How to Identify & Get Rid of Beetles
Author:
Mosh Latifi
Co-Owner of Ecocare
Published:
Dec 11, 2025
Finding beetles skittering across floors, in cupboards or around stored products is more than just unpleasant - it threatens your property, stock and peace of mind. Knowing how to get rid of beetles quickly and safely is vital if you want to protect your home or business and avoid repeat infestations. This guide walks you through beetle identification and control step by step: from recognising common species and the damage they cause, to preventing access, using natural deterrents, applying fast and effective treatments and maintaining a beetle-free environment.
EcoCare PestControl Management, a leading pest control company in London and Surrey, uses BPCA-certified techniques and eco-conscious treatments to help you get rid of beetles in your home or workplace and prevent them from returning with long-term, tailored management.
Table of Content
Beetle Facts & Information
Size: From 1-2 mm (stored product pests) up to 25 mm+ (some wood-destroying beetles).
Colour & shape: Usually oval or elongated; black, brown, reddish or patterned.
Wings: Hard outer wing cases (elytra); some species fly, others do not.
Diet: Fabric, wood, dried food, grains, pet food, spices and stored products.
Behaviour: Hide in cracks, cupboards, carpets, lofts and wall voids; often active at night.
Habitat: Indoors around food and fabrics; outdoors on plants, trees and in soil.
How to Identify Beetles
There are many types of beetles that invade UK properties, and understanding which type you’re dealing with is the first step towards effective control. Common beetles indoors fall into three broad groups: wood-destroying beetles that attack structural timber and furniture; fabric-infesting beetles such as carpet beetles and other fabric pests; and food product beetles, often called pantry or stored product pests, including drugstore beetles and several other small brown insect species that develop inside packaging.
Some species, such as click beetles, Asian beetles and Japanese beetles, are more often seen around gardens and plants but can still enter buildings and become a nuisance. The typical beetle life cycle includes egg, larva (grub), pupa and adult. Larvae usually cause the most damage as they feed continuously on wood, fabric or food. Infestations tend to build up where there is an ongoing food source, poor sanitation or undisturbed storage.
Heat, moisture and cluttered storage areas all increase the chance that different types of beetles will settle in and expand their population unnoticed. That’s why expert assessment from EcoCare’s BPCA-certified technicians is so valuable when you need to know which beetles require pest control and what level of treatment is needed.
Identifying the Infestation: Signs to Look For
To get rid of beetles properly, you first need to identify where they are living and feeding. Look for small, round exit holes in wood, fine powdery frass beneath beams or furniture, and shed skins or dead beetles on windowsills. On carpets and fabrics, check for bare patches, grazing marks and tiny moving larvae in corners, under beds and in wardrobes, signalling fabric beetles or carpet beetles.
In kitchens and stockrooms, inspect foodstuffs, fabrics and wooden items for webbing, clumped food, live beetles or grubs inside packets - a classic sign of pantry pests and other stored product pests. You may also notice beetles gathering around lights at night or appearing near doors and windows where they have entered the building.
Preventative Strategies: Stop Beetles Before They Start
Preventing beetles is always easier than getting rid of an established infestation. Good sanitation is the basis of beetle control: clean and declutter to prevent beetles finding undisturbed harbourage, and vacuum regularly in skirting corners, under furniture and along floor edges. Use airtight pantry storage for all dried food, flour, cereals and pet food, and remove leftover food from kitchen surfaces each night so insects have no reason to stay.
Next, focus on moisture control to prevent beetle infestations. Fix leaky taps and pipes, and use dehumidifiers in damp areas so wood and fabric stay dry and less attractive to insect species. Seal entry points around windows, doors and service pipes with suitable sealant; fit draught excluders and insect screens where appropriate to stop adult beetles entering. Outside, maintain a well-kept garden, keep trees and shrubs trimmed back from the house and move stored wood away from the foundations to reduce beetle pressure on your property.
For homeowners and businesses that want a thorough solution, EcoCare’s local experts can design a preventative beetle management plan that keeps your environment protected all year round.
