Cigarette Beetles are small – about 1/8th of an inch long – and appear to be oval or almost square in shape. They are most likely to be a shiny reddish brown color and closely resemble a drugstore beetle. But they are quite different in what they target for food and where they will nest. In general, cigarette beetles are more likely to be found anywhere in the home whereas drugstore beetles are more likely to be in the kitchen or pantry.
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To a trained eye, the use of a small magnifying glass or microscope will reveal the easiest way to tell if you have a cigarette beetle. The tell tale clue will be found with their antennae. Drugstore beetles have antennae which have a distinctive three segmented club up top where the tobacco beetle has a serrated antennae which is uniform from top to bottom (where it mounts on the insects head). The following video shows a cloth doll infested with cigarette beetles.
CIGARETTE BEETLE BIOLOGY ^
Though cigarette beetles love tobacco, they will thrive on just about any “food” grade material they find. Cigarette beetles will readily eat books, furniture, stored dried plants, canvas paintings, anything made of straw, just about any spice, cookies, flour, pasta, cotton, medicine, dog food and even rat poison!
Cigar collectors dread the tobacco beetle; hobbyist who like to make wreathes and other natural creations will undoubtedly have to contend with this menace. Though cigarette beetles will crawl while feeding, adults like to fly which makes them particularly hard to handle. Its not uncommon to have them fly into your home during the spring or summer and once inside, make themselves a permanent unwanted guest. At the end of the day, it serves no purpose to try and determine how or why you got them – the list of reasons will quickly become too large to handle. The good news is they can be controlled so regardless of how they got in the home, there is no need to panic.
HOW MANY EGGS WILL CIGARETTE BEETLES LAY? ^
Once cigarette beetles get inside a home, females will lay eggs where they expect their young to acquire good food. They will typically lay 50-100 eggs over a period of 1-2 months. After that they will abruptly die. Eggs will hatch in 7-14 days and the newly born larva will immediately feed on anything they find that will provide nutrition. Larvae will usually feed for 5-10 weeks depending on how much food they have access to, the local humidity and temperature range.
THE NEXT STAGE..
^
Once larvae feed and get their fill, they’ll spin a cocoon and undergo metamorphosis for another 2-3 months. Eventually they’ll emerge as full blown adults ready to mate and lay eggs. In most regions of the country, they will be able to complete two or three cycles per year. This means if one pregnant female enters your home in the spring, you could conceivably have 5,000-10,000 adults flying around by the end of the year!
WHEN CIGARETTE BEETLES ARE FIRST NOTICED ^
In most situations, homeowners are not quite sure what they have when it comes to a cigarette beetle. When the first few are discovered, they will usually clean the suspected room where they emerged hoping to rid their home of this annoying pest. Though a good vacuuming won’t hurt and certainly will help to remove some eggs, larva and pupae, there are simply too many parts of their cycle that can be remaining following your effort. And the remaining eggs and pupae will quickly replace that which you previously removed so for all practical purposes, vacuuming will not control the problem.
FREEZING CIGARETTE BEETLES WON’T STOP THE PROBLEM!
^
A common trick we have heard many people try is to freeze the food or other items the beetles are infesting. This is another futile effort which is just a waste of time. Though freezing will kill active adults and larva, the eggs and pupa will simply remain in tact. In fact they can survive these conditions for many months. This means you will have to keep items frozen indefinitely if you expect to break their cycle and you will have to have access to a large freezer since it is very likely they are into many things throughout the home that will need to be frozen!
OTHER FACTS ABOUT CIGARETTE BEETLES ^
Cigarette beetles are great flyers. They readily live outside and fly all over during the warm summer months. Its during this time when they’ll enter homes through open doors and windows. This is probably the most common way household problems start and seem to be very common routes of entry to homes which are close to agricultural areas, farms or processing plants that store food.
Cigarette beetles are hardy. They can survive hot and cold quite well. Once in the home, they’ll remain active through the whole year. Don’t sit back expecting them to “die out” when it gets cold – this won’t happen. You’ll need to take a “pro-active stance” to get control of any cigarette beetle problem as soon as its been identified.
