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Living in Tampa affords one with many unique opportunities. Unfortunately, it also means you’ll likely encounter a lot of pests as well. This is not to say that the area is contaminated or dirty. It’s just to say various pests seem to be drawn to the area. This is likely because of the unique environment the area offers. One such pest you’ll commonly encounter is the beetle. As non-threatening as it is, it has an intimidating appearance and can scare some homeowners. In addition to this, it can be a nuisance. Therefore, eliminating it becomes a top priority.
What Is The Beetle?
Although there are a variety of insects that could be referred to as beetles, Tampa residents only need to worry about the ground beetles, powder post beetle, and longhorn beetles. There are literally thousands of species of these insects, but living in Tampa, you only must worry about these. Of course, that doesn’t make things all that much easier. These species mentioned here can vary in color and size, but they all belong to the Carabidae family, have two sets of wings, bad vision, and be considered can both hurtful and helpful to the environment.
Understanding Life Cycles
The beetles mentioned here have four different life cycles they must complete before being considered mature beetles. These would be the egg, ground beetle larva, pupa, and the adult stages. The first three stages are spent in the beetle’s habitat, while the adult stage is spent above ground.
Beetle Characteristics And Diet
As was mentioned above, these species of beetles are considered helpful to the environment. The reason for this is because their diet consists mainly of other, smaller insects and weeds Therefore, they can be used in certain areas where pest and weed reduction is needed. Many commercial agricultural companies utilize these species to reduce unwanted weeds.
These beetles are highly active at night when it is fully dark out. They naturally produce a toxin from their abdomen that can be used as protection.
Why Are They In The Home?
Since these pest’s diets mainly consist of weeds and other insects, you like many are probably wondering why they are in the home. That’s an excellent question and it’s because weeds and insects are not all they are attracted to. These insects are also commonly drawn to leaf piles, rotting wood, old lumber piles, and firewood. These are all things that can commonly be located around Tampa homes. In addition to this, they are also attracted to outdoor lighting from porches as well as indoor lighting from open window and doors.
Do These Beetles Pose A Threat?
While these unwanted guests might give off an intimidating presence, they are not physically dangerous. They don’t bite, sting, or transmit diseases. There are some species, however, like the powder post beetle that can do immense damage to wooden structures. Anything constructed of wood or furniture could be at risk when dealing with large powder post beetle infestations.
Contact Us
Unfortunately, eliminating beetles from the property once they moved in can be difficult. It’s a situation that’s better left in the hands of someone with experience and know-how. We always have specialists standing by in Tampa ready to assist in any way possible. All you must do is call!
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