Even if you don’t know exactly what a ground beetle is, you’ve probably seen at least a few in your lifetime. That’s because ground beetles are one of the most common group of beetles in North America.
These black or brown, flat bugs aren’t dangerous or damaging, but that doesn’t mean you want them sneaking around or on your property. To learn more about ground beetles, keep them out of your home, and prevent future beetle issues, keep reading our ground beetle guide.
What are Ground Beetles?
Ground beetles are beetles within the family Carabidae and are one of the most common groups of beetles in North America. Beetles that fit into the ground beetle group do not damage structures or household goods. They also do not breed indoors. However, when adult ground beetles do come indoors, they can be a nuisance.
Ground Beetle Identification: What Do They Look Like?
Most ground beetles are ½ to ¾ inch in length—however, their size varies greatly, and can be much larger or much smaller. They are usually brown or black and have hard wing covers.
Ground beetles can often be mistaken for cockroaches when they enter a home or business, however, the two are easily distinguishable. Ground beetles do not move quickly, roaches do not have hard wing covers, and roach wings overlap one another (whereas ground beetle wings meet in a straight line).
Why Do Ground Beetles Enter Buildings?
Because ground beetles live, eat, and breed outside, it can be perplexing when they are found inside a structure. However, ground beetles will enter buildings because there is either too much or too little moisture outside, there are temperature shifts, they’ve run out of food outside, or just by randomly wandering inside. They seldom enter buildings in large numbers.
What Do Ground Beetles Do Once They’re Inside?
Once ground beetles are inside, they do not feed and do not damage the structure… they simply wander around. But just because they don’t eat your food or damage your home, it is still a nuisance to have beetles scurrying around.
How to Get Rid of Ground Beetles
If ground beetles have aimlessly wandered into your home or business, you can get rid of them by:
- Removing them by capturing them in a jar or sucking them up in a vacuum. If you do vacuum them up, throw out the bag right after to keep them from crawling out.
- Set out sticky traps that are commonly used for cockroaches. Put these traps where you’ve seen ground beetles.
- Seal up entry points. This is a great tip for keeping out all pests. If you have gaps in windowsills, cracks in foundation, or small openings in your home, they should be repaired or sealed ASAP.
- Keep your grass short.
- Stack firewood as far away from your home or business as possible
Can’t Get a Handle on Your Pest Problem? Get Help from Plunkett’s!
If you’ve tried the tips above and you still have pests in your space, it’s time to get help from the experts! Whether you’re dealing with a group of rogue ground beetles, some troublesome cockroaches, or some other pest entirely, the technicians at Plunkett’s can help! We have experience dealing with many different types of pests, so you can rest assured that we’ll get the job done. Schedule a service today!
