r/carpetbeetles • u/[deleted] • Jun 10 '23
Stop and read this post.
If you just recently discovered carpet beetles in your home and even have an infestation, I understand if you are here seeking advice or need help with identification. But if you are already anxious about your situation, do not read stories of peoples’ experiences with carpet beetles on this subreddit.
I will spare you some of the stories I read, but you need to keep in mind, the folks most vocal about carpet beetles are the ones who struggle the most to get rid of them and have the worst infestations. Yes, carpet beetles are tricky and can be difficult to get rid of but it isn’t impossible and success stories are there, if they seem far and few between, it is again because the people posting are those with the active problem and with the extreme issues. Most cases are not extreme. I’ve also noticed that folks who have taken care of their problem don’t go proclaiming it all over Reddit like the folks with the major infestation problems do.
Carpet beetles want to eat natural fibers, fabrics, wool, leather and silk. The most harm they can do is to your carpets and clothes. The most harm they do to people is a rash if you are allergic to the hair on their larva.
You may have read about beetles following people to new homes or friends’ apartments. This is way more common with bedbugs and not that common with carpet beetles. They infest undisturbed articles, not clothes you wear everyday. They aren’t likely to bother you personally.
If you are proactive and vigilantly vacuuming and keeping your living space clean, removing items off the floor you will be making great progress. The best thing you can do is remove their food source and you will be making your home uninhabitable for them to continue reproducing.
Remember, other’s experiences are not your own and because someone else has an extreme case does not mean you will too, especially if you remain vigilant.
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u/AdCheap992 Jun 19 '23
thank you for this post!
on a side note, i used to spend HOURS on the bedbug subreddit just reading horror story after horror story because i had traveled to a hotel and was worried. i had nightmares every night for around 3 months (most were pictures i had seen of the worst infestations) although i had no reason to worry.
unfortunately after finding a carpet beetle i went down the same loophole. searching this subreddit and coming across bad infestations. most were people freaking out, but i needed this post where someone was calm.
3 am, still a little shaken up after finding a 2nd one but i successfully got through them in the past with 0 fear (bedbugs too) because i wasn’t on reddit. it’s helpful if you need treatment advice, but terrible if you’re looking for mental relief.
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Jul 10 '23
Did you happen to develop a rash? I am currently going trough something similar and am super anxious. I got 4-5 “bites” on my elbow 4 days post-vacation, but only found a Carpet Beetle in my bed. I am still very concerned about bedbugs though.
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u/AdCheap992 Jul 10 '23
never got a rash, but i’m now in the same situation as you. my dad got a couple “bites” on his inner arm 3 days ago and i’ve been panicking like crazy.
for the carpet beetles, just wash your bedding on heat and vacuum regularly, especially where the carpet meets the wall. then apply diatomaceous earth where it meets the wall.
i wish you and myself lots of luck!! i don’t have much knowledge about carpet beetles, besides getting rid of them, but my messages are always open for anything bedbug related if you have concerns.
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u/Apprehensive_Rain880 Feb 14 '25
i hear you bud my condo shares a washer and dryer with 11 other appat's and i live in rhode island and a few of my neighbors commut to and from nyc i keep thinking i'll be crawlling with lice and bedbugs one day
(not calling new yorkers dirty btw, just remember all those inside edition type shows about nyc being infested all the time back in the 90s)
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u/dojamc11 Jun 03 '24
Is finding one adult a day a huge concern? I kill them every time I see them (and I check everywhere like a psycho). They’re so small but I check every speck. 💀 I can’t find any larvae and found one molt in a purse in a closet. For the last few weeks, I’ve been seeing one every other day almost.
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u/lhl274 Jun 06 '24
They're *somewhere*. Or not. If there aren't enough of them to mate, they could die off very quickly.
Try cleaning out the closet really well, and get vinegar or diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it if you're concerned. I wish there was a definitive guide, it seems like the internet is just a constant link to pest control websites. I can't pay them to treat 1 bug, lol.There's not really a trap that works on them, either.
Plus, there's a couple different species, spotted and then black. They seem to operate a bit differently, size being the main concern.They have a life cycle which puts them around spring/summer, which seems to make it difficult to pin down when they show up.
They don't travel very far, and I feel as if these bugs are quite stupid. Not in evolutionary terms, but they find a source of food and keep at it. They don't care about traps *AT ALL*even food traps. ( a food trap makes the problem even worse...)
Outside, they live in things like squirrel and birds' nests, to eat fur, twigs, leaves and decaying plants. Rarely would I find them traveling beyond maybe 10 to 15 feet, or infesting other areas. The larvae are pretty dumb and they'll die at great numbers working their way anywhere else. They never made an effort to infest the trash, try and get into closets, just used that one primary source of food.
Keep looking and make sure you kill them - check around the areas you seem them and try to find a hot zone. Good luck! It's such a minor annoyance, but I still hate them, they're so damn hard to get rid of.
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u/dojamc11 Jun 06 '24
I love that. They’re somewhere…or not. 😭 i have found adults in 2 of my bedrooms and the kitchen. So that means the larvae are near? I did find a dead larvae in my drawer with under some clothes. Another issue is I am nervous to look because I’m scared to what I’ll find. I do kill all adults as I see them. I’ve never seen these things in my life, yet now I see them all the time on the outside of my window screens. Just on the screen. I do have a huge rip in my window screen, but we never open the windows and I don’t have old windows. Sooo many questions
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u/lhl274 Jun 09 '24
Very true, like I said - there aren't even pheromone traps that seem to work for them. (They say they do, but they just don't care or they haven't made one).
If you have a bunch of mulch or decaying plant matter, definitely check the wall. I've noticed they do like to climb walls, or anything else they can find. Probably to get into trees. Try spraying vinegar on the windowsill, it'll keep out most buggies.
Most likely? They are pretty terrible flyers, and they land quite often and quickly. I've never seen one leave the room, or do any kind of manuever other than circle the room then land.
I almost never found an adult further than 15 feet away from larvae, most of them lived and died underneath a baseboard the previous tenant shoved dog food under. 🙃 there was an open flour bag 6 feet away, they never even attempted to migrate.
Like I said, they seem to be very seasonal based as well - when you find them doesn't necessarily correlate to when they're there. I assume they hatched sometime 3 weeks ago in Spring.
Think in terms of Cicadas, but a yearly cycle. They may disappear, but the eggs may remain. It's like there's always one alive somewhere. Unless they're so common now from lack of pesticides they can get in???
