Carpet Beetle Larva
There are no uninteresting insects, only insects that are insufficiently magnified
S_ found this little larva while cleaning out a cupboard. It was in the back of the shelf, happily chowing down on a dead ant.
So far, it just looks like your typical little thing with lots of legs. Let’s zoom in a bit:
Ah, that’s better. Now we can see that it doesn’t actually have lots of legs, what it does have is a lot of bristles that stick almost straight out, or maybe angled a bit towards the head. There are also two tufts of bristles on the tail.
On the underside, we can see the actual legs, which aren’t really a lot longer than the bristles. It also has bristles on the bottom of the abdomen that give it an amusing, needs-a-shave sort of look. Note that, unlike butterfly and moth caterpillars, it does not have prolegs on the abdomen (beetle larvae do not have prolegs, only the six true legs). We can see the legs a bit better in the next picture, where it is trying to flip itself over:
At first, I thought that this was a larva of a larder beetle, like this one I posted a few months ago. But, looking at it more closely (particularly the tufts of bristles on the abdomen), I think its actually a carpet beetle, probably genus Anthrenus . I’ve been finding these Buffalo Carpet Beetles around the house, and so there is a good chance that this larva would have grown up to be one of them. Larder beetles and carpet beetles are all types of dermestid beetles, but while the larder beetle is more into stored foodstuffs, the carpet beetles are rather keen on animal proteins that are normally considered indigestible (hair, wool, feathers, skin, exoskeletons of other insects, that sort of thing).
Carpet beetles are evidently one of those species from arid or semi-arid regions that have moved into the house environment. They are adapted to a lack of water, and so can manage in spite of the dryness of the average house. Their original environment was apparently bird and mammal nests, where they ate the bits of debris that the inhabitants shed (and, in cases where the inhabitants died, ate what was left of their mummified corpses after the flies and carrion beetles were done with them. Once the dermestid beetles finish, they leave nothing behind but the polished bones of the animals’ dry, articulated skeletons)[1]. Basically, these beetles are still living in mammal nests, it’s just that these nests are now our houses instead of a hole in the ground with, say, a badger living in it.
As I mentioned in the larder beetle entry, the diet of dermestid beetles makes them real murder on things like insect collections, taxidermy, wool products, natural-fiber carpets, and museum specimens. They are also likely to be around regardless of how clean you keep your house. Even if the carpets are synthetic fibers, there are always bits of dead skin and hair, miscellaneous organic dirt, and the remains of insects that got in, couldn’t hack the indoors environment, and died. They’re in overlooked corners, under beds, in carpets, you name it. I even found one crawling across the ceiling in a very new house downstate which has only two people living in it and no pets, and is kept scrupulously clean. Seek and ye shall find, and all that. They are there, somewhere. Count on it.
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[1] A while back, we were doing some work on the walls in the house, and found a perfect mouse skeleton. Not a trace of hair, flesh, or skin, just a complete and undamaged skeleton still posed in its original owner’s final death throes. The dermestid beetles had obviously been at it.
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Worst day ever. The thing that I hate is that I was having a good day until I came home to find a larvae wriggling around on a blanket in my bedroom. It was under a perfectly clean housecoat sitting on a footstool beside my bed. The same height as my bed. So either it crawled up there or came off of something. Lord knows how long it has been there. I had two bags of things I’d been trying to keep as carpet beetle-free as possible but we all know too well that that only lasts so long. Nothing is sacred with these things. This is the first larvae I found in my bedroom. I knew it was a matter of time but I wasn’t prepared for how unnerved I would be.
Making things worse is how my mother makes me feel crazy for reacting how I do to these. They’ve followed me through 4 apartments and ruined 3 years of my life with being preoccupied with trying to limit transferring them to places as much as possible. My reaction isn’t irrational. It’s completely rational. The only reason she thinks otherwise is because she doesn’t understand what a huge problem these things are to get rid of. She still just says “we’ll kill them as we see them that’s all we can do.” She also gets mad at me because I won’t do the laundry because I’m afraid of finding something and I don’t like using the vacuum because the part where hot air comes out of it I’m worried might also be blowing these microscopic eggs out of the dirt it’s picking up. She of course sees this as making excuses and me being lazy which makes me feel just great.
I still don’t have a job. I honestly don’t think I could function well enough at a job if I found a beetle at home that morning or something. I am sometimes completely paralyzed by the thought that I will have these things living with me for the rest of my life. I wish these were as well known as bed bugs or something because then it would be easier to know what to do. Most people don’t even know such a thing exists. Lucky them.
Hi Amanda, this is Annie. Its been awhile since I posted. I moved, spent 2 months just about in a hotel called Executive Suites with my 4 cats, 3 rats and 2 box turtles. I did not find any signs of larvae or beetles the whole time even still driving my car before it got fumigated. I did change my clothes and socks and washed constantly. Then I had the car fumigated and thought I was moving into a great place with a cool landlord. Well. the first night after I paid for flooring to be put in and the owner was supposed to pay for the installation and freshly paint the apartment. Well he took my money and remodeled the kitchen.
The first night I found a beetle in front of the fridge. You should have seen the underside of the fridge Packed with the previous tenants cats hair, dust, crumbs etc Then 2 days later larvae under the sink cabinet in the bathroom.
Then the toilet tipped at which point i closed the lid cried an noticed all the wood doors for the first time. White stuff in the grain holes on the front bottom of 2 doors and the side edges. Some of it is paint but most of it from larvae It is gong away after each monthly spray. it won’t wash off!
Amanda I have bags with dates etc and at least 14 beetles from the new place and 3 larvae.
I am going to tell everyone of a very special program for healing. healing stress, depression, cancer, Hep C, ear infections , sadness and even helps people transition during death.
I have been so depressed and pissed and angry and looking at the walls that did not get painted and making sure spots are not bugs or larvae. etc etc.
I emailed the Dolphin Energy Club address your email To Ann and tell her what is happening and that your depressed or have headaches or just stressed. anxiety whatever you feel is keeping you upset or ill.
She will contact 10 trained people from all over and they will meditate on you for 2 weeks at a time. I have been doing this since my diagnosis of Hep C back in 1989. That was cleared in less then 2 yrs I was the only one out of 27 people in my research study group that cleared the virus and I literally felt the healing begin on a Saturday . from that day on I have tested neg for the virus.
I have referred over 10 people I just thought about a week ago wow I am so out of it I should email to have a healing done. 2 days later I stopped crying every day. My head was clear and I began feeling like I could get my life somewhat back in order. I am going to repeat the healing in a week
They are free so email address is:
DEC1pd@aol.com
its part of the Monroe Institute in Virginia. Ann will do it every two weeks if you need help coping with the larvae.
