Hi homelesscat (and everyone):

I had them identified by an expert, he says it’s the stripey carpet beetle (so not lice/fleas/bedbugs/black carpet beetles).

I am at my wits end – I got a new vacuum cleaner, moved the bed that was so heavy, saw no sign of any infestation underneath but vacuumed it anyway, and guess what? They came back. The expert I spoke to said that they can’t hibernate for long so they would only have gotten into the house recently – but I don’t believe this because there’s no way they could have got in – I would have noticed – and I have always cleaned the place, the previous people never did.

I read online that if you wash clothing at 140 degrees farenheit (which is 60 degrees celsius) then it will kill any trace of them that might be on your clothes. Is this true? Because I am considering washing everything I own and then bagging it in zip-locked plastic bags. Could anyone please advise if this is a good idea?

Lastly, given that these are the adults, what will happen once summer is over? Do the adults lay larvae and then that could be easily vacuumed up? Cos it seems no matter how many adults I vacuum and kill, more appear, and I was wondering when this will stop and I just don’t know anything about their life cycle

Miranda, the larvae stage can last from 60 days to a year according to what I have read. Usually landlords are not responsible for pest control unless the situation is severe; depends on your lease, regulations on housing in you area, etc. Once I rented a house from a builder who was in the process of building a new house for me. The first night I slept there, I woke up with itchy legs. When I turned the light on, my legs were all covered with black spots and red bites, I was absolutely mortified! It turned out the house was infested with fleas! There was no lease, so I left the house immediately, and the builder did some work on my new home for free to compensate me.

Maybe your landlord will work with you to alleviate your carpet beetle problem, but if he doesn’t, consult an attorney to see what your options are. Good Luck!

Maybe your landlord will work with you regarding the carpet beetle problem, like my landlord/builder compensated me for my inconvenience with the flea problem. Good Luck!

hi ladies,
I have these buggers on my windowsill as well. but as I said before I believe they are birdmites which can infest home and are supposedly hard to get rid of. do you have black specks around your house? I have been put clear plastic tape on bugs that I find on mattress cover. have another exterminator coming tues june 17/14 to identify again and look after the problem, so he says. he has dealth with them before. I must admit sometimes these pest companies don’t know what they are talking about, not for everybody, but it happened to myself.
clothes I don’t know, I think u can wash them but the bugs will go on them again. I had put de powder in clothes in bags, actually they are still there.
I will ask the pest co. when he comes.
did the pest co. spray already for the carpet beedles?
I went to wallmart in Canada and bought hartz ultra guard flea & tick carpet powder to try..put in my couch and underside of it. I swept up the powder and there was a lot of black bugs mixed in with the powder. I am not sure about inhaling this stuff though. I tried calling to company, but not open today 1 800 275 1414. this powder seems to work for the mites…hooray…but it’s not over yet. don’t want to put it on my bed yet.
I have put de dust in between the baseboards, as I have lots of space, they hide in there and the undersides of furniture, plus computer.
if you feel static on your legs, get a sticky lint brush and roll it on your legs and bottom of feet and see if anything is there. with mites it’s hard to see, so try it wont hurt.
dollar store has them for $1.00
my lips are swollen and I have found some mites on them and in my mouth.
friends said go to hospital and get it checked out…so I went…the intern on call said bites could be mosquito, which I know there are not. they really are quacks. they just don’t know anything about bugs.
also I mentioned to him should I see a shrink, as my son doesn’t believe me and has pressured me to go. I talked to a nurse in the crisis centre for an hour about problem. she talked to dr. and said yes. I know in my heart that I am not delusional, but it seems that no one wants to believe that something like this can happen to us and u really cant talk to anyone as they do think your nuts. have an appt july, also they have a crisis centre where you can go and sleep I think up to 10 days to get relief. I don’t know if that is the same in your area. getting no sleep really affects your health
I do know that carpet beedles do not bite, but the skin or something can rub up on you and it feels like a bite. do u have any bite marks?
do they swarm on your legs and feet, hair at night?
going to the gym, I find it’s the only way to keep my sanity.
keep me posted and stay positive!!!! I know its difficult..don’t let them get the better of you.