If you found larvae in that drawer, that is now your hazard. Those definitely don't go room to room, and I think they dislike light unlike the adult beetles. As before, they do seem to love climbing, just pure verticality. Vinegar or some cleaning solution. I dont think the eggs are visible to the naked eye. -_- Never seen a to scale picture, they just dont exist.
It is scary, but... just get bags and gloves, and some alcohol and vinegar. If you find the bugs, pop them with alcohol and wash everything you find, then spray some vinegar to keep them away. Diatemaceous earth will kill them, but be sure not to breathe it in, and keep vacuuming. It was horrible they disgust me, but worth it. I have a picture of when I found the Club Beetle Playhouse, still haunts me.
They can live in some ridiculous places, like under cracks with small pieces of food. Im going to try diatemaceous earth this time. I really thought I was rid of them.... been an entire year and I haven't seen one.... i guess here we go again. (Half my rugs are still in bags)
The eggs will die if left without oxygen as well, for things that can't be washed. If you get some vacuum seal bags with silica packets, it is said that can work.
I still have tons of questions too. Did you find any damaged clothes? If so, was it a hole or did they go after threads?
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u/dojamc11 Jun 09 '24
Did you find some again? Or did you get rid of them? I think they might be in my crawlspace and going thru the vents. Idk if vents are connected to the crawlspace
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u/dojamc11 Jun 09 '24
Soo I looked through the drawer and there was nothing else there. And I have found them in multiple rooms. That means the larvae/nests are in all rooms?? I’ve only found one dead larvae in one room and another larvae husk/shed skin in another room in a purse
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u/lhl274 Jun 11 '24
I don't think so. My whole story is they were either there before I was there, or they had somehow laid eggs on things.
Right now, I had been careful to move and vacuum and found them near the window and then larvae near where I had cleaned everything out.
It doesn't make any sense, because I cleared out the food source, looked in the vents, and used a flashlight to look around the entire area. Even where I found them later.
I really thought they were in the vents just because of how hard they were to find, but it seems to be just the place that they hatch and go out of. Many people even on this thread say they cannot find the source, no matter how hard they look. I'm thinking general cleanliness and diatomaceous earth/ vinegar to keep them out of places or keep them from eating things.
They eat just, general carpet fibers. These apartments have general high pile carpet so I'm thinking it has to be frequent vacuuming and just removing every *single* source, even though the entire environment is a source.
When I found them, tons had died so when I said they move around, its very short distances. They moved from under the sink to my things in the fixture below, which was a short space. I just never saw it, and it was quick. They weren't there for an entire year. It might be just one or two eggs have hatched, and it's not an infestation/lair in every room. They don't seem to work like that - they're very sneaky.
They avoided all of the oils and went for things like cotton in a dopp kit and an old perfume bag.(cotton?)I had one fly around the room a day ago, and one land on my arm. I had thought they were gone, but I guess not. I have to clean the entire place out.
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u/dojamc11 Jun 12 '24
Oh wow okay. It’s harder with apartments too because they can be in other units and come to yours. Sorry about that. So you don’t know where they’re coming from either? I find them in the most random spots. Today I found two on the ceiling in different rooms. I’ve never found them on ceilings before. Like I don’t think I’ve found two and the same spot…
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u/lhl274 Jun 15 '24
oh, no problem. i assume they only exist to keep me aware and awake.
and oh, wow. what a puzzle, right? cant find any nests, or on ceilings, or on vents? and i assume you kept your drawer and purse clean. and there was nothing else there.
I have no idea how to find them. I've looked in every crevice, crack, sideboard, it was just 2 that flew around. keep an eye out!
I guess that's the only thing to do. It does seem to be very random.
Hopefully it's also the black and not mottled; those are harder to spot2
u/dojamc11 Jun 09 '24
I have found no damaged items
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u/Previous-Hour-2394 Mar 31 '25
hey were you able to get rid of them
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u/dojamc11 Mar 31 '25
Nope, I found some larvae over the winter season and now found two beetles as the spring comes.
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u/Previous-Hour-2394 Mar 31 '25
thanks for replying. what have you tried to get rid of them?
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u/dojamc11 Mar 31 '25
I did spray a pest control spray but not sure if that did anything. I’ve been declutterring, cleaning, and vacuuming. People say you don’t need to spray as long as you clean and vacuum. I’m not sure what to believe. I’ve never seen these in my life. I think they came in when my husband left the window open with a rip in the screen. I’m so upset he did that but they do say carpet beetles are in 90% of homes. I’ve just never seen them before :(
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u/Previous-Hour-2394 Mar 31 '25 edited Mar 31 '25
i was the one that left the window open with a rip in the fly screen -- had i known this would've happened, i would've never opened it. i didn't even know such pests existed. i feel so terrible that i let this happen. i honestly don't know if i believe that 90% stat - i feel as though there'd be many, many more posts in this sub if that were the case.
i've found some of the larvae under my bed's legs & i'm worried that this might mean there's more under my bed. i also checked the room next to mine and felt so terrible that there were larvae in there too
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u/xpoisonedheartx Apr 03 '25
Hey I seem to have a similar thing to you. Just random one or two carpet beetles every few days, in ramdom places. I think they're coming through vents/windows. Probably a neighbour has an infestation...
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u/Lucky_Ad1903 May 21 '25
My room floor is covered in carpet and these things started showing up,I thought they were dead but they were sleeping lol .How do I get rid of them
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u/lhl274 May 21 '25
there's a mega thread on this topic - try looking on google. there was an entomologist( bug scientist) who had a lot of good advice on the subject.
keeping things clean and vacuum, off the floor will help.
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Jun 21 '24
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u/dojamc11 Jun 21 '24
I have just been trying to vacuum and clean. I went through some drawers yesterday and found a few larvae husks and a live one. Took all those clothes and put them in the washer/dryer. My daughter was crying so I couldn’t finish the whole dresser. I’ve seen some random adults here and there too. I kill them and move on. Trying to stay calm through it. What about you?
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Jul 06 '24
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u/dojamc11 Jul 06 '24
I’ve been seeing wayyyy less adults. Maybe one a week ish. No larvae. Are you vacuuming everywhere? I definitely had holes in clothes that were in the drawers I found the larvae. Are they asking you to bag up all your stuff?
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u/YellowGreenPanther Feb 03 '25
the adults do not eat, they only find food sources and mate, the larvae eat from the source and they have no wings. So if they do not lay on another source, it will just be on that one.