I was so afraid to talk about it yet I had to My son listened. but I got down to 97 lbs from the stress. I am so in tune with the darn thing.
this place is about 80% less infested then the last place I do know to expect the larvae to be worse soon I did not go and buy furniture well a desk , an exercise ball to sit on. my air mattress
The larvae has kept me away from training as a vet assistant on saturdays , pet sitting, friends, having an enjoyable life. serious. I am damaged by the experience that was so much like yours Amanda.
Please try emailing Ann you do not have to believe it will work I know you will get some peace and be able to figure out where and what to do
I am seeing a lawyer on Monday to sue the landlord here and the last place.
this guy just used me after I told him about the horrific 2 years.
I was outside on the other side of the building. This is a 4 unit place. My neighbor told me she had cockroaches but was scared the owner would blame her. she is upstairs like me. there was a cockroach on the outside wall at 2pm in 79 degree weather. How disgusting is that, the bottom apartments are gross and the owner is one of them He is like a hoarder and I will not live with bugs
When I told him I found a beetle he told me there were none. I told him all the doors and the new cabinets had signs of the larvae . They do and look very much like the photos of the last place. I have over 1000 photos which includes all my things I lost to the dump , the damage done to my things even the plastic containers I have one I kept its amazing the trail that is left on the inside of the container It held all the bug spray. My son could not believe it it looks like its just white lines that will come off but they don’t and they matched the markings on a piece of furniture one of my clients gave me. I cleaned it but 3 weeks later it had trails on two of the legs.
I need to get back to work on my ledgers and notes etc for the atty
Please anyone on this site stressed out email Ann you can tell her I referred you. my last name is Newman
if we have to have these critters in our lives and boy have I studied them then I will not be stressed stress will kill a person faster then some cancer.
its free she may ask you to do a simple survey at the end of the 2 weeks
check out the web site as well Its named and founded by Robert Monroe to study outer body experiences. They even work with people who need surgery but are allergic to anesthesia so they are pain free not feeling the surgery .
be well I will get the photos up after the legal stuff is done.
Maybe we could write a book You know I have scars from the larvae crawling on me. I have a shirt that was washed 3 times and the stuff they left on it over night will not come off.
it is something that is out of the norm. I know more then the bug control people. the agriculture dept guy for the state. he had to have a live beetle and thought it was a bed bug at first. Bed bugs look a bite like cockroaches but not carpet beetles.
he told me he could not say what was causing the holes and tracks and dents in the stuff.
I know what the hairs look like when compared to our hair or a beard trim that has been left in the sink.
the pest control where stunned. they could not even tell me anything. Nada
zilch big fat 0!!!!
At least my MD and therapist believe me right from the start. My MD actually had a mite invasion. She was allergic and so was itchy her husband was not and thought she was losing it.
Sound like most of our situations.
I use Gentrol spray once a month after I spray vet Kem due to the animals . It kills the beetles and larvae. the Gentol keeps them from beign able to reproduce so there should be no carpet beetles or larvae in about 4 months.
Thanks Annie. I will definitely email. I need all the help I can get. I just feel so helpless in all this. I’m 26 and not looking forward to living the rest of my life like this. I started today yet again with finding another larvae on the floor right at the end of my bed. I stayed up until I physically couldn’t anymore last night just because I was afraid of going to bed. Then I proceeded to lay there for like an hour convinced something was crawling in my ear. I feel like I’m going insane. Certainly if I told anyone about this they would write me off as crazy just like my mom has.
And yeah I’ve been there with knowing more about these things than the so called pest control companies it’s ridiculous.
Also Annie what are these white tracks you speak of? I’ve heard about those before but (knock on wood) haven’t encountered any. Ugh another colour to be afraid of other than brown and black things. This weekend was so bad right up until the end. Mom found a larvae under my bed right before she went to bed. I swear every day like 100 times I think “I’m sick of living like this.” I would give everything I have and more to anyone who could remove these things from my life and memory. I was just starting to get my life back too. I just got rid of the (I know this sounds lovely) toe fungus I had developed from wearing slippers all the time (I simply cannot be barefoot.) Putting wet feet straight from the shower in slippers isn’t good but it was all I could do. I gained so much weight from the stress of this and feeling like I couldn’t exercise because I can’t even think of laying on the floor without freaking out. I joined a gym and things are great but it takes everything I have to do my stretches in the carpetted area. When I see a bug there it will all be over.
Amanda, I know what your saying about the vacuum you need to get one with a hepa filter. I have become a dyson fan but lost mine in the move. I tried the shark. its sealed so the air coming out is clean. the problem with it Navigator lift away. is you cnat use the hose without it falling on you and I thought the tools were working but they have no suction so they left alot of cat hair behind
the dyson slways worked you can see about a used one on overstock i kknow they are expensive
you could try a shop vack with hepa filter asmall one. and get the carpet tool my son got me one but the extension link to use with the carptet cleaning piece does not fit so I cant use it i am not sure it will work
you can iron what wont melt. keep all foods in container and in freezer or fridge.
what have you tried just killing them as you see them does notthing. most you wont see. I happen to be in tune with them now the other place was so massively infested they were burrowing through the linoleum Yes i know it sounds like sci fi but they were.
i only saw about 20 larvae wooly bears and maybe 9 beetles I saw signs though the larvae are born microsopic so they do not look like much whenever my socks an clotes start to get fuzz i know something is wrong. i would ssee their trails like squiggles and lighninng bolt like pattern they are not continouow there were holes with shedding my things,
jsut bizzare as soon as i finish with this new owner and get the demand paper work done i will get a collection of the best photos and post them.
if nothing else vacuum get the gentrol and some kind of spray labeled for carpet beetles and spray that first to kill what you can and then the getnrol let it dry and move back in the room do that to the entire house i know how hard it is think head lice ugh same thing. it so mch work but this would be once a month take two days if need be then in 5 months they should be gone unles more beetles got in and laid eggs
Yesterday was bad. Yet again started and ended the day with larvae in the bedroom. The one last night was so tiny I honestly believed it was just lint (I always pray it’s just lint and it never is.) Mom picked it up in a Kleenex and it took a while before it moved. She was so shocked it nearly got away.
Finding larvae every day isn’t out of the norm so that wasn’t even what made yesterday so bad. Something happened in my personal life that would normally lead to me just wanting to stay in bed for probably a month but with these bugs crawling around I try to only spend the necessary few hours in bed and even doing that is difficult. I can’t even relax in my bed as the world falls apart. Ugh I hate carpet beetles.
I spent yesterday shopping for some new tops. They’re all made from polyester or spandex so hopefully they won’t get eaten. I have put them in one of the few safe haven areas I have left in the apartment so hopefully I’ll actually get to wear them for a while. I’m getting sick of having to spend money I don’t have to rebuy things. I have a lot of clothes but can’t bring myself to wear them because I’m worried about what might be living in them.
Hey Amanda,
How are you doing? Just pulled out a dress my sister leant me to wear for a wedding and guess what…. Well looks like we passed them along once again. Ugh found about 6 holes and a larva shell at the bottom of the garment bag. I am so embarrassed to tell my sister especially since she’s been helping me through all this. I hope your situation is getting better.
