Can you identify these beetles before my house falls down?

[Loco]

Hello, long time reader, first time poster.

I appreciate this is not a bug forum, but I'm worried that my late-1800/early-1900 house is about to fall down any moment. Please can you help me identify these beetles in the attached photo?

• Exhibit A - I believe is the common furniture beetle (woodworm)
  • Description: Size is 3-4mm, it's a darker shade of brown almost greyish, and most obvious it has a hump on it's head.
  • Background: I believe I've identified the source of the issue (a second hand victorian chair that I acquired earlier this year). I've found 7-8 of these but only in the same 1st floor bedroom which is carpeted but where the stool was living. I've not found them anywhere else.
• Exhibit B - this one is puzzling me.
  • Description: ranges from 1.5-3mm, typically on smaller side, distinctively different than exhibit A, lighter shade of brown, no other colour to them, more of a smooth oval shape to overall body with no hump on its head
  • Background: I've found about 50 of them in two locations - a different bedroom on 1st floor (has floor boards, not carpeted) as well as in the converted loft on 2nd floor (tongue groove floor, not carpeted). I've not located anything in particular that could be attracting them i.e. food, plants, dead animal etc. but all floors in house were sanded earlier this year so lots of dust under boards could be acting as food, and naturally the converted loft has eaves and that space is dusty with the 2-3 very small inactive bee/wasp nest. I've also NOT observed any exit holes, dust or frass, etc. nearby.

The pest controller says they're both common furniture beetle, just the smaller ones are babies. I'm not entirely convinced by that given they only live for 4-15 days once out of the wood.

Also to add, I am reluctant to drop hundreds on spraying regardless and may explore alternative treatments first.

Thank you!

 

[Thatspellstrouble]

Without seeing a closer image I can’t tell if it’s a deathwatch beetle; I had a photo of one I found in my house last year which I could have sent had I not dropped that phone and smashed it!

When I first read your post I thought maybe they could be book lice but unfortunately not as too wide.

If it is deathwatch though don’t worry tooo much from those sizes, my better half works with historic buildings and she showed me what a well fed beetle looks like and that isn’t it!

 

[Loco]

Thanks for inputting. I have previously read about the deathwatch beetle but believe what I am finding is too small to be those. What I’m finding is 1.5-3mm in size and deathwatch is typically 5mm+. I’m also not observing any hairs or other colour on them besides brown.

I’m wondering if they’re potentially biscuit beetles (aka drug store beetle) or possibly even tobacco/cigarette beetle but curious what others think.

 

[Matt Green]

 

[paulc]

Do you have a local museum that has wildlife exhibits ?
Many moons ago in my yoof, I took some skulls to the Castle Museum in Norwich where they kindly identified which animal they came from. Might be worth doing the same with your beetles.

 

[Toby Newell]

View attachment 10859

^^^ I think Matt is THE man when it comes to bugs...

 

[Loco]

View attachment 10859

Hi Matt, I was kind of hoping you’d see this as you seem to be the go-to guy.

Are you suggesting Exhibit A is Anobium P and Exhibit B is Stegobium P? That is the same conclusion I’ve been moving towards so this gives me some confidence.

I could definitely try the museum route if all else fails.

Thanks all.

 

[Toby Newell]

I think you should take some better pictures, you basically sent a silhouette

But unless you see a bunch of frass all around and you have pervasive damp issues I wouldnt worry. I work in 500 yr old properties that have extensive death watch beetle damage in almost every beam and they are still standing.

 

[Matt Green]

^What Toby says^

I would need better pictures give any firm ID but the first looks like Furniture beetle in silhouette. Your phone camera should have a macro function that will get a better shot and a shot in profile, as above, are particularly good for identification of these sort of beetles.

My apologies for the lack of explanation earlier I have had a busy week.

 

[Loco]

Thanks - here are some better resolution photos. The odd one might be dead so not have it's antennae tuned in to the radio.

 

[Loco]

Just a quick bump of this thread, now that I added some higher res photos (see above)

 

[LadyArowana]

Hmmmmm https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/ide...e-anobium-punctatum-identification-guide.html

 

[Thatspellstrouble]

If it makes you feel better I’ve just come home after being away for several days and found what looks like a single carpet beetle larvae on my bed.

 

[Loco]

If it makes you feel better I’ve just come home after being away for several days and found what looks like a single carpet beetle larvae on my bed.

Already fought that battle back in March and have seemingly won! Happy to share some tips if you need them.

 

[Matt Green]

That first more reddish one looks like Biscuit beetle, the rest look like Furniture beetle to me.