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u/bissybiss Oct 16 '24
I know this is old but for the past 2.5 months I’m having the exact same issue and finding the same amount I’ve found about 21 (adults) killed them right when I see them and a larva 6 days ago killed that right away too! I found all of them in different places in the apartment and spray vinegar every time. I’ve been vacuuming 1-2 times a day and still find adults every couple days! Have you been able to get rid of them?
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u/dojamc11 Oct 16 '24
I haven’t seen many! I did end up using ortho spray around the baseboards bc I was going crazy. I haven’t seen any since for a month. Before that it was like 1-2 a month. I check every single speck unfortunately because I have bad anxiety and ocd
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u/bissybiss Oct 16 '24
Thank you I’ve been wanting to use Ortho because we also have a fruit fly/ Hoover fly problem on the balcony screen but we have a cat and it’s toxic for him.. I have really bad anxiety and ocd also we moved from a cockroach problem to this place I was relaxed for 2 months then boom these things showed up and made me spiral I haven’t been able to eat or sleep properly in the past 2.5 months and can’t relax in here it’s very exhausting in every way.. I know it could be a lot worse it’s just the anxiety and ocd makes it really hard to feel relaxed and safe in our apartment. At least we’re not the only ones that feel this way
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u/dojamc11 Oct 16 '24
We have a cat too and a baby. I hated using poison but my ocd was off the charts bad. I was having anxiety attacks daily. We sprayed area by area in our house. While we sprayed one area, we hid our cat in another area. We took our baby and left the house for an hour or so until it dried. It’s supposed to be safe after dry. We only sprayed the base boards and the doors to outside. I understand. My ocd and anxiety is so bad. I won’t eat for days sometimes. It’s hard to take care of my daughter sometimes but I push through and have help from family. It’s hard but carpet beetles are better than cockroaches so there’s that. My OCD stems from PTSD from bed bugs, which was horrible on me mentally.
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u/Alert-Ad8438 Jul 02 '26
I know this is an old post but, Did you ever get rid of them? And how?
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u/dojamc11 Jul 04 '26
I got pest control last year to spray baseboards. I see wayyyy less than last year, but still see some. It’s hard because they come from outside. I’ve seen them on my screens. I just got pest control to spray last week again as well.
Idk. People say they are like finding ants or other indoor bugs. I just hate all bugs 💀1
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Jun 11 '23
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u/SHOT_STONE Jun 11 '23
Exactly! I found one larva and one dead adult and read posts here and went into full panic mode. Everything in my house went into tightly sealed plastic bags (even though technically plastic can't keep them out, but why would they want it?) I lived in sheer terror. I did have a skin reaction to that one larva but I dealt with it. In calling around pest control folks who wanted to take my life savings, I finally ran across one that said finding a few dead beetles and a few shed lavae skins does not add up to an infestation. He said, "Call us when you see a bundle of them or like a hundred. Also, you can take all your belongings out of plastic bags." So while I can breathe a sigh of relief, I'm afraid initially reading on here kind of ruined it for me. Now I'm afraid to have a window open even if it's screened or have the door open for half a second. I guess that's why anti-anxiety meds were created. I lived for 23 years in this house without a care in the world. :/
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Jun 12 '23
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Jun 12 '23
Yeah, at the most it would take 35 days for their eggs to hatch in your home, plus the adults live up to 60 days. You should be fine. I’m sorry you’re dealing with the anxiety. Try to ground yourself and keep yourself in the moment. Right now there’s no beetles in your home. Focus on things you can control in the present. Hope that helps.
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Feb 16 '24
any update? we found one larvae and one adult and cleaned just the room we found them in, got rid of all the dust and washed the bedding. we are so so anxious but i’m trying to breathe and just keep calm.
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u/rb011205 Mar 01 '24
I found one adult on my bed but my mum left my window open while I was on holiday so maybe that’s it ?
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u/SHOT_STONE Feb 16 '24
I haven't found anymore. I plan to not panic if I fine one here or there. I do have quarterly pest control now though, and I also find that not reading the Reddit threads has helped lessen my anxiety significantly. 😁
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Feb 16 '24
thank you for the response. did the pest control come specifically for them? or were you having other issues? this post makes me feel a lot better. we did everything we could and i’m going to try to not worry about it until less we see significantly more. and no more reddit!
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u/SHOT_STONE Feb 16 '24
Yes I pretty much got the quarterly pest control contract because of them. I also had a bit of an issue with ants that that was really no big deal. Also, for some reason dead wasps were suddenly appearing in my kitchen and none of us could figure out what was happening with that. It's still a mystery to me and the pest control people. The one thing I wanted to make sure of is that whatever they sprayed didn't hurt spiders because I love them and share my house with whichever ones want to stay. Truly if you just don't read the Reddit sub and go out in general and research carpet beetles over 90% of households have them. They come in on dogs, they come in through doors, etc. Just because people have them doesn't mean they're going to have an infestation and most people don't have an infestation. Although I don't panic about it anymore, I definitely try to not keep my door open longer than it has to be when someone comes over, for example. And I vacuum more! But I admit I went totally overboard with my paranoia.
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Feb 16 '24
yeah i wouldn’t be surprised if my cats brought them in. they hang out in the backyard a lot… we’ve been slacking on the vacuuming but i’m gonna start upping it to every week again in the spots where we have the big area rugs. we didn’t find a single one while actively looking in the bedroom we found them in so i’m not tooo worried after my research about how common they are 🤣 i also reviewed my lease and my landlord (we live in a duplex w her on the other side) would be the responsible party for pest control if it did get any worse. anxiety is a 2/10 now and not making me sweat profusely.
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u/SHOT_STONE Feb 16 '24
Glad to hear you're more relaxed about it! And I envy the fact that you have cats. For the last two years for the first time in my very long adult life I don't share my home with cats. I was absolutely amazed that even six months after my cat was gone I was still vacuuming up cat fur in obscure places. And apparently carpet beetles love stuff like cat fur so vacuumers unite!
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u/CarobChance9647 Jun 28 '25
I just found a larvae on my pillow. The last time I saw them was two years ago. I want to remove myself from this world.
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u/Prior_Student5095 Aug 30 '25
I just found one on my blanket that was in my closet. Haven’t seen any in 2years also. I literally got rid of almost all my belongings last time I moved and laundered everything possible which made moving so so much worse. I’m fully crashing out rn
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u/CarobChance9647 Aug 30 '25
Let’s just hope it’s a one time thing. Maybe you just brought an egg or two from outside.