Please if anyone has been successful at getting rid of these things post soon.
Dear Amanda,
Ugh my sister leant me a dress for a wedding this weekend, I went to try it on and guess what??? Holes! This means we have passed them on yet again. I HATE these things. We ate literally living out of plastic garbage bags and plastic storage boxes. If anyone has ever actually gotten rid of these things please let me know. I am staring to lose hope!
Dyell I’m sorry to hear your situation is no better. I can sympathize with your frustration. After 4 years of living with these things nothing seems to get rid of them. I’ve been finding larvae in the bedroom like 2 every day. Yesterday I found a skin. I at least have mom sort of concerned with trying to get rid of them. She’s wondering if this boric acid option would be safe for the cat and is worried it may stain the carpet though. At this point I am thinking it’s a lost cause. There is so much carpet here. Mom has mats on top of carpets not to mention oodles of clothes. We don’t have money to wash all these and when I washed all my stuff before moving here that obviously didn’t work either. I wish I could go back to a life where I didn’t know these things existed. I’m putting off getting together with old friends because I don’t want to risk spreading these things to people I care about.
I’m convinced there was one in bed with me last night. I couldn’t turn the light on to check though because mom was sleeping. I feel like I can feel their itchy little hairs on me. I’ve scratched my leg all to heck the past two days.
The other day I found a beetle in the carpetted stretching area at the gym. Ever since I have been doing my stretches on the hard floor and it hurts my back but I seriously can’t bring myself to lay on the carpet (it was all I could do to do it BEFORE I saw the bug there.)
Ugh today I confirmed what I already knew to be true. I checked the corners of the bag of my fancy undergarments and sure enough there was…something. It looked like half of a beetle or something but it was bug related. I can’t just put those kinds of clothes in the washing machine without wrecking them so I guess I’ll toss them and try to rebuy them…like I can afford that. I’m so done with living like this.
Amanda,
Dry-cleaning works well, as does putting your items into a very cold freezer for a while.
Best of luck to you.
The other day we went to the movies in my cousin’s car and all I could think about was worrying about transferring them to her car. Same thing when we went shopping after. I tried on a few things and now I’m worried about giving this curse to the store.
The bedroom was where I’ve been finding the bulk of them so we got rid of the container they seemed to be around and I’ve seen less (oh I’m jinxing the heck out of this.) But now today I found a beetle in the bathroom. Just can’t have a day of peace. I had a beetle taunt me for 3 days in the kitchen too. When I first saw it I thought it was a piece of lint but when I went to get a paper towel to grab it to look anyway (because I have to inspect every piece of lint) it was gone presumably under the cabinet which was too heavy so I couldn’t move it. Pieces of lint don’t disappear so I started freaking out. You really don’t want these things in the kitchen (I always went crazy putting things in plastic containers when I lived on my own but convincing mom to do that would be work plus it would be quite the undertaking because we have more food than I had just for me.) I saw it again the next day in the same spot. Just poking it’s end out enough to say “haha you can’t get me.” I tried to get it and the towel must have pushed it under again. I saw it again the next day and finally found something small enough to get under the cabinet and poke him out to kill him. I hope to God in that three days it didn’t lay eggs or something and that it was the only one.
I’m back. You ever have one of those days where you just want to give up? Uh I’ve found three cb’s today scattered through 3 rooms of the apartment. The first was a large larvae in the bathroom. Then I went into the kitchen to find a beetle in the sink (I found one on the counter last week ugh) and then a tiny one in the bedroom.
Mom saw a pest control guy outside the apartment a while ago and she asked him about carpet beetles. His response? “You think you’ve got carpet beetles, eh?” and then asked her if they have a stripe down their back. She said no and he said well they’re not carpet beetles. I have never read anything about them having a stripe down their back! There’s a groove vertically down their back where their wings meet (which btw do they fly? I saw one fly the other day. Most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen.) And the larvaes have stripes horizontally down their back but that’s because of their gross little segmented bodies. I’d love to find a pest control guy who knew about these things and how to get rid of them for good. My life would be blissful if I never had to see one again.
Amanda: The pest control guy may only have been familiar with the Buffalo carpet beetle, which has a red-orange stripe running down the back. Still, the fact that he evidently isn’t familiar with all the types of carpet beetles that don’t have the stripe, doesn’t say much for his expertise.
hi Amanda, I had no luck with pest guys The agriculture guy thought the first one I brought him was a bed bug. yup! I said no bed bugs look more like roaches.
enough said. Please try the Gentrol they will not be able to reproduce. it may take once a month for several months but I have not seen a live larvae yet since spraying . I have seen a few signs but will spray again. I did have at least 12 beetles here and I am smack on the border of the woods.
spiders galore all kinds. The first or second month I got a blister from the hairs but now its 6 months and so far so good.
ps wear a mask. get all animals out you put this thin tube in the nozzle. it fans out do both sides of everything you can pick up. let it dry about and hour and residual effect is totally safe. I have box turtles who are cold blooded and they have had no issues at all and walk around all over the place. they have a tank of course but I let them roam when I hang out with them and hand feed them.
Take care annie
Just checking in. Amanda, r u ok? I had the rash and blisters about 3 weeks ago and just finished spraying the entire house with VET kem and then Gentrol. I also found a corner where the owner is going to have clear all the webs, nests, eggs etc between the 2 laundry rooms of my apartment and the neighbors. At might it looks like Jack Frost visited. He refuses to do anything and I can not reach the area from my apartment.
I have found 4 dead larvae and a few sheddings but nothing like the last place. The last apartment was a horror show. Interesting that I met the lady who moved in and it was all I could do not to say anything. I have no idea if the rugs were replaced etc. I felt like I should warn her as she is very nice but they seem happy there. I will assume that at some point she will find a wooly bear walking across the counter , kill it and be done with it not realizing its eating away at her stuff. My rugs have been leaving a mess of fine fibers each time I vacuum. These are the 4 rugs that got fumigated with the car. I went over them with a magnifier and saw nothing.
I assume its from the larvae messing with them. Its sad because I love the rugs You can see white lines across the back of the rugs.
I just am glad that its not a constant search and destroy mission. Not having to clean 24/7 gives me some time to relax and regain my health.
I want to thank everyone on the site for awesome help and support.
Take care and be well.
I’m doing okay Annie thanks. I’ve been so busy the past month that I just haven’t bothered looking for anything. I know they’re there because they’re always there but I’m chosing to live in denial. I don’t have time to let them drive me crazy right now. Well I’m still always in a tizzy about what to wear with what because certain clothes are brand new and I’m trying to keep them as far from the CB areas of the apartment as possible for as long as possible. It’s only a matter of time before they find them too because that’s what they do.
I know how you feel feeling like you should warn the new lady. I had that situation myself. It’s so hard to know what to do. To some people I guess they don’t notice them from what I’ve read they’re in most homes so I guess most people live with these things and don’t let them get to them. I wish I could do that.
