You can find click beetles in your house because they’re attracted to indoor lights and can enter through cracks or open windows. While they mostly live outside, sometimes they end up indoors, especially during times when there are lots of them around.
Further, you can see them or hear their clicking sound. They usually don’t cause harm, but if you find them, it’s best to gently remove them. Preventing them from coming in by sealing cracks and keeping outdoor lights off can help. Remember, they’re more of a nuisance than a danger, so no need to worry too much!
Reasons for Click Beetles in the House
Click beetles, also known as elaters, are a common type of beetle that can sometimes find their way into houses. Here are some reasons why they can be found indoors.
Accidental Entry
Click beetles are nocturnal insects, and like many nocturnal insects, they are attracted to light sources. Nighttime outdoor lights can attract them, as they confuse them with the moon or stars, occasionally leading them indoors.
Once inside, they can become disoriented and unable to find their way back out.
Warmth
Click beetles, like other insects, are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature is regulated by external sources of heat. During cooler seasons, such as autumn and winter, click beetles seek warm environments to maintain their metabolic processes.
Homes offer stable warmth compared to fluctuating outdoor temperatures, making them attractive shelters for click beetles seeking refuge from the cold.
Moisture
Some species of them are particularly drawn to moisture-rich environments. Leaky pipes, dripping faucets, or areas of high humidity within a house can create favorable conditions for these beetles. They can be attracted to these sources of moisture for drinking purposes or breeding.
Additionally, moist environments often harbor other insects or organic matter that click beetle larvae, known as wireworms, feed on, further attracting adult click beetles indoors.
Food Source
Click beetle larvae known as wireworms are voracious feeders on decaying organic matter and plant roots. If there are sources of decaying wood, such as structural timber or furniture, within a house, it can serve as a food source for wireworms.
Adult ones can follow the scent of decaying matter into homes, seeking suitable sites for laying their eggs near potential food sources for their offspring.
Plants Indoors
Houseplants can also attract them into homes. Certain species of them can be drawn to the vegetation and moisture provided by indoor plants.
Additionally, the soil of houseplants can harbor organic matter, which can serve as a potential food source for its larvae.
Cracks and Crevices
Click beetles are adept at squeezing through tiny openings due to their flattened body shape and flexible exoskeleton.
Consequently, even small cracks or gaps in walls, windows, doors, or foundations can serve as entry points for click beetles. Once inside, they can explore the interior of the house in search of suitable habitats or resources.
Seasonal Patterns
In some regions, they can exhibit seasonal patterns in their activity and behavior. For example, they can become more active during the warmer months when temperatures are conducive to their development and reproduction.
During periods of heightened activity, click beetles can venture indoors while searching for food, mates, or suitable egg-laying locations. This increased likelihood occurs as they explore their surroundings.
Signs You Have Click Beetles
Identifying signs of click beetles can help you determine if they are present on your property or in your home:
Visual Sightings
While click beetles typically reside outdoors, they can occasionally enter homes, particularly during periods of high population density. Keep an eye out for these beetles indoors, especially near windows, doors, or light sources.
They are recognizable by their elongated bodies and ability to produce a clicking sound when flipped on their backs.
Auditory Clues
The characteristic clicking noise produced by click beetles. When they flip themselves upright can be a telltale sign of their presence, especially if you hear it indoors. This clicking sound serves as a mechanism for the beetle to escape predators or right itself when overturned.
Crop Damage
In agricultural settings, signs of click beetle infestation can manifest as damage to crops. The larvae of them, known as wireworms, primarily inhabit soil and feed on plant roots, seeds, and underground plant parts.
Inspect crops for signs of damage like chewed seeds or stunted growth, especially in fields with low tillage, such as alfalfa.
Soil Preferences
Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles, exhibit preferences for certain types of soil. They thrive in less-tilled soil, often found in fields or gardens with alfalfa, grain, or cover crops.
Then, monitoring soil quality and observing crop health can provide insights into wireworm activity and potential click-beetle infestations.
How to Get Rid of Click Beetles in House?
To effectively manage click beetles in your home, consider the following step
Thorough Vacuuming
Utilize a vacuum cleaner equipped with a hose attachment to thoroughly vacuum floors, carpets, and surfaces where click beetles are spotted. Be meticulous in areas where these insects are frequently seen, such as near doors, windows, and light sources. Pay special attention to corners and crevices where click beetles can hide.
Targeted Treatment of Houseplants
Inspect the soil of indoor plants for signs of (wireworms) or eggs. If detected, carefully remove the affected soil and dispose of it properly.
Then, consider treating the remaining soil with natural or organic insecticides specifically formulated for use around plants. Follow product instructions carefully to ensure the safety of your plants and household members.
Sealing Cracks and Crevices
Conduct a comprehensive inspection of your home’s exterior to identify potential entry points for click beetles and other pests.
Seal any cracks, gaps, or openings using appropriate materials such as caulk, weatherstripping, or sealant. Focus on areas around doors, windows, vents, pipes, and utility entry points.
Additionally, inspect and repair damaged screens on windows and doors to prevent insect intrusion.
Professional Pest Control Services
In cases of severe infestation or persistent pest problems, consider enlisting the expertise of professional pest control services. Experts in pest control possess the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the degree of infestation and apply focused treatment plans for click beetles and other pests.
In order to guarantee that efficient control methods are kept up throughout time, they also provide continuing monitoring. To reduce infestations in the future, they can also suggest preventive actions.
Routine Maintenance and Prevention
Adopt a proactive approach to pest control by implementing routine maintenance practices to deter them and other pests from entering home.
Further, trim vegetation and landscaping away from the exterior of your house to create a barrier against pest entry. Keep outdoor lights turned off when not in use to reduce attraction to click beetles.
Regularly clean and declutter indoor and outdoor spaces to eliminate potential hiding places for pests.
Environmental Modifications
Make environmental modifications to discourage click beetles from inhabiting your property. Reduce excess moisture by fixing leaky faucets, repairing plumbing leaks, and ensuring proper drainage around the foundation of your home.
Try to remove organic debris. For instance, remove mulch and leaf litter from the area next to the house to remove possible click-beetle habitats and their larvae.
FAQ’s
Why is there a beetle in the house?
Beetles are often attracted to houses and apartments due to warm conditions, food sources, and high humidity. They can invade your home in search of shelter.
What is the lifespan of a click beetle?
A click beetle, or wireworm, typically completes its life cycle in about 3 to 4 years, varying in lifespan.
Is it normal to find a beetle in your room?
Yes, Finding a beetle in your room can happen, especially if there is an abundance of food or other attractants. Beetles like drugstore beetles can infest homes from already-infested food products or packages.
How can I keep beetles away?
To prevent beetle infestations, seal cracks and holes in your home’s exterior, and install weatherstripping around doors and windows. Trim trees and shrubs near your home, maintain a clean yard, and store food in airtight containers.
What do beetles turn into?
Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis, meaning they have four distinct stages in their life cycle: egg, larval, pupal, and adult.
Final Words
Even so, you will be surprised to find click beetles in your house. Often, they are just drawn to interior lights by happenstance and end up inside by accident.
They don’t really threaten you, even though their clicking sound could frighten you. You can stop them from ever entering your home by caulking gaps and turning off outside lights.
Recall that they are mostly an annoyance, so there’s no reason to be concerned. If you find any, just take care of them gently and enjoy living in a pest-free house!