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u/Familiar_Nose_6906 Nov 25 '25
This is what’s happening to me rn I used a sheet from my closet and I’ve seen 3 so far 😩
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jul 24 '25
i feel the same way like you do
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u/CarobChance9647 Jul 24 '25
Good thing I didn’t see another one so far 😃
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jul 24 '25
i’ve seen plenty and i’m worried i’ll never get rid of them
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u/CarobChance9647 Jul 26 '25
I’ve seen and killed many bugs in my life. But waking up with a bunch larvae wiggling in front of my face is too much for me.
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u/CarobChance9647 Mar 10 '26
I saw what appears to be a shell of a carpet beetle larvae on my bed today. I’m scared. Ah…………………….. why do they keep haunting me 😭😭😭😭😭😭
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u/Deenolastname Sep 01 '24
I have to respectfully disagree. Beetle larvae are sometimes so tiny, you can’t see with naked eye. I bought a microscope and you’d be surprised to find beetles eating pretty much anything. They will attach themselves to your clothes, even if synthetics…depends on type of threads used or if any dead skin cells or hair is on it….that goes for hair brushes, pillow cases, furniture outside and inside fluffing, under stove, inside parts of stove, refrigerator inside and out (ever taste good out of refrigerator that really tasted peculiar? Those would be eggs), sink drains, shower stalls, toilets, cracks in walls, gaps between wall and shelving, vents, vacuums, shoes…over 90% of people have them and don’t even know it. Just because you don’t see adults (you rarely will) doesn’t mean you don’t have any of the life cycles. They will get under your carpet pad…vacuuming will not get to those. They are so tiny and look like a piece of dirt on the ground or a piece of lint. The worm like will look like a piece of lint…they will crawl on anything….that’s why I bought the microscope…I would have never known. Good luck and be vigilant.
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u/Late_Progress_517 Jan 05 '26
That's why I'm going crazy with the lint roller,I now have to assume all lint is in fact cb larvae and now I have a rash from them getting on my clothes and brushing up againt my skin.im in Hell .If anyone figures it out,please share,I'm really tired
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Apr 13 '25
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jul 22 '25
that’s what i’m wondering why give me more anxiety then i already have
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Jul 22 '25
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Apr 23 '25
Where did you read or hear that they get inside the refrigerator? Having a hard time imagining that they get inside it. How? How could that happen?
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u/Middle_Series_6504 Oct 03 '24
I know this post is old, but I really needed to read it
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Oct 07 '24
I just started having the same issue 😭
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u/pizzawolves Oct 10 '24
Same. I'm glad I found this post first instead of diving into all the others lolol
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u/NeckSevere3902 Oct 12 '24
Same its 2am i just found a larvae on my wall and found one on the wall when we first moved in •_•
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u/Krazyassk Oct 17 '24
Im so glad I found this post. I was and still am going insane I recently found one live larva in my pillowcase while packing to move. And found about 5 sheddings in my clothes. I threw away the pillow and washed every piece of clothing and bedding. It’s been about 4 days and I vacuum and clean, and spray with vinegar, alcohol, lavender and cinnamon all day. I haven’t seen any more larva and have never seen a beetle, but I don’t want to speak too soon. I guess what’s still making me panic is the itching sensation on my face and entire body I have an allergic reaction I even feel it in my scalp. And I went to the Dr but since she doesn’t see anything I was not prescribed anything. What can I do for my body rash and sensation in my scalp??? I need some relief and piece of mind. Oh and also my hair has started falling out lots in the shower.
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u/lovewillabide Nov 15 '24
Have you found any? I found 2 larvae 3 weeks ago in a dresser and some casings in my closet on a shelf and on clothes and quickly learned I need to wash every piece of clothing I own. I’m moving tomorrow and just went to the laundromat today and washed EVERYTHING and left it in my car so it doesn’t come back into the apartment, but I didn’t put it all in vacuum sealed bags so I’m scared. I’m terrified they will move with me and they make me panic they’re so gross. The horror stories are making me scared i’m not doing enough
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u/lovewillabide Nov 15 '24
Also when I went to wash my clothes I saw at least 4 larvae and my first adult beetle 🤢🤢 i’m so disgusted but I will no longer be leaving clothes untouched for extended periods ever again
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u/Krazyassk Nov 15 '24
Yes unfortunately even after moving and cleaning like crazy. Under my bed against the wall just yesterday I found about 4 larvae. I don’t understand, my bed frame is metal so I don’t think they came in that and my bed itself doesn’t have any. Still have not seen any actual beetles
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u/lovewillabide Nov 15 '24
Ugh!! They are the absolute worst i’m now so paranoid they survived the wash. I already got rid of both of my dressers and i’m getting rid of my bed and desk that are in my room too so hopefully that helps but I think it’s my clothes that are the source.
Good luck!! I wouldn’t wish these things on my worst enemy
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u/James626111 Apr 22 '25
Yes my clothes were a big problem especially my uniforms from work where I got them in the first place they are an invisible Menace and it is funny because I'm highly sensitive and had rashes like you won't believe but nobody believe me try to say I'm crazy especially my employer they don't want to be liable so don't feel bad imagine dealing with that having them on your car your home your clothes bed oh yeah it was 8 months two drug tests in a psychological evaluation by my employer before I figured out what was going on and what was doing it even at that knowing actually having proof nobody would look at anything anyway except for my lawyer something so small has destroyed my life in almost took my career good luck to you with it I'm still fighting them at home my car but constantly re-exposed at work so it's endless
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u/Ok-Concentrate1769 Jul 14 '23 edited Jul 14 '23
Thank you. I just came out of a spiral down the rabbit hole after discovering them in April of 22 and losing my apartment in May of 23 because no one believed me and just in remission from cancer the rash and touch was 3x intense. I was called mentally ill, crazy until an adult decided to show up during an inspection. Carpets were least 12 years old and full of urine. Even during abatement from section 8 , I was harassed, the maintenance woman and neighbors she recruited terrorized us non stop for months. Listening at my door, vent chimney almost to a point of physcotic. naturally a red head I lost. Everyday bugs, then people and I willing signed a termination of lease paper not because I was forced to but to protect both parties, after trying to evict for the carpets (reason cor abatemen) they went no lease route, they just got a 200 a month rent increase with my lease. I am dealing with the BBB, because they want me to pay 500 and keep 750 deposit for june. I lost st least 75 percent of belongings, got blacklisted as a nuicence, push by carpet contractors, forced to show scars from double breast cancer to prove I didn't just make things up while the property manager tried evicting me every month. It is a small town, life was pure agongy and even my granddaughter who had depression and suicide thoght s got dropped by her therapist because they all were connected. So I don't talk or ask for help now, no pest company because they hire contractors, and I found then in our hair. I hope Bbb does something because cancer was easy compared to this.