Well my crazy month with no time to do anything has ended and I’m back at home for the forseeable future and again my mind turns to what the beetles have been up to in my absense. My brother told me last week that he found 3 in his bedroom so it’s official that they’re strewn through the entire house now. I’ve bought some more new clothes that I’m stockpiling in the living room because knock on wood that’s where we’ve found the fewest beetles.
I went to a friend’s place the other day and had to take my sandals off at the door and walk in my bare feet on their carpet. It freaked me out so much! No matter where I go I’m worried about spreading these things to other people. The hardest part is trying to act normal around normal people and not letting them see how crazy all this has made me.
My home became infested with these carpet beetles in June this year(2012) and I had never, ever seen or heard of such an insect in my life. I know how Amanda feels. I have constant “hibbie jibbies” because they get all over me! The larvae hairs sting and it feels like bites and burning pin pricks and the adult beetles seem to love me. I don’t know why? They crawl on me and although I may agree that they don’t bite-just imagine if you had tiny beetles crawling on you- it’s gonna itch! What gets me is all of the literature from all of the “expert”entomologists that they are no harm to the !! WTf??? Is it not harmful that I am trying to find one safe place in my own home so that I am not constantly itching and scratching and suffering from stings that sometimes feel like hot pins pricking me? Is it not harmful that I am slowly going insane? I have seen video of horses going berserk from bugs swarming them – is it not also possible for a human to “lose it” because of bugs? Also, my husband and son are never bothered by these. I think it’s like at a picnic- some get bitten by mosquitoes and others are never bitten. Matter of fact, I don’t even think they believe me that we have carpet beetles even after catching some. They always say “oh, that’s just lint” or “it just dirt”. “My own Doctor didn’t even believe me and went up on my dose of anti-anxiety meds. Last night they were particularly vicious. I was going nuts scratching. I went for the shower and the bugs didn’t seem to want to let go! I felt them stinging and holding on even after lathering up with soap. When I went back to the living room chair it started again and I thought “I’ve had it”. I got out my steam iron and started steam ironing my chair- lol- you shoulda seen the little evil bas&%$^s running(slowly). I was talking to them saying run! I’m gonna kill you! There were at least 100 of them and some nasty larvae under the cover that I could see the outline of. And bug guts kept making my iron sticky. YucK! About 5 of the larvae fell out and they were yucky and slimey with two beedy little eyes. One was blood red and yucky “greenbean” looking thing had crawled out of it. I was very careful of these because I read that these have the stinging hairs. I caught some with tape to prove that I am NOT feeling invisable bugs. I have a 10X loupe that I can just make out what they are and one was a perfect specimen of a varied carpet beetle- but the nasty larvae were plain to see. I would love to have a microscope but they are so pricey for a good one. There was a lady online who said you could use your old camcorder and hook up to the tv to get good close-up views. I may try that. To the lady who said she had never saw one crawling on her- I know what to do. Get a roll of the white/beige paper type painters tape and when you feel a tickle or an itch- don’t scratch yet! Have a piece of tape rolled inside out handy and “stick” that to where you are itching. If there is a beetle there- you can see it- thought most times you have to have a little magnification. I took a piece of tape last night and stickeyed all over my face and you should have seen all of the little black dots. Some of it was obviously frass but others were for sure beetles. I am trying to take everyone’s advice to clean and vacuum every part of my home but it’s so hard! I get so frustrated. There’s so many clothes to move and books and collectibles etc. It’s not something that I can complete in a day or weekend expecially when I am getting bugs on me. I think it has made me physically unable to do much at all. But I am trying to takle a little at a time. Thanks for letting me share, everyone around me is tired of hearing about bugs and I need to talk about it.
One more thing- why do the beetles crawl on my? I have long hair, are they trying to eat my hair? (oops they said the adults don’t eat). Do they want to lay their eggs on me? Why????
Robin: Adult carpet beetles mostly eat things like flower nectar and pollen. They also are fully large enough to see without magnification, they are about 1/4 the size of lady beetles. They don’t eat hair. If you had carpet beetles in your hair, there would be no question about it; anybody would be able to see that they were beetles.
Hello Fellow CB Victims,
I moved to an apartment in February and one month later found the adult versions climbing my walls. I immediately assumed it was the apartment’s fault, but it could have been from the storage unit where I stored all my furniture and belongings for a year or from the moving company’ s van.
I have recently moved to another apartment – as I couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t live like a real person anymore, but this is what I did. It is very extreme so take it with a grain of salt…
1. I threw away an entire closet of clothes that I hadn’t worn in awhile, and purged anything else I could. Then I put all other clothing in garbage bags marked wash or dry cleaning and number them in order of priority (I still have some in bags.) I washed what I could in hot water and put them in the dryer. I then placed all hanging clothes in PEVA plastic hanging bags (get online at Container Store.com) Now, if anything comes out of those bags, it does not go back until washed or cleaned again. My entire closet has the clothes in plastic. I also purchased plastic bags for my drawers and linen closet (I threw out most linens.) The best plastic bags are the kind you would normally suck out the air for space purposes, only don’t suck it out, just undo when you need something out. Also, be sure to vacuum and wipe out all drawers, etc.
2. Get some Diatomceous Earth online (1 lb bag will do.) I did not read instructions and warnings well enough at first so I pretty much dumped it everywhere – DO NOT DO THIS – it tore up 5 vacuum cleaners. The proper way would be to dust every so slightly with this on baseboard especially in closets, under things, etc. It will kill all insects and is not poisonous. It is dangerous to inhale so be careful when applying.
3. I threw away all upholstered furniture and am only now buying new. I vacuum everyday and clean thoroughly once a week( dust, bathrooms, etc.) you could probably eat off my floors. I never leave out towels or anything they might eat. Everything goes into a plastic bags until washing and stays in plastic until I need it.
4. When I moved I had my closest friend help me. Nothing was packed in a box. EVerything was wiped off and I mean down to every little object. I threw away a lot if I was not certain it could be wiped off well enough. After wiping, I put it in a plastic bag and took the bags to my car where I had laid out plastic sheeting – then drove it to new house. It took three days. Unfortunately, she has found them at her house now after helping me out. I hate that.
5. My family thinks I am crazy, but recently my daughter found her house is now infested and so is my son’s. They can’t live like I am living – and I am so afraid of them coming over and bringing bugs back. I haven’t seen any more since I moved.
6. I truly understand your feelings – I am about to go insane myself and I cry a lot. I am 57 years old and never heard of these demon bugs before. People won’t come see me and they don’t want me at their house. For all practical purposes, my life is ruined.
When I return home from work, I walk into the door and strip down in the foyer where I have plastic garbage bags waiting for my shoes and clothing. I then get in the shower, wash hair too and put on clean clothes out of my plastic bags. I feel confident and enjoy the evening. I wear flip flops around the house and will often put them under the faucet if I am concerned. I removed all bedding except sheets and blanket and took down all drapes. Basically there is nothing more for CB’s to eat.