Natural Deterrents: Safe, Non-Chemical Repellents
If you want to get rid of beetles without harsh chemicals, start by making your property much less attractive to these insects. Simple natural remedies can dramatically reduce numbers before you ever reach for a spray. Plant beetle-repellent species such as garlic, chrysanthemums and rue around doors, patios and garden beds to discourage common beetles from gathering near the building. Indoors, lavender sachets placed in wardrobes, lofts and linen cupboards can help protect fabrics and clothes from carpet beetles.
Neem oil can be lightly applied along skirting boards, shelves and around food storage areas, while a peppermint oil spray in cracks and corners confuses scent trails that lead them to food. A dusting of diatomaceous earth near likely entry gaps, combined with sealing entrances into the structure, adds a dry mineral barrier that kills crawling beetles naturally as they attempt to enter.
How to Get Rid of Beetles
Natural steps are helpful, but to really get rid of beetles inside your house you need direct, methodical action. Begin by emptying cupboards and thoroughly vacuuming every crack, corner and cabinet to remove eggs, larvae, adults and accumulated food debris. Dispose of the vacuum bag outside so the insects cannot crawl back out. Any infested food products should be sealed in a bag and binned immediately.
For pantry pests such as drugstore beetles and other stored product pests, freezing small packets for a week will get rid of hidden grubs. Hot-washing or steam-cleaning carpets and soft furnishings helps get rid of carpet beetles and related fabric pests. Where you see signs of wood-destroying beetles, click beetles, Asian beetles or similar species in structural timber, EcoCare’s BPCA-certified team can apply fast and effective methods to get rid of beetles and protect your home or business long term.
Integrated Pest Management: Combining Techniques
Long-term beetle control depends on combining methods rather than relying on one product or gadget. Integrated pest management starts with accurate identification: working out which types of beetles are present, whether you are facing pantry pests, fabric-infesting beetles or wood-destroying beetles, and then choosing the right response for each type. Good sanitation and airtight pantry storage remove basic food sources, while moisture control makes timber, fabrics and stored food far less inviting. Natural beetle remedies, targeted traps and carefully applied insecticide treatments are then used only where necessary, reducing risk to people, pets and beneficial insect species. EcoCare’s highly skilled, DBS-checked technicians design tailored programmes that get rid of active beetles now, monitor activity over time and help prevent them from returning in homes, restaurants, warehouses and other high-risk food environments across London and Surrey.
Unique Tips & Homeowner Insights
Once you start to get rid of this pest, consistent habits keep you ahead. Keep a simple log of where insects were noticed, what food was affected and which species or type of beetle was identified, so patterns become obvious quickly. Rotate stored food so older items are used first and nothing is left to accumulate at the back of a cupboard. Regular vacuuming and cleaning under beds, behind furniture and in rarely used rooms removes larvae before they develop into adults. For added peace of mind, EcoCare can advise exactly which types of beetle require pest control and when professional intervention makes more sense than another home remedy, helping you feel in control rather than constantly reacting.
Quick Takeaways
Identify the species and types of beetles present by carefully inspecting food, fabrics and wooden items.
Clean and declutter to prevent beetles, using regular vacuuming and good sanitation practices.
Use airtight pantry storage and remove leftover food from kitchen surfaces to control pantry and other stored product pests.
Combine natural beetle remedies, beetle-repellent plants, lavender sachets, neem oil, peppermint oil and diatomaceous earth with sealing entrances into the building.
Call EcoCare for fast, effective beetle removal, expert identification and ongoing integrated pest management.
Long-Term Beetle Control & Prevention
To truly get rid of beetles and keep them away, think in terms of a continuous, joined-up process rather than a one-off treatment. Good sanitation, airtight pantry storage, regular inspection of fabrics and wooden items, and moisture control all work together to strip away the food, shelter and humidity these insects need. Natural measures and traps reduce pressure from common beetles, while professional monitoring and treatment step in whenever activity rises.
EcoCare’s “Call - Clean - Clear” model is built to protect your home or business from beetles, whether you are dealing with fabric-infesting beetles, wood-destroying beetles or stored product beetles. Our BPCA-certified experts use modern, eco-conscious pest management to get rid of existing activity, advise you on which types of beetle require pest control, and put robust measures in place to prevent beetles from returning, so your property stays safe, compliant and comfortable all year round.