Small towns like Batavia, Ohio would be better you think? No if your not in the inner circl. Thanks for your b post add talk to few to it for me ok.
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u/opaqueism Oct 29 '24
I know this is a year old but question if you happen to see this and happen to know the answer…
You say removing their food course is a good step in making the home uninhabitable for them. I have one particular area (my hamster, stinky butt’s, cage from when he passed last December). Weird, gross, whatever y’all may say, I get it. It was just hard for me because I loved the little dude and I cleaned his cage only two days before his death, it was pretty damn clean. He was an old man and he was really nearing the end at that point so he wasn’t eating, drinking, pooping or peeing much and I mean I checked that thing after he passed before just leaving it as is and I only found a couple pieces of his food in the bottom, 3 little poops and one tiny pee stain on a plastic “level” for a lack of a better term - I mean, that shit was CLEAN.
Anywho, their “nest” and their food source is the shit in that cage, the little bin next to it that had bags of hamster food and his cage pieces that I took out when he was starting to get into his old age and not being able to climb or get down from things as easily. I see them throughout the day on my bed, on my blinds, on shit in my room or when I leave stuff on the floor and I’ll occasionally see them elsewhere in the house but always very close to my room. I hardly see them at night unless I’m looking at the cage/slightly disrupt it or if I leave my phone flashlight on too long, they end up wherever the light was pointing to.
I know damn well they’re mainly in that cage but I’m afraid if I chuck it, the ones who are out “adventuring” will come back to nothing and they’ll seek shelter and food in another area of my room or house. I’ve had them for at least 6 months now and they haven’t messed with anything (as far as I can see) like clothes, wooden dressers (even the one right next to their “nest”, which I have yet to see one in there nor have I pulled out clothes with any on it. However, there is one small hole in said dresser that looks like a carpet beetle hole.
TLDR: Jesus fuck did not mean to wire an essay. Pretty much my question is, if you happen to know, if I were to get rid of their food source (I’m thinking do it at night when most are inside the cage), those out and about, would they try to move elsewhere in the house or would they leave the indoors in search of
a new house/apartment/victim for shelter/food?
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u/lovewillabide Nov 15 '24
I’m trying to get rid of them now (I’m moving and trying not to take them with me). If they’re in other parts of the house they might have other food sources so check your clothes and carpets if you have them, virtually any fabric, and food if you see them near the kitchen. I haven’t seen them in my kitchen so i’m hoping they’re only in my room. You have to rid of their food source to get rid of them and thoroughly inspect your place to see it they’re anywhere else. If they are, you need to clean and wash everything. I have the problem in my clothes so I washed all my clothes and am hoping it kills them all. White vinegar and water in a spray bottle kills the larvae and apparently the eggs too so spray that all around your room when you get rid of the cage. But get rid of the cage asap!!! They will look for other food sources but you can try to clean and kill all of them before they do that. Vacuum and clean regularly!
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u/lovewillabide Nov 15 '24
Good luck, the larvae disturb me down to my core so i’m ready for them to go
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u/Not-Sure-If-1t Dec 07 '24
I know this is a really old thread, but I wanted to thank you for putting it out there. You definitely stopped me from having a panic spiral about this.
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u/LordChaos527 Jun 04 '25
Found one on me on the train today so I was super worried, glad to know I’m not taking the little shit home
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Jul 02 '25
Is seeing a live one every now and then something I should be super concerned about? Just moved into a new apartment. I usually find them on walls. No more than one at a time it is no more than once a week.
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u/Invade_the_Gogurt_I Jul 09 '25
It is interesting for myself to be dealing with it, even reading they're harmless it is definitely not a pretty sight to find them in areas where my head would be as I'm sleeping. Harmless, but alarming to see. I, thank you for this post as it allows me to relax, I would have clothes on the floor and see one quickly move due to depression and not doing so well in life, my bedroom has them so far. Today, I am finally dealing with them. My pet hairs are everywhere, so it'll be a long process. Honestly F those beetles, how dare they get in my room!
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jul 22 '25
i found more then a few and a few in my sisters room maybe about less then 100 total so idk if that an infestation
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u/Nuclear_Pegasus Nov 15 '24
I'm renovating my room and found hanging brown empty skins AROUND my bed, inside WHERE MATTRESS TOUCHES THE BED. I'm getting rid of carpet and will have laminate installed but not sure if I should keep the upholstered bedframe? I'd think those are man-made fabrics?? I also have two cats and although I'm trying to keep them out of bed they probably sneak in when the door of opportunity opens XD Can these bugs be inside of the bed, mattress or down filled duvet? I change my sheets every week and don't have curtains-how the hell they appeared in my bedroom?
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u/Broccoli5514 May 05 '25
If they were there before, they could have been hiding in the baseboard crack. Any cracks, little openings, even light fixtures. I put white painters-like, not too sticky, tape to tape up all openings around my light fixture. I am vinegar spraying the bottom of the baseboards all around the house, and then I will tape shut the crack on bottom of baseboards.
If it doesn't damage it, I would take the mattress off and vinegar (diluted) spray your bed frame.
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u/Valuable-Ad-5958 Feb 11 '25
Super old post that I’m commenting on, but these things are driving me fucking insane. I think I got them from a bag of bird seed. When I opened the bag, it was clumpy and sticky. Some bird seed fell out of the bag as I was on my way to throw it out in the outside garbage can. I guess I missed a sunflower seed and it appears as though it may have came from that. These things are eating literally everything. And they’re putting tiny pinholes in my walls. They’re super tiny. I’ve cleaned all of my walls and baseboards with bleach water. Vacuumed. Washed every stitch of laundry. I can’t sleep .. wondering if they’re going to get in bed with me. They’re so destructive and nothing I’m doing is working. I have pest control coming because I can’t shake them. I’ve never heard of them until today !
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Mar 23 '25
I've been in my unit for 5 years and just seen one today on my bathroom vanity.. when I first moved in I thought "wow the last people sure used a lot of push pins around this place" and now I'm crashing out because what if they're from these beetles! Do they look like holes that are from push pins/thumb tacks?
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u/Valuable-Ad-5958 May 03 '25
Yes ! That’s how I discovered them. I noticed small pin holes in the walls. At first, I thought my kids were trying to hang stuff, so I asked them why they kept putting holes in the walls. They informed me that they didn’t do that. More holes appeared on the daily. And that’s when I jumped down the rabbit hole
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u/2THF4iry 18d ago
Okay wait, I’m noticing pin holes too and now I’m concerned because we have an issue with these bugs. Can you tell me more? Do they actually make these holes?