So, you need to clean and clean out first. Apply DE and take all other precautions with clothing in plastic, etc. Move if you can and start new, but only take what you have to and make sure you keep the plastic. If you move, put out DE before moving in.
Best of luck to you.
I am 53 years old and need glasses to read and I can see the beetle with my 10X loupe- even my son who sees perfectly can’t make out if it is a beetle or not without some kind of magnifying glass. Plus the fact that they are enclosed or wrapped in lint sometimes. The things I have been reading say they can be 1/16 of an inch. How can you tell if something that small is a beetle or just a piece of dirt or lint? I have a perfect example that I want to look at under a microscope and prove once and for all that I am not seeing imaginary bugs. With my 10X I can see that it is gray with little black dots but I have seen other colors too. I have caught maybe 2 larger ones that can be seen with the naked eye but most if not all are small or smaller that pepper flecks. I also read on a State University website that Pet Hair is their favorite food.
Quote from Jonathan Hatch:
“Really, carpet beetles will eat just about anything, and I mean anything: carpets, furniture, lint, hair, garments, blankets, pet food, animal nests, animal carcasses (think: dead mice), dead insects, leather, even pollen from those flowers your significant other gave you on a whim.” end quote.
It is the carpet beetle larvae that eat- I have read that. But the adults ARE getting on me. I am not saying that they bite me. They get in my ears and even my nose. I have caught them with sticky tape there. I don’t know why they swarm me? Maybe they are trying to find a place to lay eggs since they try to find places that will have a good food source for their larvae.
I never experienced them getting on me, so not sure what to tell you about that other than you sure they are carpet beetles. CB’s usually try to stay in the dark.
I have to use a magnifying glass to see them too. I use a sticky lint brush (have them everywher I go) to roll over one when I see it. Then I can spend time examining if needed. It also makes picking them up very easy or checking on furniture before you sit down – multiple uses.
The adults are easy to spot, mine were the varied carpet beetles so they looked like brown and beige lady bugs. I had on solid black one. The larvae are hard for me to see although easier as they get large and mature. Sometimes just a black dot that starts moving is the clue.
Robin,
I think you need to get rid of your upholestered furniture, you aren’t going to able to fight this. Your infestation sounds worse than anything I have heard of.
Hey All,
It has been a while. Amanda how are you??? I have been thinking about you. I am doing okay. Still fighting the good fight. I know how everyone feels. we spread these things to my parents, my sister, and our friends!!! So now instead of having a huge anxiety attack everytime I go home, I have one whenever I see my parents with holes in their clothes. Sue- I know how you feel. I have all my clothes in plastic bins. It’s like I don’t live like a normal person. Ughhhhhh
It is just so difficult for other people to understand how a little bug can put your whole life in a tail spin.
Hang in there everyone.
Dyell
Tim-
Since this is your website this question is for you…Why don’t exterminators seem to really know about these things? it sounds as though they are pretty common. My exterminator insisted that there must be a “source” but I find them every where. He also seemed really shocked when I told him that I had passed them on to other people. Is this common? Are they that easy to spread?
Dyell
Dyell: I have two answers, one cynical and one not.
Cynical answer: Exterminators don’t actually want to cure your problem, because then there’s no repeat business. They want to just knock the infestation back far enough to satisfy you for now, but then have it return in a few months so that you will call them again. Like the joke about the “perfect” disease from a doctor’s point of view, “The patient doesn’t die, but also never quite gets well!”
Non-cynical answer: He’s basing this on what he’s been told by the people who actually study carpet beetles. And they say that:
(a) the adult beetles don’t generally stay with the larvae, but go out into the light, eat nectar and pollen, mate, and lay eggs at new sites, and
(b) that the spreading is by the adult beetles flying off, not by people moving around the larvae. The larvae can’t lay eggs until they become adults, so if you move them around they still have to mature to start laying eggs. At which point they fly off.
I don’t think you need to worry about “spreading” them to other people, because the carpet beetles are already ubiquitous outdoors. If other people have food sources in their houses for them, the beetles will come in from outside given half a chance. They are pretty sure to have them already. A larva that you happen to bring to their house is just going to mature, become a beetle, and then try to leave the house to find a mate. It’s much more likely that you are telling them that you might have brought in carpet beetles, so they look for the first time in their lives, and find them. And immediately assume, along with you, that they got them from you (even though they actually had them all along).
I had been meaning to get back on here and of course I just found an adult beetle on the kitchen counter so I’m back. Mom and I found an adult in the carpet by the baseboard on the weekend too.
I would be more focused on freaking out over the one on the counter (not sure which is worse the thought of them in my clothes or in my food ugh) if I weren’t busy feeling horrible over the events of the past week here. Ever since my brother had said he found larvae in his room I have been kind of avoiding him. Talking to him was fine but as far from him as possible and if he sat in anything I wouldn’t sit there for a day or two. I can’t help but feel like this is the reason he’s now in a hospital. We had a situation where mom and I thought he was acting strange so I called 911. When he heard the police and paramedics in the hall he tried to keep me from answering the door by grabbing me. I started screaming and I know it was because I was more worried about the carpet beetles than anything. Because that’s what I was thinking the whole time he was talking to me before “just stay away from me. Don’t sit in that chair.” So after he grabbed me I eventually got to the door and the paramedics were in the hall. I was worried what he would do to himself but it was a while before the went in to the apartment. In that time he hurt himself (mom says he said later it was because he was afraid the police would shoot him for grabbing me.) I keep replaying it in my head thinking if my mind wasn’t on overload about carpet beetles all the time I know I would have reacted more calmly rather than screaming my head off and trying to get him off of me. This ridiculous fear I have of them is the reason my brother is in the hospital. And I can’t explain that to anyone. My family. Even a therapist would think “you have bugs in your house? You’re dirty” I can’t live like this anymore. After I kill one I wash my hands in super hot water for minutes on end and then I don’t touch certain things (like new clothes) that I’m trying to keep as uncontaminated as possible, but I realize it’s futile. And my mom’s visiting my brother in the hospital (who might not be able to walk again because of this) while I’m here at home freaking out about bugs.
sorry it goes on and on Amanda. Seems to with me but nothing like at the other apartment at all
I am curious if anyone else on the blog is allergic to the hairs of the larvae? I have not seen a full grown ready to pupate larvae here . I have seen sheddings and have about 15+ beetles frozen with the date and where I found them.