Cigarette beetles will migrate to new food supplies quickly. If you have pantry items like spices or old beans and you don’t know if it they’re harboring beetles, you can place it in a clear plastic bag and store to see. After 2-3 weeks, take it out and see if there are beetles accumulating in the bag outside the food. If you find any insect, discard the item immediately. Don’t be discouraged if you find them active in most of your pantry – this is actually quite normal. If you have a room where you store dried flowers, wreathes, Christmas ornaments or other decorations and suspect they may be active in there, you’re probably right. There are many natural foods used in the construction of these decorations and cigarette beetles are quick to take advantage of this resource.
In summary, the best way to keep cigarette beetle infestations under control is to stop them from entering your home in the first place. This means keeping screens on windows but remember that since most smells are sure to attract flying adults, your home will be effectively attracting them when windows and doorways allow air to exit.
HOW TO TREAT A CIGARETTE BEETLE PROBLEM ^
As tough as cigarette beetles can be to control, understanding the treatment process involved is key to getting control of local infestations. Here is a quick summary of what’s involved with more details below.
- After the infested area has been cleaned, you’ll need to treat with either the aerosols we list or the concentrates (or both if the infestation is throughout the home). Aerosols will be fine for small areas like pantries and most any kitchen cabinet. But if your cigarette beetle infestation is extensive, the concentrates are better suited. Use them for carpeting, warehouses or storage areas with a lot of cabinets and/or floor space.
- Next, install traps. These should be used in virtually any situation. First, they help monitor activity alerting you to where beetles are entering, which rooms they are most active in and times of the year when adults are hatching. However, they can really help at breaking the cycle since every adult they trap is one less which can mate and propagate.
FIRST TREAT ALL CRACKS AND CREVICES ^
For small areas FS MP AEROSOL is well suited for most any problem. It works quickly, provides a solid 2-4 week residual and penetrates hard to reach voids where this beetle likes to hide.
When treating food or dish storage cabinets, be sure to remove everything first. Next, vacuum thoroughly. After treating, wait at least 15 minutes following treatment before you replace the contents and be sure all surfaces are dry.
Be sure to treat all cracks and crevices around throughout any room you find with activity. Cigarette beetles like to forage around a lot so in most cases, treating as much of the home as needed is best. Don’t expect to see dead bugs for 2-3 days but once the treatment starts to work, they’ll all be dead within 1-2 weeks. Just be sure to treat every 2 weeks until the problem is gone. This ensures you get all hatching larvae from eggs which can’t be killed by any chemical.
FOR LARGE PROBLEMS, LIQUID TREAT INFESTED ROOMS
^
If there is a large area that needs to be sprayed, go with liquids which are more cost effective compared to aerosols. A good active to use is BITHOR. This is a low odor concentrate which is mixed with water and applied using a good PUMP SPRAYER. Bithor will work on hatching larvae up to a month. Again, this is critical for breaking the cycle.
Use this spray when you have a lot of baseboard, furniture, components like straw, fabric and other natural fibers that need protection. Bithor is labeled for use on just about any surface and won’t stain or smell so it’s a great product to use for a lot of applications. Its particularly helpful when you want to store ornaments, wreathes or other items made from something natural which cigarette beetles like to eat. Lightly mist them, allow them to dry and then you can safely wrap them up for storage. Such applications will last a long time – especially when stored in boxes or bags protected from direct sunlight.
Mix .75 oz per gallon of water and use the mixed solution to treat 800-1000 sq/ft of carpeting, baseboards, area rugs, furniture, etc. Cigarrette beetles will take advantage of a wide range of fabric found in most any home so if you’re finding them randomly throughout the home, liquid treatments will be required to knock them out for good.
To apply the Bithor, use a good pump sprayer that can “fan” spray a wide pattern.
To insure you break their cycle, add to the same tank mix with the Bithor.
