PEST NAME : LARDER BEETLES, or BACON BEETLE (Dermestes lardarius L)

SIZE, SHAPE AND COLOUR : 7 to 9mm.  All black with a whitish transverse band with black flecks, very short-clubbed antennae, convex elongate-oval shape.

BIOLOGY :  200 to 800 eggs laid, these hatch in approximately 7 days. Larvae full grown in 6 to 8 weeks. Larvae avoid light. 5 to 6 moults occur and larvae full grown at 10 to 15mm.  Pupation takes place and from the time of hatching the adult beetles lives for 3 months.

PREFERRED FOODS :  Animal and animal by-products, hides, guts, dried egg yolk, cured and dried meats, bacon and meat, scratchings.

HABITAT : Butchery, meat processing, meat by-products and offal producers, egg products manufactures.