What bugs have a hard shell and six legs?

Question: I have these little bugs, mostly in the kitchen on the counters. The counter is covered every morning with these little (about 1/8 inch) bugs. They have a hard shell, six little legs, and they don't move very fast. I put some in a ziplock baggie at 6 a.m., and at 5 p.m., they were still alive. Would you have an idea of what kind of bug these are? I live in West-Central Ohio.

Answer: Probably what you have seen in the cabinets is one of the several species of beetles that infest flour and meal. As a group, they are often called stored product beetles. There are several species, including the sawtoothed grain beetle, drugstore beetle, confused flour beetle, and cigarette beetle. They are also known as pantry pests because they will infest foods in your pantry.

Stored product beetles are common in nearly all households. Sometimes their numbers increase dramatically. They will infest a variety of food material, including flour, mixes, spices, noodles, and other grain- or flour-based material.

The best control is to remove everything from the cabinets. Inspect all of the food packages and discard what is infested. Then vacuum the cabinets very well. Your Orkin Pest Specialists can also provide some alternative treatments that should be attempted only by trained professionals. An Orkin Pro can also help you to conduct a thorough inspection of your kitchen and pantry areas to determine the source of the infestation. Call us for an inspection, assessment of the problem and a customized solution to the pest issue.