Nyguard is odorless, can be mixed with the Bithor and will prevent eggs from becoming adults. Essentially a protein, Nyguard over exposes cigarette beetle larvae to their own hormone which in turn causes them to “stall” and die before pupating. Nyguard has the added benefit of translocating after its applied. This means it will effectively “move” about the treated room and get to all other areas where you don’t spray. This is important since you can’t spray everything but if using Nyguard, it won’t matter. The end result is that you’ll have it move about the infested area automatically thus insuring a complete treatment is accomplished.
Add 1 bottle of Nyguard per 1 gallon of tank mix and use it once a month until the problem is gone.
CIGARETTE BEETLE TRAPS ^
Lastly, once you’ve sprayed and allowed the treatment to dry, set up several CIGARETTE BEETLE TRAPS. These are pheromone based traps which lure adult beetles by using natural sex scent. Once they fly inside the trap, they’ll get stuck on the sticky glue inside.
Traps should be set in any room where activity has been seen or suspected. One trap will cover 200 sq/ft and should be located high since a higher placement will generally allow the pheromones to permeate throughout the room.
Pheromone traps work great at catching cigarette beetles and most any processing plant or home with this beetle should have some traps to help monitor the activity. This way if there is a room with activity which wasn’t treated you’ll know to take action.
In summary, cigarette beetles can be persistent and tough to control. If you’re seeing one or two around the home, don’t wait till eggs get a chance to develop into adults. Set out traps now to see how bad things might be. And if the traps start catching one or two a week, you’ll need to start treatments ASAP.
Use FS MP aerosol if you only have a room or two needing treatment; go with the liquid mixtures if you have a problem throughout the home and need to cover a lot of area economically. A combination of spray and traps will kill developing larva and reproducing adults so eventually, you’ll get rid of the problem for good.
CONTACT US ^
Give us a call if you need further help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Saturday, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time).
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T.B. says
I have serious problem with Tobacco Beetles and need a long-term and efficient solution to control and eliminate said pest. I wanna try a Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) and either Deltamehine or Permetrine as the active engredient. a fogger or a residual spray will do.
Tech Support says
@T.B.: You are right on the mark with using the growth hormone for long term control but forget foggers. They spew chemical all over and this is not healthy for everyone inside the area. Plus 99% of where the spray goes is not important so they’re quite wasteful. Get either of the aerosols we list above or the liquids. We recommend the Permethrin and Nyguard because they work great for cigarette beetles but the FS MP and Nyguard aerosol will do the same if the area you need to treat is small. And don’t forget to set out traps after you spray. Links to all the products we mention are above in blue; just click them to see packaging and pricing:
Cigarette Beetle Treatments: https://bugspray.com/article/cigarettebeetle.html#cigarette-beetle-control
kevin buchtel says
Is there a way to kill the cigarette Beetle in a warehouse organically?
Tech Support says
Yes. Any of the ORMI approved products can be used. We have a whole site that goes over these products which can be seen here:
http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com
The most common products used would be the Essentria IC Concentrate which can be sprayed using a traditional sprayer.
Essentria IC3: https://bugspray.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal
Topia Aerosol is another good option:
Topia: https://bugspray.com/exempt/aerosol/topia-exempt-aerosol-17-oz
as is the Evergreen Pyrethrin Concentrate. Many organic facilities will get this for fogging large areas where spraying isn’t nearly as cost effective.
Evergreen: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/exciter-16-oz
Give us a call toll free if you need more help deciding. 1-800-877-7290.
Dean says
I have found a few of these in my food cupboard were I keep my tobacco. How’s best to get rid of them?
Tech Support says
As explained in the article above, you should first try to remove anything they’ve infested. Next, treat the cupboard with the FS MP aerosol paying close attention to all the cracks and crevices.
FS MP: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/fs-mp-insectidie-15-oz.html
Lastly, set out some Cigarette Beetle traps.
Cigarette Beetle Traps: https://bugspray.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/cigarette-beetle-dt
GV says
@Dean:
Thank you for this great information! I applaud you for making it available. (And for helpfully replying to those who can’t seem to be bothered to actually read it!)
I finally found the original infested product (my beloved Wheat Thins! Gasp!) and, as your article suggests, am now checking the rest of my pantry. Is it unusual to have cigarette beetles travel to areas other than the kitchen? I’m finding beetles in other rooms with no logical (to me) food source or ‘attractant’, for lack of a better term.