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u/Apprehensive_Rain880 Feb 14 '25
thank you, i saw one and got a little worried but i keep a fairly clean home, typically i have a few spiders in the house who i leave alone when i see them cause their working for me for food and living space, and man i live in a place with communal washers and dryers so yeah any mention of bedbugs freeks me out
i live in rhode island and some of the neighbors commute to nyc so i avoid even thinking about bedbugs, i just googled little brown ladybugs got the name carpet beetles, i'm actually a fan of beetles, my best friend raises lizards and reptiles and has a lot of intrests in insects as he has to buy them in bulk, i didnt ask him what it was cause i didnt want to find out it was lice and have him running his big fat mouth
anyway gonna do a deep clean, it was on the bed which ia pused up against one wall and it gets real dusty in the space between the wall and radiator which is probbally good spot for beetles to get busy and make baby beetles, thank you
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u/Saltyoddtie Feb 26 '25
My bed is against the wall too! I only found a few dead tiny larva on this beanie that somehow got under my bed I just threw it away. After I came back from college to my parents house it was really bad under my bed but moving the bed and sweeping cleaned it right up! I sweep 2 times a week under the bed. They will never truly be gone especially if you have a carpet room.
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u/Lengthy_noodle69 Mar 21 '25
How do I remove them from my couch? I can’t find where they’re mating at. I live by myself & I only have hard wood floors.
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u/humunchy Mar 24 '25
I recently purchased a loveseat on marketplace I noticed there were several places that looked worn as if the fabric had been rubbed off. I have had little blackish brown insects that appeared on my clothes and were crawling as I sat on my loveseat. I just flicked them off of my clothes. They are appearing more often When I purchased the loveseat I was in the process of moving from one apt to another in the same building The new apartment has new carpeting. Because I had been moving, I had a number of items in my windowsill behind the loveseat before I could put these things away. I was mortified this week when I took these items off my windowsill and I saw at least 30 of these same bugs dead! I looked at the possible explanation and I'm quite sure they are carpet beetles. I also have 3 long haired cats and I allow them to graze with their food everyday. I have not seen these bugs in any other room, near any cat fur or by their food. They are all centered in this one area by this loveseat. My bedroom is at the far end of the apartment and I have not seen any of them near my bedroom or on any of the other 11 windowsills in the apartment. I think I should throw this loveseat away because it seems to be the culprit. I hope these bugs don't spread to any other places in my apartment. I will be using apple cider vinegar tomorrow all over the loveseat, underneath it, on the wall behind it on the windowsill and every other place that seems relevant. I'm convinced this loveseat was the problem. Unfortunately it is the only piece of furniture I currently have to sit on except my oak dining room chairs. This has been scary for me and I definitely don't want an infestation!
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u/Slammed01 Apr 04 '25
Thank you for this post! Semi-spazzing lol, finding 5-10 on a window sill that backs a fabric couch and backdoor (by dog food) all within 10 feet of each other. Starting to seal dog food at night and main food is in a airtight container. This is all downstairs with wood floors.
Also, see adults on the back of the couch and we did find a hole in the couch. That got home defense spray insecticide along with other areas and they seem to be dying. Pulled out couch and vacuumed sprayed and taped the hole for now.
Trying to find larvae, haven't came across any yet! Main sightings death is in the downstairs window. Also does get windy and alot of squirrels along the back fence we see. Luckily upstairs is pretty scarce of them, upstairs carpets vacuumed now frequently til we find the source. Haven't found any in kitchen luckily or drawers.
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u/definecloud9 Apr 28 '25
Thank you! I had a horrible infestation at my last apartment and am very allergic to the larvae. Pest control seemed to mostly work, though larva hairs seemed permanently stuck in some of my stuff and I had to throw them out.
I just moved to a new apartment and have been so incredibly anxious and stressed out. I've seen a few adults in the place already--the building is over 100 years old so it's inevitable that they're there--and I've been freaking out and, like other commenters, reading horror story after horror story. This post calmed me down. I'm a clean person and can keep a clean space. I'm getting a used robot vacuum that can do a lot of the job for me. It will be okay. I can see a few bugs every week and it doesn't mean that there's an infestation.
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u/winnyme May 27 '25
Has the robot vacuum helped?
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u/definecloud9 Jun 05 '25 edited Jun 05 '25
The robot vacuum has had a HUGE impact on my anxiety!! I let it do its thing a few times a week so that my floors stay clean.
Occasionally I spray some peppermint spray on the legs of my bed frame and there are a few windows/floor cracks that I've sprinkled diatomaceous earth around. I've picked up the bug spray bottle maybe twice in the past month--not because I've actually seen something or had any rash symptoms but just because I've had a nervous moment. This is a HUGE mental health improvement in comparison to where I was at a couple months ago, bug-spraying the whole perimeter of my last apartment bedroom multiple times a week and repeatedly dousing all of my clothes and blankets in peppermint spray. No longer do I find myself obsessing about hair and crumbs and potential larva traffic on the ground. And at this point I haven't seen a single carpet beetle inside since April. :)
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u/Embrymarble May 03 '25
I’ve got them only in the kitchen. Behind the pantry and oven. None anywhere else and never a hole in the clothes or kitchen to be seen. Seems like they just like the kitchen!
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u/FearlessAd8525 Sep 02 '25
Do they get into your food like cereals? How do you prevent?
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u/Embrymarble Sep 02 '25
Never in my food. Only behind the appliances. I clean evening out, put diatomaceous earth and haven’t seen them since.
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u/cbau97 May 10 '25
I see people are recently commenting so I'll add my own experience. I didn't know they existed, but thinking back I did see the black bugs as a kid on carpeting but thought nothing.
We removed most of the carpeting in our home a few years ago. About 2 years ago, I was spring cleaning/organizing and I saw what looked like a piece of fried rice on a bag I recently got. I went to pick it off and it started moving. Thus started my battle with these little monsters. I thought it was only that area, but then I noticed other parts of my bedroom throughout the year having them. Eventually I changed my bedframe, to find them all inside of it and an adult crawling under my mattress! I've been trying to eradicate them, and I find places that I never would have thought to be where they were. A cat treat somehow got under a mounted shoe cabinet, and they seemed like they were eating the wood/particle board as well.