same problem
a year ago i had carpet beetles
both kinds black and striped
i am exhausted as i live 3 stories up
i dragged down all clothing and injured my legs
washed dry cleaned etc

have wood floors have a cat

didnt want bad poisons llord got an exterminator//sprayed the least toxic good control poison without residue
i vacuumed like crazy put all craft stuff in garbage or in freezer for 3 weeks
they were in spices, in crafts , and in my conversion van..exterm wouldnt do my van i sprayed it with cedar from wondercide nothing has worked..i had it detailed…
they are BACK a year later

I put my bed mattress up against the wall every morning and leave a light on in corner in lamp at nite
they congregate there and i kill them …I spray them with non toxic VETS BEST spray and that immobilizes them// i then pick them up with a tissue
i vacuum alot
I threw out 2/3 of my clothes

i am petrified they are in my storage unit
i pick up my blankets and put in container during day and i am not bitten at nite anymore

entomologist said they are almost impossible to kill
wrap precious items in muslin, put in ziploc,and put in freezer for 3 weeks thats what he said
i had craft items of value that i did this with //any important feathers etc
but now they are back
they got into the strings that hold beads together
thats how bad it was

everything is bagged
i vacuum thecat hair asmuch as i can and if you rub your sheets down with alcohol that works
spray vets best around on the floor and they hate that and stay away
hope this helps

G…..not sure what to say, if pest has been identified I guess u at least know what your up against. being on the third floor kind of seems impossible (but I know its not) to have carpet beedles..as far as I know they are around bees/wasp/bird nests. maybe u need to have your place sprayed again.
I feel sorry for all of us, life is tough enough at times without living with something like that.
the only thing I can suggest is moving, making sure they are not in your skin or your hair, clothing, shoes, leaving everything behind/garbage, get rid of the car.
i would stay in a few different places to make sure they don’t hitch a ride with you. wash with lice shampoo, change clothes often til u r rid of them. I know it’s not an easy thing to do, it’s like starting your life over again. I am not saying i am right, but i certainly have thought of it.
thought i had carpet beedles as well, i find out tomorrow for sure, but i think they are bird mites.
what a way to live aye. the pits.
take care…

Hi all,

Well, it seemed to be getting not so bad – they weren’t in my room as much, although I spotted them elsewhere in the house – but I decided to move anyway. When I went to check out the new place, I made sure to check for any of them and didn’t see any. I am already paying rent for the new place and still have one month rent to pay at current place but I don’t care because it means I have time to go through all my stuff and wash it at high temperature then use a lint roller on it afterwards to remove any possible trace of them. I will be moving stuff over gradually to prevent anything bad happening. This morning I woke up in my current house…there was a beetle stuck between my back teeth. It had obviously crawled in while I was asleep. I was so freaked out.

Could people advise if washing at high temperature and then using lint roller is a good idea to make sure that none ‘come with me’? Will be wearing light-coloured clothing when moving as well so I can spot any that might be on me and prevent them coming too. If anyone has other tips in relation to moving I would be very grateful to hear them.

hi Miranda,
I think you have to make sure they are not on your body as well. I don’t know if washing clothes in high temperature helps, guess it will to a degree. I read that u have to soak your clothes in bleach, but that always cant be done. are they in your furniture. I would be tempted to move with the clothes on my back and throw everything out. do u have them in your car? stay in a couple of different hotels and make sure they are off your body. I know it sounds far fetched.
I sold my house and moved, a year ago, not knowing much about them. I threw everything out, except car, plus they were still on me and I didn’t know it. they seem to follow me where I go. hopefully it’s not the case with you.
after I eat, I look around my lips and find them on there having a snack. last night I found one on my eyebrow. I realize that you shouldn’t believe everything u read, but most of the stuff does relate to my experience.
good luck Miranda…keep us posted

Hello everyone. It’s been a year since I posted my story. Unfortunately I don’t have good news, although I think the only way manage a carpet beetle infestation is to do the heat treatment. I’ve had it done twice and I’m going to do it a third time. I’ve come to the conclusion that once you have carpet beetles they are going to be with you forever so you might as well budget for the expense. I haven’t had the same issue as many of you – they aren’t biting me or my cat or anyone else in my family – but they are going through my closet and eating all of my clothes. After a heat treatment I get a few sane free months but they always come back. As soon as I get complacent. Just the other day I found new holes in a few shirts hanging in my closet.