Tech Support says
It’s actually quite common for them to forage outside and away from where you’d think they’d want to stay. This is one of the main reasons they’re a particularly annoying pest. But if you treat the area with the FS MP and maybe some of the Permethrin, you’ll have in place a protective barrier which will stop them from getting established elsewhere. Good luck!
Elaine says
I have a contract with Terminix…. why do I still have cigarette beetles and do they have the products to get rid of them? Where can I purchase these chemicals.
Tech Support says
Most service companies will handle this pest under their standard service agreement. And they do have access to the products listed so they should be able to handle the problem without too much extra effort. I suggest you give them a call, highlight the problem and get it treated.
Now if they’re not doing an adequate job and the problem persists, you might choose to do the work yourself. This will no doubt take more effort but in some cases, doing it yourself is the best option.
To order what you’ll need, just follow the links above which go to our shopping cart. We ship daily and most areas of the country will get their order in 2-3 days.
FS MP: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/fs-mp-insectidie-15-oz.html
Cigarette Beetle Traps: https://bugspray.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/cigarette-beetle-dt
Dan says
How long does it take for them to be gone? Tt’s been about a week.
Tech Support says
How long the infestation remains active will vary from situation to situation. But in general, if you follow the directions and treatment procedures we have listed above using the products we recommend, you would expect to see an immediate reduction of activity. In fact, most activity should drop within 1-2 weeks by at least 50%.
And by 3-4 weeks, the numbers seen should drop to the point where virtually none are seen. Again, this is based on you finding their main nest sites, treating with the FS MP and setting out the Traps we have listed. If you follow this recommendation and do these treatments properly, by a month the activity should be all but eliminated.
Here are links to these items in our cart. Please show your support for our business by purchasing the items we recommend from the links provided. Remember, this is the only way we can stay around and be here to answer your questions and keep this valuable web site up and running. Thanks for your business!
FS MP: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/fs-mp-insectidie-15-oz.html
Trap: https://bugspray.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/3pk-cf-rf-k-rw-st-pp
JB says
Is there a way to treat clothing without throwing away my entire wardrobe? Like soaking clothes in a solvent? They’re all in the seams of my clothing.
Tech Support says
There are three products we carry that can be used to protect clothing. Generally used to keep insect pests off when afield, all of these use Permethrin as the active ingredient which is both odorless and safe for use around people and pets.
All three will kill insects on the clothing. Treatments will also repel insects for weeks at a time so if you need long term protection for something you’re storing, any of these will do the job.
Here are links to these items in our cart. Please show your support for our business by purchasing the items we recommend from the links provided. Remember, this is the only way we can stay around and be here to answer your questions and keep this valuable web site up and running. Thanks for your business!
Perm RTS: https://bugspray.com/repellents/liquid/permethrin-clothing-rts-12-oz
Perm Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/repellents/aerosol/permethrin-aerosol-6-oz
Permethrin 10: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/permethrin-10
The last one is the most economical to use and if you have a lot of clothing to treat, probably the way to go.
Julie says
I bought a used car and found that I have a problem with this beetle. Are these products mentioned to kill them safe to use in a vehicle? Is the odor/fumes toxic to humans?
Tech Support says
Julie,
We have helped many people with “beetle” problems treat their car safely and effectively. The key is to choose the right product so it won’t leave an odor and second, won’t pose a hazard to people using the car.
Now if you look at our article above, you’ll note that we have several options available. Unfortunately most of these won’t be a good match for cars but there is one that’s ideal. Known as Phantom, this aerosol is odorless and goes on “dry” making it ideal for use inside automobiles.
First, you’ll need to do a thorough vacuuming of the cars interior making sure to clean away every bit of dust, old food and fabric. This needs to be done prior to treating.
Next, you’ll want to remove anything that’s part of the car so you have access to all key areas where they might want to nest.
Once cleaned, you can treat.
Start by spraying all the cracks and crevices you can find using the included straw injector that comes with each can. Basically you’ll want to spray all these spaces in case the beetles are using them to lay eggs or hide.