I got blisters 2 times and now my clotes are itchy again. one of my animal companions we thought had a yeast infection on its tail and feet but now it looks like my blister. it its shaped like the larvae and gets really red. it itches and then for the ncxt 7 days it hurts
I got very upset
anyone allergic its called carpet beetle larvae dermatitis?
anyone get itchy from you clothes??
also found this grey , tan stuff stuck to one of my shirts like the time I woke up and had it up and down the front of my night shirt washed it three times and it still did not come out. did not come out this time 4 washes.
thanks hope all is subsiding with everyone
the last place was a true nightmare this is manageable.
hello all, I have been very busy, vacuuming, cleaning, washing clothes- drying 90 minutes instead of the automatic stop when dry cycle, (hate to see my electric bill), living out of plastic bags, put out the diatemaceous earth, and dare I say??? I can’t hardly wait for winter and I hope that it is very cold this winter. The news warned us that this would be bad for insects but I never thought anything like this. First we had fungus gnats, 1000’s of them! There were big dead piles of gnats. Then we had drain flies- I researched online and found pictures to identify all of these insects. OK so- find the source and clean and clean the drain lines and look for and clean any mildew. Done and Done. THEN- these beetles- I have just about had it, my immune system is down, I am depressed, I am itchy and that is one of my pet peeves, I cannot stand to itch. But knock wood- maybe, hopefully, we are slowly getting rid of this demon beetle. I still have so many questions like, if the adult beetle is not eating then why are there 100’s of the (dead I hope) beetles on the elastic of my underwear and on every seam in my clothes? Also I thought that heat would kill the beetles so I put lots of clothes in plastic bags and put them in the car. It has been in the 90’s here and supposedly vehicles heat up to at least 140 degrees. So my son drove me to the store last week and I was trying to grab something out of the back floorboard and felt that familiar sting. I jerked my hand back and uggggghh it was one of those gross blobs on my hand. Thank goodness my son was driving me because I would have wrecked! So now I guess my car is infested. But the last 5 days have been good, I slept for 2 days thanks to my psych’s prescription but I don’t want to continue taking this many mg. I go back tuesday and I don’t know what to tell the Doc? “Yes Doc you were right”, “I was seeing pretend bugs”, ????
Also, does anyone know- I have a small 3X7 pool in the back and I have been putting some bleach in there and going out and soaking when the itching gets too bad, does the bleach kill the beetles if they are on me?? I see them in the water but can’t tell if they are dead. But it feels so nice to feel there are no bugs on me when I get in there. Does bleach kill the beetles?
Annie- almost forgot – YES- I have the dermatitis. I have C shaped scars on me. I get a swollen burning then itching sensation. I have marks on my knuckles and I don’t know if it’s related but my right arm is swollen and my fingers and toes are swollen like sausages- though this may be related to all of the cleaning I have been doing.
Sorry to bother but another question- I have been putting some articles- books,shirts etc in the oven at 200 degrees for ? 30 minutes to an hour. I don’t know if this helps but I am very careful and keep an eye on it. Also the microwave for 2 minutes. Obviously I can’t put jeans with zippers or any metal in the microwave. Anyone think this kills the beetles?
Robin:
Please don’t put flammable objects like books and clothing into the oven, even at a 200 degree setting. Home oven thermostats are not very accurate, and this is an excellent way to start a nasty home fire. And dry heat is a poor sterilizing agent, it would take many hours (or possibly days) at 200 degrees F to accomplish anything.
Microwaves are even worse. They are notoriously ineffective for sterilizing purposes. You can’t count on microwaves killing any small living thing, whether insects or bacteria. But you are taking a good chance that an un-noticed metal piece on your clothing will start a fire in your microwave.
Basically you are taking a very serious risk of burning down your home, and accomplishing nothing. “Keeping an eye on it” isn’t good enough, it can go from looking OK to a major fire in less than a minute. Please don’t do it.
And please don’t soak in bleach, either. I don’t care what any conceivable insect might be doing to you, soaking in bleach is worse. Much worse. If you keep it up, it will give you a nasty chemical burn all over your entire body.
Anything that occurs to you as a way to kill insects that you think are on your body, is likely to injure or even kill you, too. Human flesh is quite fragile. So please, don’t do these things to yourself.
ok, if it doesn’t help I won’t do it. But they put “chlorine” in pools and for a small pool I have always used a little bleach instead. Believe me- I have asthma- I don’t put a lot, if I did it would affect my breathing. I did a search and on poolsolutions.com quote, “In many parts of the country, plain 6% household bleach is the cheapest, and sometimes the easiest, way to chlorinate your pool.” I’m sorry I gave the impression that I am soaking in bleach, just a soak in a pool.
Oh that’s great! I just found a carpet beetle at work. Is nothing sacred?! And it’s not like I can tell my boss he’d be like “well how do you know what it is? You must have brought them.” Oh to be one of those lucky people who don’t know these things exist.
My new house seems to be clear of bugs. My problem is now I don’t want anyone to come to my house. When they do, I vacuum the floor anywhere they walked. My daughter has these bugs at her house now and so does my son. It appears they may have begun at my son’s house a few years ago and we all carried them to our houses. My daughter and son-in-law think my behavior is crazy (which it is,) but now that my daughter is seeing them in her closet, on her clothes, etc. she is getting a little on board. Apparently, they can both live with these things in a way that I cannot. I am worried about the above comments that the young larvae are microscopic – I was hoping that the stings I feel were my imagination.
I agree 100% with the comment above about wanting my life back before I knew these things existed. no one has heard of them, and I am losing my mind ……
Physically, I am losing the battle with trying to keep two houses vacuumed every day. I keep my grandson so when I am at my daughter’s house, I try to watch for them and vacuum. When I come home, I go through my ritual and then vacuum for an hour.
Honestly, I think I must have died and this is hell.
I’m back! So I ended up getting hired full time at my job…of course this is a month or so after I spotted a carpet beetle there. It’s my first day and I find myself sitting here freaking out because of thinking about being here every day with them and trying to act normal around all the normal people who don’t notice these kinds of things and have no idea about them. Also mom and I got into a HUGE fight because she said I need help to deal with my “issues.” I got upset because she was writing this off as a phobia and saying I’m crazy. I’m not crazy! Not wanting to live with bugs is not being crazy. I wish I didn’t have to deal with them. My life would be great if I could just put on a shirt and not have to worry if they’ve gotten to it yet. I’m doing what I can to at least try to reduce spreading them to other people so as a result I’ve got a pile of stuff in a chair in the corner of the living room (it’s furthest from any sightings so I’m hoping it’s safe for the time being.) She’s upset that my “phobia” is taking over her chair and wants to move all the stuff and the idea of that freaks me out to no end. Although I know this new pile is just like the last and they have probably already invaded it and I’m just living in denial.
This site drives me nuts!! I had typed about 3 paragraphs and hit some key on the keyboard and ALL my typing/words were gone!! This is the 2nd time this has happened to me! grrrrrrrr:(
This one will be shorter. I have not seen any carpet beetles or been stung in about 2 weeks!! 🙂 I am still cleaning places they may hide- it’s never-ending. For example opening/unscrewing the stereo speakers and vacumming them out etc. It seemed that the casemaking clothes moth was making a comeback but they don’t bother me as much and I kept behind them and haven’t seen any of those either lately! I feel I need to start all over again where I started and pull out all of the bedroom furniture and vacuum behind everything again. Next I plan to caulk every seam/crack that I can find. I have found a couple of cast shells but they were very dry so maybe old (knock on wood).