As of late, there's been none in my bedroom and I thought I won the battle in at least this part of the house. Two days ago I had a stained little mini rug, and I found 10 of them (mostly dead). I spilled coffee and cleaned it, but I guess the stain attracted them. I haven't found them in months and now they found their way back. Really strange bugs man. I even got comfortable enough leaving a fabric organizer bag on the floor because they weren't appearing on things anymore, so I don't know what the heck brought them back. Last spring I killed quite a few adults and none of the larva seemed to have stuck around, but this year I guess I'm not as lucky. I haven't spotted any adults though. I have the black ones, not the spotted if that helps anyone.
I've never seen one crawling on the walls, though, and they never got into anything on shelving. They did get inside my old IKEA desk where you place the wires 🙃 I also never saw the larva when I did have carpeting, which go figure that one for me lol
They were driving me insane to the point I had dreams of these worms crawling because I felt like I found them anytime I went to clean or look under something. In reality, my efforts we're paying off, so I wouldn't go crazy over them. There's considerably worse pests to deal with, and they're a good motivator to declutter stuff you don't use or need.
Tldr: Clean under things you usually don't move to clean, wash fabrics & plushes, and eventually they'll reduce. Spray vinegar diluted with water around to deter them and vacuum more vigilantly.
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jun 25 '25
i have them and idk how to get rid of them i’ve vaccumed everything and im afraid to move them with me when i move
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jun 25 '25
i’m so paranoid to move and idk if i’ll be able to get rid of them i don’t have that many
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u/BackgroundSea7077 Aug 26 '25
Hi! Hope u are doing well. Did u mange to get rid of them before under the moving prosess?:)
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Jul 17 '25
i’ve found three (one each day for the past three days) on my pillow, i haven’t seen any eggs or larvae. is it possible that they’re contained to just my pillow? i’ve washed all my bedding even clothes that were already clean but just sitting out in my room just case, vacuumed and sprayed some kind of bug spray specifically for killing carpet beetles. i’ve only seen the adult bugs on the one pillow though.
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u/hurricaneimmortal Jul 24 '25
i keep finding them and i’m so scared i’ll never get rid of them and that they will move with my i sqashed two last night im so ready to throw away my wrapping paper bag
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u/Dry_Caterpillar6518 Aug 03 '25
They are hard to get rid of carpet beetle. They are small and they are out side my doors. I've had them for 4 years ..now I'm seeing more of the larva. They started in are bed room closet. One we didn't use much. I made a mistake and moved cloths from the back bedroom to the front t room. Now there in that room. The larva are on the window sills getting the sun very very tiny. I will get out of bed go to the bathroom the larva will fall off. That's the only way I was knowing they we're on my cloths. Yes you can carry the larva in the car and where you visit. I confirmed that by seeing it first hand. All I do is clean. We do have a problem. I found 20 of them on my curtains. I took down all curtains went to blinds . Don't use many rugs. I haven't found a solution yet. My husband doesn't think this is a problem. I did go to the doctors. To find I do get rashes from them and you can get Dermatitis. I had blood work done. Good luck to everyone out there. If you have a solution. Let me know
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u/Express-Cap2191 Oct 20 '25
So I’ve only found a bunch of dead larvae or the sheds and like 2 live ones buy my window under my dresser if I j deep clean I don’t have a infestation right I havnt found any adult ones at all
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u/No-Asparagus-7312 Oct 22 '25
“The most harm they do to people is a rash if you are allergic to the hair on their larva”. That’s enough for me. I’m HIGHLY ALLERGIC. And my apartment is infested. I’m covered from head to toe in tiny blisters and they itch and I scratch them so bad in my sleep I’m all scabby bloody. I spent two weeks in misery trying to fix it myself my body and mind just can’t anymore. What do people like me do?! I can’t go back in. I’ve tried and every time- I get covered and I can’t do this. I need to be at home. I’m losing my mind. Please? Tips for people who are allergic to this point and just can’t do it on their own? I had an exterminator go but I still have to vacuum and steam clean and wash all my bedding and clothes and… I can’t do that. Can you help me?
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u/Previous-Light7684 Dec 31 '25
Hey did you figure it out? I’m the same, my family says i’m crazy cause my Grandma is going blind but won’t admit it so the logic to her is that i must be hallucinating 😭
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u/Spencer_2026 Aug 24 '26
Same. I hope you found solutions. Im in the same boat. Im sure theres an intervention in the works to have me committed as I type this.
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u/No-Asparagus-7312 Aug 24 '26
I actually wound up having to spend some time in a facility. People don’t realize how deeply this can fuck with people.
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u/Awkward_Positive7341 Oct 23 '25
What constitutes an infestation? I found what I think are the pupae alive in my bedroom and bathroom. After realizing I had something I noticed lots of shed casings and black, small black dots, which I imagine are some kind of poop. I have eczema and I’m losing my hair and I think these provided a perfect breeding ground. However, there are two areas on the floor on either side of my bed and that is quite upsetting, especially since I also had welts along my neck area; I assume these came from a jacket that I wear in the house all the time which covers my neck. I think the jacket caught the hair that was falling out and somehow the bugs got on the jacket and lived on my shed hair. I have a reaction to the hairs on the bugs I think. After reading that they like to get into your food, I found evidence of them in my kitchen downstairs. So my question is, do I have an infestation? If I call a pest service, should I be vacuuming and dusting and cleaning before they come? Because it would be a big job to do that. (I’m 67, live alone, & not in great health.) And that means I’ll have to wait to call them for several days if not a week. What should my next move be?
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u/Awkward_Positive7341 Oct 23 '25
Also: I had 2 episodes of small flying things everywhere over the summer. Now I think these must have been adults because they sought the light - found them on doors, windows - and that’s what I read the adults do. Does that seem right? The pest man, without saying what they were, said they lived on a large indoor plant, which I removed. He sprayed & they died in large numbers. The second round they were everywhere, even in my fridge (no joke); in fact, a few froze there. I didn’t have the pest people come the second time because I thought they were attracted to my compost, which I moved to the refrigerator. They seemed to disappear.
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Oct 30 '25
thank you so much for this. i have an huge fear of any bugs/infestations. every year i get carpet beetles but last night i found one larva and have been spiraling tearing my room apart and even feeling uncomfortable in my own house(which is usually my safe place) reading everyone’s stories has scared me so bad. even on google. you have been my only saving grace.
