I have been fighting these damn things for three years since I brought
them from an infested house. By cleaning under the cages at night with
a small flashlight and brush and dustpan I can keep them under control
by squishing them and the larvae but I have started using a natural
pesticide spray called Bioganic. It contains thyme oil, clove oil,
sesame oil, water, wintergreen oil, soy oil and lecithin to keep it
emulsified. I put it in a small spray bottle and spray it along the
edges where there problems. It seems to be helping as I haven't seen
any more larvae where I have sprayed. A small shop vac is also helpful
for cleaning up the debris. Dump the container each day to a trash bag.
Also when cleaning, if the cage is on a stand with wheels roll it away
a little and clean where the wheels were. The beetles eat the crushed
bits of food under the wheels. Take the cage off the stand and clean
that, too. My sympathies to your relatives. If the infestation is bad
you'd better clean your shoes after leaving their house.

Carol J. Owens
Ferret Friends, Inc.
Tucson AZ

[Posted in FML 6061]