I also had a bird infestation at the same time last year, which I’ve taken care of. Birds were nesting in my attic eves. I had the eves cleaned out and my gutters completely blocked and replaced so they can’t nest in the eves anymore. It’s not 100% clear that the birds were the cause of the carpet beetles in the first place, but I feel better knowing that it’s taken care of.

You can definitely go crazy from this issue. I’ve thought about moving, but unless you leave 100% of your stuff behind they are just going to move with you.

So my advice is – budget a lot of money – accept that you may have to part with your favorite sweater, dress, etc – I’ve parted ways with half my wardrobe – wash or dry clean everything after wearing (also can get expensive) – in other words don’t leave worn clothing in your closet – and never get complacent – they will come back.

Do the HEAT treatment. It’s the only way. Otherwise go insane.

Greetings all…
Thanks so much for sharing… It’s important… even if no one believes you I’ll tell you… Iss feel for each and everyone of you. I’m convinced that this has to be worse than hell… and I don’t know about you all but… I can honestly now say that I’m no longer afraid of anything… in other words… “Satan… bring it on!”
I won’t go into my long story right now as I would then have to face reality… and that could be dangerous as I’m really… really… tired and in no mood right now. So… I will just say that at this time… I have a huge population of carpet beetles in my home and call me nuts (I’m used to it)… but… I’m also convinced that I have had/have some kind of micro pest as well. I’m not afraid of the weird things that I’m experiencing (some the same as many of you have shared) and I don’t give a flying @#$! if anyone believes me or not! I know what nuts feels like and I’m not there yet. My issue is that I’ve been getting really sick the last couple of weeks and the pain in my head… back and feet is getting tough to cope with. Have any of you experienced aching… burning… dizziness and vomiting? I’m pretty sure I’ve run a fever a few times too. I’ve also noticed that my elderly dog seems to be going down hill rather fast lately… that both saddens me and pisses me off! Anyway… any and all thoughts… ideas and/or comments will be recieved with all the gratefulness that I can muster… promise
Sincerely,
Kym

I found my bed was infested with these critters. I took it outside and got another bed. I tested several products and found that regular ant/roach spray would kill them after a while. They are obviously tough. Anyway.. here is what I’m doing now.

I know this bed is clean and I’m not going to put anything on it that has been on the floor. AND I’m putting the mouse glue traps under every post of the bed. They can’t clime in the bed if they get caught in those Libra tar pits first.

I bought a huge roll of carpet a guy had stored in his garage for a couple years and not long after I had installed it the bugs started appearing. They were drawn to the bed big time. I suspect there are several reasons… first, everything needs water and probably my sweat provided that. The probably feed off flesh that sheds too …like those microscopic bugs that are in most beds.

Finally, I went to the old infested mattress that I took to the barn and caught about 50 of the bugs and put them in a container with dryer lint. I’m going to try to grow them and experiment with everything I’ve read about. If I am successful in finding anything they don’t like I’ll take some wrist sweat bands and soak them and put them around the bed post too.

If I can’s sleep without fear of bugs crawling all over me I’ll probably burn the house down… after reading what you guys have been through.

Did anyone find a solution yet? As these CB’s people think are not hazardous are! They eat dead things and bodies. How can they tell the differ between a living and dead one? Anyhow going through the same nightmaire for 3 mths now in hair, body, clothes, food, in house. Just depressed on how over wellming they are. Bombed 3xs, Perm chemicals used, plasic bag clothes, natural oils used you name it we doing it.

