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- Appearance
- Adult larder beetles are about 1/4 - 3/8 inch in length with a long oval shaped body. They are dark brown to black, with a wide yellow band that has 6 or 8 spots across their wings. Their short antennae are clubbed. The larvae are brown, 3/8 - 5/8 inch in length and hairy.
- Habit
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These beetles over winter outdoors in cracks or crevices, in spring they enter homes and buildings. Both the larvae and the adult larder beetle cause damage feeding and boring into solid materials in which to pupate
- Diet
- The larder beetle feeds on a large variety of animal products such as bacon, cheese, ham, meats, dry pet food, feathers, etc.
- Reproduction
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Adult females lay their eggs on any one of their many feeding sources, or in cracks or crevices near the food source. They lay as many as 800 eggs, which will hatch in about 12 days. The male larvae molt 5 times while the female molts 6 times. The mature larva will wander around looking for a location to bore into to pupate.
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