to get rid of beetles effectively and economically.

What are ground beetles?

Ground beetles belong to the Coleoptera’s Carabidae family of beetles. Also known as carabids, these insects are one of the largest insect families, with 40,000 insect species worldwide. 

Ground beetles pass through different life cycles: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Eggs are laid in moist soil, where beetle larvae will dwell upon hatching. Larvae are elongated, and their heads are relatively large with distinct mandibles. 

The egg, larval, and pupal stages are spent primarily underground, while the adult life stage is spent aboveground. 

Adult beetles have wings, but most rarely fly, and many ground beetles are entirely flightless. They have a ringed wing cover, and a tapered head end with antennae. Their large legs and powerful mandibles make them ravenous predators. It makes them vital for the biological control of insect pests on farms. 

Although they mainly forage on the soil’s surface, beetles occasionally venture into the surrounding vegetation. They may be helpful predators, but the burrowing larvae of these insects hunt down and eat soil pests. 

Numerous ground beetles have varied feeding habits, consuming plant seeds and other insects. Apart from ground beetles, there are a few other types of beetles you might find, such as:

• Carpet beetles
• Japanese beetles
• Click beetles
• Asian beetles

Knowing what type of beetles are in your home can help you determine how to get rid of them.

How To Get Rid of Ground Beetles Using Home Remedies

If you have beetles in your yard, you will want to get rid of them for good. Fortunately, there are a few simple do-it-yourself (DIY) options you can try. Below are some recommended DIY methods to get rid of ground beetles.

Use peppermint oil

Mint oil and its plants can be excellent organic insect deterrents. To do this, homeowners have to mix 8 ounces of water with 10 to 15 drops of pure peppermint oil. Using a sprayer, use the mixture over your windows, vents, and doorways after shaking it up.

The overall process is low-cost, efficient, kid-friendly, and pet-friendly. However, take note that this method requires regular reapplication. It may also bother people who don’t enjoy the strong scent of peppermint.

Try neem oil

People use neem oil as a natural alternative to N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or DEET, a chemical insect repellent and pesticide.

Users can apply the oil directly to indoor plants to help manage house beetles. They can also use it along the seams of their windows and doorways to repel bugs and termites.

This method is a great way to have an effective and fast-acting solution. However, neem oil might be hard to find and needs constant reapplication.

Put lavender leaves

While lavender oil smells wonderful to humans, beetles are repelled by it. To repel ground beetles in your home, you put bundles of dried lavender leaves inside your drawers and closets to deter insects. You can also make a spray by combining 8 ounces of water with 10 drops of lavender oil.

This beetle control method is effective, non-toxic, and safe compared to other insecticides. Therefore, it can be great for families with children and animals. However, lavender needs to be applied frequently to take full effect.

Fill jars with water and dish soap

Although this method is manual, it has the potential to be successful. Hold a quart jar filled with water and dish soap underneath the branches of plants where beetles are congregating. Knock on the branches to make the beetles fall into the jar.

This method can be effective and efficient in killing ground beetles fast. However, it can also be tiring to kill all the large numbers of ground beetles in your yard.

Apply diatomaceous earth (DE)

Diatomaceous Earth, also known as DE, is created from crushed and fossilized algae. Although it is harmless to children, animals, and wildlife, it can support pest management strategies.

To do this, you have to apply a fine line of DE around access points and along the seam of your home’s foundation. Do not forget to place it on spaces like crevices and entry points. Although messy and requiring frequent reapplication, this method is reasonably priced, safe, and non-toxic.