Sue, I can empathize with you. When my bugs were at their worst and I felt like I was being eaten alive- I had thoughts like; “have I died and I just don’t know it yet?” Also I wondered if my cancer had come back and that was why the bugs swarmed me and no one else. And I still don’t think my husband or son believed me or my doctor. The doctor insisted I take an increased mg of a pill that my son calls “a lobotomy in a pill”. The only person that believes me is my daughter who also has the beetles but even she doesn’t seem to want to talk about it. That is a BIG problem for me- I have a need to talk about this and no one wants to listen or even believe it.
My clothes are still in plastic bags. I still need to clean, caulk some more in my walk-in closet before I trust putting clothes in there. I am also still sprinkling 20 Mule Team borax in drawers, against the walls. But I think the diatamaceous earth was what really helped the most.
Robin: Sorry about your problems with comments being lost. I’ve had that happen to me, too. A couple of times, I lost whole posts and had to re-do them from scratch. As far as I know, there’s nothing much that can be done about it, other than maybe writing comments in Notepad and then copy/pasting them over to the WordPress comment block when they are done.
You are so right! I think of that everytime- after it is too late- and want to kick myself:)
Excuse my spelling I do not have spell check nor my glasses. ps i even got my cell phone replaced 2 times. everything has to be fumigated or dumped. seriously I do not trust the dryer to be hot enough. I rent it may be dicferent if you own your home.
Hi, I did find at least 15 beetles in Feb and March in the center of the new apartment. I sprayed with Gentrol after using the Siphrotrol by Vet Kem. I have still been obsessive compulsive and look at every dust pan of stuff I sweep etc. Its awful.
I wanted to report that :
1 I paid for flooring 0 the owner removed the carpet its a 2 bd place and I had to move as I am allergic to the larvae hairs and get blisters
2 get owner agreements in writing. I did not and got screwed. He was supposed to paint the entire unit and did not nor did he clean. I have housing authority voucher and they passed the place with a hole going out to the deck and loose windows so I have been very much on my own constantly searching still.
3 I sprayed a total of 3 times I brought nothing with me except 3 paintings, 4 oriental carpets, and my car . they all were fumigated in a warehouse like they do for termites.
it was a 3 day process.
4- I have only found 1 live tiny larvae. I have had 3 blisters. so I will be doing the spray again I have been here for 1 year in January.
I have seen signs like sheddings and trail marks . I did tell the owner I was suspicious of the new cabinets that came from shina. I am sure they had a few already as I documented what I call rub marks they are the same shape and size of a llarvae with hair marks you can see.
So this time I will spray the cabinets inside and out
All my food is in the freezer or fridge and bagged or in containers. All my clothes are in bags. I change the plastic bags after I spray to new ones from the freezer. I was afraid to say anything to my neighbor but she was open to all my quirks
I sspent 2 months in a hotel room and took a lint roller everyday to the entire room to be sure I did not bring anything with me when I got my car back and then moved in here.
I did cry when I found the beetles 1 dead in front ot the firidge the first night. sad but now there are cockroaches. the owner is a slum lord. He laughs at me The disterict attorney tried to mediate with him and he did not respond so I am going to court over his not keeping his agreement with me, raising the rent as per all the work he was rto do. he still has not put on wall plates
This is strill a relief. I reuse to vbuy any furniture unless its glass or metal. I did get a wood futon couch from a client / friend so far itr is fine. I sprayed itr before it got moced in.
I would say the Gentol is a life saver. its birthcontrol for bugs it stops reproduction. I know if there is 1 larvae alive they are here but I sprayed after finding it and it waas very small so cross my fingers.
Has anyone else used Gentrol
I will spray my car as well due to the cockroaches a whole other issue
German roaches carry staph and strep just get them identified
take care and happy holidays I think maybe of inesting in plastic bag and container makers. what has made rhese critteres so hard tro gert rid of??? Something we did to the environment most likely.
Annie, I can completely sympathize with you. My infestation(s) started around August. First we had fungus gnats that were everywhere. I did some of the things I learned online and got rid of them. Then it was the casemaking clothes moth. I think we still have a few of these but I try to wash everything in hot water with borax and stay behind them while taking them out. But the most ferocious are the carpet beetles. I too am very allergic to the uticarial hairs that the larvae spread. Not only that, and this is why it is so unbelievable, I think that the very small beetles are attracted to me for some reason. I was having itching sensations and when I sticky taped there was always a black spot. And when I bathed I strained the water and found 12 once in the bath water. Again, I am not saying the beetle itself is biting me but that if it crawls onto me IT ITCHES! I have learned so much about them and I can spot a beetle or a shed skin from a mile away.
Luckily whatever I did must have gotten rid of most because I haven’t had but one skin eruption since around October(knock on wood). And no itching so far. I bought a cheap microscope mostly to convince myself that what I have been seeing and feeling was real and NOT imagined. My son and husband still think I’m nuts I think. And why is it that nobody wants to talk about it? I desperately need to vent and no one will listen. Even my daughter who had the same problem last summer doesn’t seem to want to talk. They will change the subject really fast. Do they think that if they talk about it that they may see what they think are imaginary bugs too? Anyway I did the complete house cleaning, washing, top to bottom, vacuuming and placed borax or diatamacious earth at the corners and crevices and along all the walls of my home. I also steamed ironed everything that I could including furniture. I had one chair that I had bought from a thrift shop and I wish someone could have seen what fell out of the bottom of that chair while I was ironing the bottom with the cushion out. Seems like no one is around when I make these weird discoveries. I am a night person while hubby and son are not. So I clean a lot when they are asleep. The nasty imprints are still on the chair where they had been. The nasty cocoon-like things. And nasty lumps of ? larvae fell out of the chair. Since they were not fully developed it looked like big clumps of snot or small oysters – Yucckkkk!! Also the dishwasher had gotten clogged up and when I cleaned it there were many very small beetles in the screen and lots of that nasty slime that is very difficult to get off.