Next, surface treat floor mats as well as the carpeting under them.
Lastly, treat the trunk or storage areas the same way.
Some other suggestions..
Do the treatment in the evening when the car is in for the night and won’t be used till the next day. Ideally you should keep it in a garage where you can keep the doors open all night. This will allow the interior to dry and air out following the treatment. Now if you don’t have a garage, don’t worry; just leave the doors open after treating for 1-2 hours before locking it up for the night.
Now since Phantom is a slow working active, it won’t kill anything for a good 2-3 days. Keep this mind as you will probably see active adults in the days following the treatment. But this is normal and to be expected so don’t panic.
But after 3-4 days, most will die off and over the next 2-4 weeks, the activity will become less and less. In theory, one thorough job should resolve the problem but if you are still seeing anything alive after 3 weeks, treat again.
Phantom Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Lourdes says
Is it safe to use on children car seats? These Beatles were feasting away at my sons crumbs in his car seat.
Tech Support says
Lourdes,
Though it would be “safe” to use it on the surface of the car seat, spraying there won’t help. All you need to do there is clean the surface of the seat and then vacuum the entire interior.
Next, apply some Alpine Aerosol to the upholstery making sure to get under the seats, where it all meets the side panels and basically all places where the beetles are likely to hide. This is what you need to do if you want to make sure none are nesting in the car.
Alpine Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/pt-alpine-aerosol-20-oz.html
Technical Support
http://www.bugspray.com
Charleyne Kerchner says
Hello~~~~ I’m NOT sure if I have tobacco beetles or not~~These brown bugs are about 1/8″ long, semi hard shell, found in kitchen cabinets, cleaned very well, threw out all stuff not in cans~~~I find them now in my living room, just crawling around~~~~I have 3 dogs and I need something to STOP this that will not harm my dogs. I’ve never had this problem before ~~I’ve NEVER seen them fly, only crawl. Some slow. I really need advice~~~Thanks!
Sincerely,
Charleyne Kerchner
Tech Support says
Charleyne,
Though you could have tobacco beetles, drugstore beetles are closely related and there are other species it could be too including cabinet beetles, borers and others. In cases when we’re unsure what the target pest is, we recommend two products and either X-Lure or Pantry Traps. These traps use mostly food for attracting pests so there is a good chance whatever you have will find one of these traps when placed in cabinets, on counter tops, etc.
Xlure Trap: https://bugspray.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/xlure-beetle-trap
Trap: https://bugspray.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/3pk-cf-rf-k-rw-st-pp
As for spray; go with Phantom aerosol in the cabinets. This product won’t disperse or chase the insects which is important. Basically target pests will readily walk over the treatment, pick up a lethal dose and die within 3-4 days. But since they won’t notice the chemical, they won’t be afraid or repelled like they would with the more traditional products like FS MP.
Phantom Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
Now for the rest of the house, the concentrate Bithor should be sprayed to baseboards and carpeting. Kind of like you were treating for fleas; spraying the carpets would be smart because many types of beetles will migrate onto carpets and can nest deep in the fabric feeding on the weave of the material used to construct the rug.
Bithor: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/bithor_sc.html
Use a good pump sprayer to apply the Bithor.
Eliminator Pump Sprayer: https://bugspray.com/equipment/sprayers/eliminator-gallon-sprayer
As or safety concerns; just keep the pets away when treating but after the treatment dries, they can come back into the room and go about normal behavior within 1-2 hours of the treatment being done.
Lastly, retreat every 2 week until you don’t see any new activity and once they’re gone, every 2-3 months to insure they don’t return.
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Thur; 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, Eastern Standard Time.