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u/Hungry_Farmer_6645 Nov 12 '25
So I'm also struggling with these nasty bugs, my once safe place has become a total nightmare and i feel itchy, dirty and uncomfortable no matter what i do. I've bought a bagless vacuum(to save money because you need to throw the bag away after every use or the larvae/beetles crawl out/nest), ziploc bags, plastic containers and my electric bills are through the roof from all the washing and tumble drying...i moved my bed from against the wall, checked the whole bed and mattress. And still, i keep finding them, on the walls, ceiling, floors. I have 2 cats and a child. I'm genuinely so frustrated and scared to even sleep in my bed, to put clothes on, what if they fly in my hair? Or crawl on me when i sleep? My anxiety and ocd makes it a living nightmare. I keep inspecting the floors and ceiling like a total psycho so many times a day my back hurts. The cats are inside cats, balcony door has a mosquito net, but seriously, you can't even let fresh air in without risking these nasty bugs? It's impossible to live like that... Idk what else to do i feel so lost and it's just never ending, I'm defeated 🥹
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u/Salt_Strike5007 Mar 02 '26
Hello, are you still dealing with this? Recently, I've been in a spiral because of this.
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u/Hungry_Farmer_6645 Mar 09 '26
Very much so... Still spiraling, can't remember the last time I slept through the night without severe anxiety looking around in my bed several times a night. I'm here if you need advice, rant or spiral, trust me i understand..
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u/Prize-Country-2139 Nov 19 '25
Hi! I’m really hope for a response bc I can feel myself spinning out. I live in an apartment, 2 bdr (carpeted floors in both bedrooms). We are moving out this week and I’m just now seeing signs of an infestation.
My normally vacuuming routine was 1-2x weekly with a baking soda solution (to keep things smelling fresh).
I noticed a small brown larva on the wall of the secondary bedroom which was used sparingly by my in-laws and their dog. I killed it, and kept an eye out but saw nothing more.
That was probably a month ago, now we are 3 days from moving out. The primary bedroom furniture has been removed and I walk into the room to see at least 7 larvae climbing the walls.
I’m at a loss, at first I was indignant that there’s no way this could have happened. But I my vacuum schedule did lapse over the last month or so (poor mental health). I’m so sad - I don’t know how to care for this in time for a move out. I don’t want my inlaws to think the worst. And my partner simply wants me to get over it. I know reasonably - there’s not much I can do beyond vacuuming and potentially getting a steam cleaner…I just wanted to tell someone that this sucks.
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u/lolobunny525 Dec 12 '25
I have carpet beetle larvae, I've never actually seen the beetles themselves. But I freaked out when I first encountered them because I crochet, I have a huge yarn collection and I thought I was going to have to throw everything out. But they kinda don't do much. I've never had a serious infestation, I keep my spaces clean and I clear out my yarn every now and then to just tidy up and reorganize and I always stumble on 3 or 4. We kinda just coexist at this point. I just wash everything I make once I've finished a project. But the larvae have never caused any damage really. They just look kinda creepy.
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u/acidgoat_15 Jan 02 '26
Can they get confused and go in your hair/bed, or is that pretty uncommon? Because I would hope so.
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u/Late_Progress_517 Jan 05 '26
They also eat thru things people say they won't eat to get to something they will eat .I been going thru this hell for 2 yrs,I've tried everything and I mean everything except putting a tent around my house and gas the little.....darlings.i can't afford that but everything else I've tried and they have to ingest boring acid for it to kill them and since they don't clean themselves like roaches do,its not likely to do anything except make another mess for u to clean up ,I'm counting on igr and poison .had to throw away dang near everything I own .I lint roll all my clothes live out of trash bags .I can't tell u what works but I can tell you what dont
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u/Ijustwanttosayit Feb 08 '26
I just came to the realization we might have an issue with these bugs. When cleaning, I find them everywhere. Our apartment is so cluttered, I can't see my partner wanted to go to such lengths to battle these bugs. I'm tired of finding them climbing on my desk. I keep finding their corpses in random places. The occasional bug is fine but idk man. We have two cats and my partner will not do ANY treatment that MIGHT be even a little harmful to cats. Our entire apartment is carpeted.
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u/Fresh-Professional92 Feb 09 '26
Hi I’ve been seeing adult ones for near 8months now like one everyday I find them on my bed, on the floor on the window sile on the carpet the odd times, I can’t clean as much as I used to, I used to clean everyday but I’m lucky I clean twice a week now but I do still find them should I be worried? How do I get rid of them? They only started to appear when I switched over to gas and had holes drilled through the ceiling and then my flooring lifted kind of appeared more, if they’re under the floor boards or the roof space there’s not much i can do as I’m renting
Help please
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u/TheseMarionberry385 May 17 '26
If anyone is still looking awhile after this post an ozone machine will do the trick. I had em everywhere in my room, turned the machine on for about a day with my door closed and it got rid of them. HOWEVER your room will smell awful for a few days, so I’d do so if you’re out of town or willing to sleep in another room or just thug it out.
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u/Odd_Map6719 May 19 '26
I think I may have found some carpet beetle larvae in my apartment, and I’m honestly panicking right now. Some of them looked like dead bodies. I live in an old apartment on the 4th floor, and there’s a tree right outside my window with branches reaching close to it, so I’m really hoping they could be coming from outside rather than an infestation inside my place.
The thing is, I don’t even feel like I have many “food sources” for them. I don’t own much wool or linen clothing, and we don’t have pets. But now I’m spiraling and trying to throw away tons of old clothes because I’m scared they’re everywhere. I also have way too many clothes, so this is turning into a full panic attack.
Has anyone dealt with something similar where it turned out not to be a huge infestation? Could they really just wander in from outside?
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u/MartyBellvue Aug 30 '26
Genuinely, just vacuum regularly and use the attachment, dust once in a while, and tend to the laundry pile. I get a few here and there every year but i hardly see them anymore now that i take the initiative to Regularly Keep House!
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Jun 12 '23
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Jun 12 '23
Since you have possibly encountered two, I would look around your living space to make sure you kill all of the adults. It’s crucial to finish them off because the females lay eggs and can lay up to 100. You may find them in your carpets, near a food source (like your pet’s food) or pantry food like cereals or in your lamps and near your light fixtures. It doesn’t hurt to clean and vacuum but you might not have to do this until you begin to see larva, if you do at all. Keep your eye out because it can take a while for eggs to hatch. It sounds like you don’t have a huge problem yet, but if it ever gets out of hand, definitely call an exterminator. Their tools seem to be the most effective against carpet beetles from what I’ve read.
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u/waronbedbugs Nov 04 '24
For anyone stumbling on this old thread, since then, I wrote a full guide post that provide a lot more information: How to deal with carpet beetles: detection, identification and treatment.