But now came Thanksgiving and family were coming to my house to eat. I decided it was time to do another full cleaning and wipe up most of the diatamacious earth dust that was everywhere. Everytime I found something I thought would be interesting to look at under my scope I would use my clear sticky tape and look at it when I got a chance. And I found many dead beetles and lots of shed skins when I cleaned. One night I was taking a break and looked up and saw a very fresh larvae/pupa? on my kitchen bar. Where did it come from? I was sitting right there sorting mail, it was not there when I sat down? How do they move so fast? I must have disturbed it when I cleaned the area? I immediately looked at it under my scope and it was definitely a larvae- though I am not an expert and I can’t identify it as beetle or whatever. I also found 3 dead rather large beetles, the size of lady bugs. One was green and two were black with dots on them. Also found man dead pin-head sized beetles. Also when I cleaned I continued to see shed skins popping out of nowhere around my kitchen sink. And most women know that when the sink is full of soapy water that you are always wiping the area aroung the sink. I would dip my dishcloth,wring and wipe the stove only to come back to the sink area and see that familiar orange/tan/white shape and think where did THIS come from? The most interesting thing I think was one of those tiny salt -like granules that my daughter and I find on our bodied from time to time. I was watching tv and felt a little itch and it was one of these particles that look like small grains of salt. I was gonna see what this was once and for all! Just from looking at it on the end of your finger it looked whitesh like salt and felt kind of hard. When I put it onto a slide under my scope and looked I couldn’t believe it!! The thing had hairs and bug legs and what looked like internal organs. I had already read that some of the insect’s eggs looked like grains of salt but this looked like a beetle. You would have no idea if you didn’t see it for yourself.
But alas…do you think anyone will look into my microscope??? NOOOOOOO. No one is interested anything I find. So it is just me in my war against the invaders.
I think you need to get some powder down along all of your walls. It seems like a kind of defensive barrier against the bugs. But I think I went overboard and put too much. It is hard to clean up and everything seems to be covered in a fine powder.
My hubby and son are not affected by the allergy- but that just means that they were exposed to bed bugs or lice while they were children and have become immune.
Also- IT IS environment! Last winter was the warmest ever recorded and there were no hard freezes to kill the bugs. Here’s hoping for a very cold, snowy winter even if we have to chop trees to stay warm. We need COLD weather!
And thanks for letting me vent.
PS.- One more thing! I happened upon a pic that I don’t remember seeing before. It was the fungus fly pupa/larva and it looked VERY similar if not identical to the carpet beetle larvae.
Also, does anyone know what these “cocoons” things are that I keep finding? This may seem humorous but they look just like the “Smacks” cereal. I found one behind a picture frame and they always seem to be halved like something has come out. Told my son I don’t thing I can ever eat smacks again.
So the inevitable happened. I hadn’t seen anything in months (well okay hadn’t really had time to look and wanted to be able to live in denial) but I swear I saw a larvae yesterday in the bathroom (even during denial times I apparently always subconsciously look around baseboads and things) but it scurried away before I could kill it. So now it’s out there somewhere. In the meantime I’m still doing the best I can to live a “normal” life after knowing these things exist but it’s not easy. I have separate areas for my work clothes and regular clothes just to try to keep my sanity. I know realistically my regular clothes are no doubt contaminated too. All I buy now is polyester or other fake cloths because I think the beetles don’t eat those.
And now to follow up the weekend my worst nightmare came true this morning. My glasses fell on the floor as I got out of bed this morning. I’ve dreaded this happening forever. I felt around in the dark in vain looking for them. It was all I could do to touch the carpet let alone put them on my face once I did find them. You see the bedroom floor is where I’ve found the majority of the larvae. I ran my glasses under hot water for as long as I could stand but eventually I had to just suck it up and get on with my day. I’m petrified that one of their invisible eggs is on my glasses now and may end up in my hair or my eyes or ears. This is my biggest fear with these things. I know I sound full on crazy but these are the things I worry about. I want these bugs out of my life and I want to forget they exist but alas that will never happen.
Hi Hey Robin, I am just like the email I got but did not read till this morning from November 2012. I am in my new place expecting larvae. Last year in Feb andMarch I found 15 beetles even though I had the carpet removed and floors put in I have bought no furniture. Food is all frozen or in the fridge not the cabinets and bagged or in jars. my clothes are in bags and I change the bags every few months. I had people staying for 3 wks and one was a chef. I kept staying up and sweeping and searching. lots of sheddings. so far one live larvae hair and all very visible to me 3 months ago and 1 tiny one 2 days ago on the edge of the granite counter top. ugh.
then neighbor had worst cockroach infestation ever. entire apartment next to mine. so now I have them.
landlord is a fool. He came running to me but never called a pest company cause he is cheap money stealing stuck up nut. so he borrowed my spray for the appliances cause he found a cockroach nest. He should have dumped the appliances. used the entire can did not read instructions it was for 2000sq ft. unbelievable. I am the one that is going to suffer cause I search them out i am so ocd with all this.
I save all the specimens and am buying a scope too!~
will keep you posted. its being allegic that is worst . I have had blisters for over over 4 weeks time before they begin to heal. if I ever get my head straight I will down load photos. it has really taken a toll on me on top of fighting for my rights as a tenant.
Landlord pushed into my apartment 2 weeks ago and had to file a restraining order etc.
Robin email anytime .. Annie
funny how I can not read w/o my glasses but i can see SHEDDINGS
Hello, Annie, Amanda and all- sorry so long- I had lost my link after rebooting my computer because of a virus but found a backup I had made with my favorite sites on it. So far- still no bites or itches and even no shed skins!! I think the diatamaceous earth and borax that I used really worked. When I sweep I always find dead beatles- all kinds of them- but they are dead! They cannot survive this stuff. If they walk through it it will kill them. But I will forever be on guard. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much because maybe the beetles don’t come out until the fall- like last year. I would encourage anyone to sprinkle the powder all around the outer(inside) perimeter of their home and around and behind refridgerators, ranges etc. Also I put it into the cracks and crevices of my sofa and chairs. But don’t go overboard and use too much! It just takes a little. Just so I could control it better I bought one of those squeeze bottles that Lowes and home depot sells for roach control, and used that then filled the bottle back up with the diatamaceous earth I had bought in a bag. Good luck!
Here we go again. I just get close to having a good life and now we’re back to the beetles. I’ve been seeing someone new and trying to be as normal as possible but behind the scenes I will only get in his car or whatever after a fairly intense routine of bathing and wearing new clothes etc etc. He’s now asking to get together after work…which would be in my work clothes and I consider them all contaminated because I’ve seen beetles at work too. What if some day we want to move in together? All I can think about is worrying about spreading these things to him and then him seeing me freak out. I hate having this big secret craziness going on in my head because I’m so close to being happy. I hate it. I don’t want to worry about these things. I don’t want to know they exist. So today the inevitable. I’ve never been comfortable. Still examining every piece of lint and mark on the floor. Today one moved. I feel sick to my stomach. I can’t live like this. No one should have to.
I haven’t posted on this site for quite a while. I see lots of people being “tortured” by the little critters. I, too, was driven crazy several years ago and cleaned like a lunatic when i first found CB in my apt. Never saw them before but never lived on the ground floor of an old building and then experienced them.
I kinda got a bit “Zen” about them and stopped being frantic and driving myself crazy. I still see some adults, not many actually, see very little larvae at all but I know that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
Once I relaxed about them and realized there were more of them than me… it was easier.
Brava4: I agree completely. Insects of one sort or another are always around, although you may need a magnifying glass to see them. Worrying about them will just make a person crazy. It’s best just to accept that they are going to be there, and think about them as just being another natural and harmless component of household dust.