Ground Beetle
Back
See
ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2102.htmlExact identification is not critical. There are many different types of Ground Beetles. Some are active during the day but most are active at night. The nocturnal ones hide under foundation and sidewalk edges, landscape stones, or other similar objects during the day. They cause no real damage and are a good beneficial pest due to the fact they feed on other insects during all stages of development. Dead organic material is also a food source.
Control is a multi step process. Try to remove as much excess leaf, wood, or other type debris to minimize harborage sites for ground beetles and potential prey. Repair any gaps, cracks, or holes on the exterior of the structure to minimize entryways and harborage sites. Replace any worn, loose, or missing weather stripping around doors and windows. Also check for any worn doorway threshold areas and repair or replace as needed. Since they feed on other insects, it might be useful to check your exterior lighting and if necessary, change to yellow or sodium vapor bulbs that don’t attract insects as easily. This will cut down on the prey insects and in return could cut down on the ground beetle population because there is not as plentiful of a food source available.
For quick control of the ones you see use an aerosol product. They come in both contact and residual types. Residual products leave behind material to remain active for a further length of time. Residual products include items such as
Cy- Kick 17.5 oz. can,
Invader HPX 14 oz. can, and
D-Force HPX 14 oz. can. Contact products include items such as
PI 18 oz. can,
PT 565 Plus 20 oz. can,
CB 80 Extra 17oz.can.
Liquid residual concentrates are mixed with water at label rates as needed. This method gets the treated area to a “neutral” condition where no insects or spiders are present. The drawback is that after 2 or 3 sprinkler cycles, a rain, or heavy dew the material is diluted to the point of ineffectiveness and nothing is there to provide continued control. If you use this method to control ground beetles and other insects at the same time, a couple of weeks later you may want to treat with a weather resistant particle bait such as Niban to provide continued control for pests other than ground beetles that could serve as a steady food source. Residual concentrate products include
Demand CS 8 oz. or
Demand CS 1 qt.,
Suspend SC 1 pt.,
Tempo SC 240 ml,
Tempo Ultra WP 420 gram btl,
Talstar Pro 1 pt. or
Talstar Pro ¾ gal,
Viper 4 oz.,
Demon WP 4-9.5 gram bags per pk,
Demon WP 1 lb. jar,
Demon EC 1 pt.,
Cy-Kick CS 1 pt. or
Cy-Kick CS 120 oz.. These materials can be applied with a
1 gal. Poly Sprayer or a
2 gal. Poly Sprayer. For foundation perimeter application or yard application use a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 486 or a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 362. A lot of these products are labeled for inside use as well.
Viper RTU is a ready to use pre mixed product in a 1 gal. Container with a handy sprayer attached to a 1-foot hose.
Before applying the liquid residual around the foundation perimeter apply insecticide dust in the weep holes and other void areas such as gaps, cracks, holes or other areas along the outside to control ground beetles running to these areas in escape of the liquid treatments. These products include
Delta Dust 1 lb. btl,
Delta Dust 5 lb. btl,
Borid 1 lb. btl, or
Borid 5lb. btl. The insecticide dust is best applied with a
Crusader Hand Duster. The dust works by applying a light amount in the target area. The pest then walks across it, picks it up on their body and ingests the dust as they groom themselves. The dust is a stomach poison and control is completed in this manner. If you use too much, they will avoid the area.
Copper mesh applied in the weep holes is a good way to minimize insect and spider entryways into this area. Since it is made of copper it won’t leave streaks down the foundation and the mesh is wide enough to allow adequate ventilation behind the bricks. This includes products such as
Stuff-fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. roll,
Stuf-fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. Precut, and
Stuf-fit Copper Mesh 100 ft. Roll.
Use these Niban products for the foundation grass line, landscape areas, and/or yard areas. This is a good material to treat pests other than ground beetles that are in the same area such as ants, roaches, and crickets. These sizes are more suited to outside applications
Niban Insect Bait 5 lb. Shaker Bag, or
Niban Insect Bait 40 lb. Bag. These particle baits are best applied with a
14 oz. Centro Bulb Duster. We carry a handy
Bulb Duster Filler Funnel that makes it easier to fill from the larger size containers. The bottom of the funnel is the same size as the top of the bulb duster. Remember the particles are weather resistant through up to 4 inches of water. This bait works well through sprinkler cycles, rain, or heavy dew.
Another control method is insecticide granules. These materials include
Talstar PL 25 lb bag and
Delta Gard 20 lb. bag. These products are applied with a hand spreader such as a
Scotts Handy Green 2 Hand Spreader. These materials work well when applied and even better when watered in. They are applied at the foundation perimeter and yard areas.
Glueboards are a good tool to use because they serve to control the insects and monitor for activity. If any are found observe the direction of the insect's travel. This will allow you to backtrack to find possible harborage areas or entryways. We carry
Catchmaster CM MB 72 72 ct box,
Catchmaster CM MB 72 8 ct pk, or
Trapper LTD 72 ct box.
Always read and follow label directions. For additional information call Do It Yourself Pest Control Supply at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, or 866-562-8999 for all your do it yourself pest control supplies.
