How to Get Rid of Rove Beetles? A Detailed Guide to Practical Control Methods

Rove beetles is the general name for beetles of the family Staphylinidae in the order Coleoptera, also known as shadow bugs, blue-waisted bugs, etc. They prefer to live in paddy fields, grasslands and woods, have phototactic habits, and often fly into lighted places at night. They feed on decaying plants and rotting animals, and also eat overwintering pests such as aphids and planthoppers. Let's take a look below at how to get rid of rove beetles!

How to Get Rid of Rove Beetles?

The natural enemy of rove beetles is essential balm; applying essential balm has a certain effect in repelling rove beetles. In addition, ordinary sprays can kill them (you can spray once before going to work, and by the time you come home from work they will all be fumigated to death). Install screens so they cannot fly in, and keep the bed away from under the light, since the bugs like to flutter around lights; check the bed before sleeping. Moreover, rove beetles do not have strong reproductive capacity; it may be that their base population is simply large, which is why they cannot be completely killed, creating the illusion that they are impossible to kill.

How to Deal with Rove Beetles?

1. When in contact with poisonous rove beetles, promptly rinse with salt, soapy water, 4% sodium bicarbonate solution, or 10% ammonia water, or apply a wet compress of nitrofurazone saline to neutralize the toxin and reduce damage to the skin.

2. For external application, choose 0.1% rivanol, 3% boric acid water, or hydrocortisone cream or piyanjing; if necessary, take antihistamines or corticosteroid hormones orally.

3. After blisters appear, use anti-inflammatory and astringent drugs to relieve itching and reduce irritation; take antibiotics orally, by intramuscular injection, or by intravenous drip, and add hormone drugs when necessary to improve efficacy.

4. If the condition is severe, go to the hospital promptly; although it is not enough to cause death, its body fluid has a pH value equivalent to concentrated sulfuric acid, and if not treated promptly it will cause skin ulceration.

How to Prevent Rove Beetles?

1. Mobilize people to clear weeds, rotten wood and garbage around the house, and destroy the habitats and breeding sites of poisonous rove beetles.

2. Do not pile up waste items indoors; keep the interior clean and tidy so that poisonous rove beetles that invade the room have nowhere to hide.

3. In summer, install screen doors and screen windows to prevent poisonous rove beetles from flying indoors and reduce the chance of human contact with the insects.

4. In midsummer, do not sleep with windows open and lights on; use mosquito nets or minimize body exposure.

5. Spray with insecticides such as deltamethrin or fenvalerate, which can effectively kill poisonous rove beetles indoors and outdoors.

6. When you find a poisonous rove beetle crawling on your body, do not slap or rub it with your hands; gently blow it off or use an object to flick the insect away.

7. Try not to relax and play under lights; if unavoidable, wear covering clothing or use insect repellent.