Need help with IDing and eliminating these brown bugs showing up in my kitchen

Question

So my apartment's kitchen has had an issue with a particular bug that keeps showing up. Months ago, I committed an act of cleaning in my kitchen after a number of them kept showing up. Shelves, counters and cabinets were wiped down, some food had to be tossed, but it is what it is. They stopped showing up afterwards.

Months later, they're showing up again. It's not fun pouring a box of cereal into a bowl in the morning only to see one of these. These look like drugstore beetles from the description. I have a photo to show. I'll update with a more clear photo if I can.

Beginning to think this is a seasonal thing. I've spotted them on the walls, ceiling, and floor near my kitchen. There have been more than a few (around five) that showed up in my cabinets and shelves yesterday, after vacuuming in the areas.

Today, I've spotted two in the kitchen. One was running along the point where the shelf meets the wall, which has no sort of sealing (this is where I'm assuming some of them emerge from). The whole kitchen has spots and gaps where there should be caulk but there is none, like near my sink.

While I do have some diatomaceous earth that I could apply, I've been using it for months with questionable results; to be honest, I'm not sure these bugs are even affected.

Any advice with insecticides, sprays, further cleaning would help.

Answer 1

Those are flour beetles (or look very much like them...)

They love to eat grain products. Remove all food from your pantry and inspect any flour and/or grain products (particularly if stored in bags, boxes, etc. as the beetles can chew right through those) and toss any that are old, discolored, smell weird, or have beetles in them.

Clean your pantry shelves then restock after removing your flour and usable grain products from bags and boxes and transferring them to sealed plastic containers for storage. There are indoor insecticides that can provide protection, if you feel you need more.