New York City is a beautiful state and is famous for its bright lights and tourist attractions, but the spider beetle NYC has become an issue for its residents.
Although these bugs are not serious pests, their fast metabolism can allow them to spread in number, which is not really a good thing for homeowners.
Let us now find out more about these NYC pests and how to control them.
What Do Spider Beetle NYC Look Like?
The spider beetle NYC looks somewhat like a bed bug with spider legs. These bugs have 6 legs, just like any regular insect.
People often mistake these insects for spiders due to the 2 extensions that they have close to their heads. These extensions resemble legs and make them look like spiders.
Spider beetles NYC have a smooth shiny protective or defensive covering as their outer shells and also have round bodies which make them resemble spiders the more.
These bugs can reach average lengths between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm. As we mentioned earlier, they usually resemble bed bugs and this is due to their similarity in size, body shape, and even coloration.
If your NYC apartment is being attacked by these pests, the good thing is that they are not considered serious pests.
Yes, spider beetles in NYC are not really much of a threat in the home. However, the problem with them is that they grow fast in population, and hence the scouting for food sources becomes more intense.
You will often find these bugs in places where food sources are available and easily accessible, such as:
- Restaurants
- Eateries
- Hotels
- Pantries
- Cupboards
- Kitchens, etc.
Allowing them to thrive in these locations will only cause them to increase in population and consume the food sources in these places.
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What Do Spider Beetle NYC Eat?
The spider beetle is a nocturnal forager, that is, they usually come out from their hiding places and search for food sources in the night.
Spider beetles unlike other insects will feed on almost every available food source available to them. Their list consists of a wide range of food sources that they will happily survive on without complaints.
Below are a few of the possible food sources that spider beetles will feed on:
- Wheat
- Silk
- Almonds
- Rye bread
- Paprika
- Seeds
- Books
- Cereals
- Flour
- Wool
- Fig
- Ginger
- Beans
- Dried mushroom
- Cacao
- Hairs
- Animal droppings
- Fabric (Synthetic and Natural)
You will also find these bugs infesting plants and eating herbs in terrariums and herbariums. They can also be found in leather shoes and even taxidermied animals (the craft of preparing the skins of dead animals and birds and filling them with a special material to make them look as if they are alive).
What is the Lifecycle of Spider Beetles in NYC?
Spider beetles go through 4 different life stages just like any regular insects. These stages include:
- Egg: After mating, the spider beetles lay eggs which hatch within a month after being laid.
- Larvae: The eggs hatch into larvae and this stage lasts for about 6 to 8 months.
- Pupa: This stage lasts for only a month and is the shortest stage in the spider beetle’s lifecycle.
- Adult: They finally become adults after a month of living as pupae and live for a year in this adult stage.
The environment and temperature conditions of the places in which they infest are a great determinant of their reproduction rate.
The spider beetle NYC is capable of laying about 130 eggs in just a month and is even capable of laying about 2 generations of spider beetle eggs in a single year, pending on if the climate condition is favorable or not.
A favorable climate means more reproduction and more infestation. These pests usually lay their eggs in late spring or summer.
Read also:Â Flour Beetles: Facts and How to Get Rid
What are the Types of Spider Beetles in NYC?
- American Spider Beetle:
The American spider beetle reaches a length of 1.5 to 3.5 mm and has a body coloration ranging from dark reddish brown to completely black.
Just like any regular insect, these bugs have a head with an antenna attached to it, a thorax, and 6 legs. The antenna is sometimes covered with cream-colored hairs.
- Smooth Spider Beetle:
These bugs are usually mistaken for mites due to their smooth, shiny black body coloration. Just like the American spider beetle, they usually reach a length of 1.5 to 3.5 mm.
Just like any regular insect, these bugs have a head with an antenna attached to it, a thorax, and 6 legs.
- White-marked Spider Beetle:
Their name is due to their distinguishing body colorations; light-brown bodies and white patches of hairs across their wings.
These spider beetles measure 2.0 to 4.3 mm in length and usually lose the white hair colorations on their wings as they grow older.
Why are there Spider Beetles In NYC Houses?
Just like regular insects, the spider beetles in NYC usually infest apartments to forage for food. How do these bugs even gain access to your apartment?
- They can access your home by climbing on goods that are being transported into your home.
- They can access your home by climbing on foodstuffs that are being transported into your home.
- If you live close to an infested area there is a possibility that these bugs will also infest your home if proper prevention or control methods are not carried out.
- Spider beetles in NYC can access your home through cracks in your foundations.
There are other various channels through which these pests can gain access to your apartments, but with proper prevention methods and control these bugs can be prevented.
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How To Get Rid of Spider Beetle NYC
- Eliminate any possible entry points.
- Ensure to keep your food in airtight containers to avoid the bugs from gaining access to it.
- Thrash expired or rotten food.
- Regularly and thoroughly clean the areas where food is handled.
- Fill up cracks and crevices.
Conclusion
Spider beetles in NYC are rather seen as unserious pests due to the fact that these bugs do not bite, sting, or cause any harm in the homes that they infest.
However, allowing these bugs to thrive for long will only cause them to increase drastically in number; spreading everywhere in your apartment and consuming food sources.
What do you think of the spider beetle NYC? Do you think we have left any information untouched? Do let us know your contributions via the comments section below, and do not forget to subscribe.
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