Jonathan
Customer Care
https://bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Please show your support for our business by purchasing the items we recommend from the links provided. Remember, this is the only way we can stay around and be here to answer your questions and keep our web site up and running. Thanks for your business!i
Jalen says
Hi, I’ve researched a lot about cigarette beetles and have read your article and several others on how to treat them. After seeing a total of 5 fly in a week I began to investigate to find that I was infested with them in my car. I bombed and thought that got rid of the problem and it did not. I I latched my back seat and they have completely infested the whole upholstery in my car. They are embedded and breeding in the foam of my seats and have eaten away at it. At this point is there even anything that will be strong enough to seep through the foam and kill them? Maybe the liquid solution and protein spray you talked about? I just don’t want to spend endless amount of money on treatments when I should just throw out the seats and take that money and spend it on new upholstery in the car. I’m just worried about bringing these in to my home because they are very hard to get rid of. Please help :(
Tech Support says
Jalen,
As our article above explains, this pest can eat most anything and your infestation confirms this to be true. That being said, the problem can be resolved using the right product.
So given the seat foam is fairly thick, a “bomb” would not penetrate through and through. More important, these types of products use an active which is highly repellent to insects so they tend to avoid where its been applied. For that reason, any beetles which survive the treatments will thrive in areas the treatment will not reach.
To counteract this effect, I suggest you treat the car thoroughly using Phantom aerosol. This non-repellent won’t spook them nor will they detect its presence. This ensures many will walk over the treatment, get affected and die. Plus it comes with a thin straw you can use to inject the spray deep into the foam. I expect you will have to make a few holes in the covering of the seats so you can inject the spray. But this will allow it to flow through the foam and in turn, reach all developing stages.
Plan on treating once a week until all activity ceases. And don’t forget to treat around all door frames, under carpets, under floor mats, etc.
Phantom Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Michelle Riggs says
I started seeing these cigarette beetles, about once a day in my room. Over about 2 weeks, the number increased to about 8 a day, usually crawling on my bed. I researched the internet & learned a lot. I found what had been infested. A valentine gift I received about 3 years ago. It was wrapped in cellophane, and inside was a teddy bear & boxed candy that had never been open. I discarded it, and cleaned the whole room. The night after cleaning, I seen 4 more. I’m paranoid that they will multiply and be all over the house. I have only seen them in my room. What should I do?
Tech Support says
Michelle,
The adults leaving the active site were no doubt wanting to mate and lay eggs. Since it only takes on female laying eggs to cause a new problem to surface, its highly likely this has happened. That means in the coming weeks there is a good chance some eggs somewhere in the home will be hatching.
To prevent a new infestation from starting, it would be smart to treat with the Bithor and Nyguard listed above. Spraying all carpets, furniture and baseboards will put in place the actives needed to control foraging adults and young larvae that might soon be hatching. Treating twice would ensure control of any developing problem because based on the numbers you reported, there is a good chance this problem is not “done” just yet.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: https://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html
T says
Hello! We live in a loft (a 100 year old building) and have an infestation of what have been called drugstore beetles and cigarette beetles interchangeably. I have lupus and we have a dog with health issues as well, so toxic chemicals are not a viable option. Still, we’ve tried spot treatments, treated what we thought was an infected bed frame, and closing off the room we believed was the source. Nothing has stopped these things. We are now in month 3 and the beetles are in a bedroom, bathroom and the main living room. Our exterminator has searched extensively for the source. We have searched extensively for the source. It cannot be located. We’ve lived here for over four years and never had this problem until now. They seem to migrate to the large windows in the bedroom and living room, but are other places in smaller numbers. Please give us advice as to what to do. Our exterminator has been ultra sweet and involved but not very effective. He has sprayed twice and is ordering traps. I am at my wits end in dealing with these things. It’s incredibly stressful, embarrassing, and uncomfortable to live with bugs.
SN says
I am dealing with the same situation as this. Was there a solution or recommendation provided on how to get rid of these pest when the source cannot be identified after months of removing things?
Tech Support says
SN,
Get the FS MP listed above. Its non-repelling meaning insects can’t detect it. They’ll readily walk over it all the while picking up the active. They’ll then share it with others in their colony/nest so they all get affected and within 3-4 days, they’ll all be dead.
FS MP should be sprayed on surfaces where activity is seen, cracks and crevices where they might be nesting and in cabinets.
FS MP: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/fs-mp-insectidie-15-oz.html
Technical Support
800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: https://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html