As with Terry above, I’m totally freaked out about them crawling all over me at night – and – they are laying eggs in my hair – even though the know-it-all idiot, “Anonymous”, likes to credit himself for knowing it all and being rude and condescending insisting they do not, for one incorrect statement. I did my homework and YOU need to get a life. Maybe as a collection agent….You have the personality for it. Lucky you. Anyway, they can’t hang on to lay eggs as close to the scalp as head lice and just crawl all over my head – but while I’m lying down, they don’t have to crawl to attach. They can just sit there and lay their eggs. They are not biting me but I can feel them crawling all over my head and body. I caught one with a sticky roller today so I knew it wasn’t just the heebee jeebies playing tricks on me. I’ve spent hours spraying the house with Home Defense and thought for sure that between that and vacuuming everything, every single day, I’d have them under control. WRONG. The Home Defense seemed to have been Miracle Grow. I have a pretty strong feeling that two culprits came up with an old box of photos I brought up from the basement closet that has another small plywood door leading to the water tank – that sits on the ground / dirt. By the time I knew there was really something wrong, it was too late. The beetles are already out of control as are the booklice. IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS! I agree with you completely Terry, right down to your last sentence. I’m headed out for some Angry Orchard, to compliment the angry lady, and after this, it seems that, that burning everything you own and walking away without the clothes on your back, to hitchhike on down the road – bc your vehicle is now more than a carrier of people – is the only thing that can be done to rid yourself of them. Did I mention that your animals are carriers of the booklice?! Not sure about the beetles. I didn’t known I had them when I found out about them – On a kinda tiny good note, you can wash your cat with Head and Shoulders and that will kill them on the animal – If you don’t get your face clawed off. I’m glad mine is completely declawed. If anyone has anything, HELPFUL, to share I’ll be looking for it. To the jerk who want’s to run his mouth, I think I hear your mommy calling….Supper’s ready sweetie! I’m sure you’re one of those guys, 30+ and still living with your parents. Anyone who is desperate enough to scour the internet for help out of desperation, commonly referred to as grown-ups, has obviously had to WORK for everything we have or have a lot of good memories we have to part with because of the seriousness of the situation. So PISS OFF.

Well – we just have found out that we have these carpet bugs also. Reading what everyone is saying has only let us know that we are not alone in our misery. I went to several doctors and they did not know what was biting me – like others – my husband is not being bit.
We see that some of you are having some small victories but no one seems to have total victory.
I have not read if anyone believes that someone may have brought them into your home. My husband seems to think that all was well until we had this guest visit us. She lives on a farm and she has been unable to always wash her clothes and etc. She has many dogs, a horse, and other farm animals. Well – that is beside the point now as Terminix has determined that we do have these carpet pests and I have red welts and bites (?) all over me.
I want to get a new bed and change my carpets…
Terminix sprayed our home yesterday and we slept on the sofa last night… help… what can we do.. I have gone into a cleaning mania…. is there an end in sight other than the heat treatment which may not help?

We are going through the same problem my husband was getting red bites/rashes on his legs and i wasnt he went to the doctors many times and they had no idea waht it was, they gave him dermatitis cream, fungal cream and nothing worked. He went away for work for a while and it stopped so he realised it was something in our house! he searched our bed (which is only like a year old) and found nothing but pulled our bed away from the wall and found lil hairy caterpillar like bugs on the front, there were quite a few! after that he searched all carpet areas and found dead skin from them around edge of carpets and behind the beds in the spare rooms, so seem like they were hiding out where i dont normally vacuum. We havnt slept in our house since (only been day so far) and getting pest control out to sort this out. My husband reckons he will throw everything out and move houses lol.

Two years later and the carpet beetles are still infesting my house. Only now I can’t find them. I know that they are still there because I found holes in several items of brand new clothing – a cashmere sweater and a suede jacket. The pest control service I use says they can’t do the heat treatment until the spring because it’s too cold outside and they can’t guarantee that the temperature will get to the right level in every crack and cranny of our 120 year old house. Spraying does nothing. I have bug sticky traps all over my house but there is never anything in them but the occasional spider. I really don’t know where these things hide. The only time I ever found the larva was when I first had the infestation and I removed every last item of clothing from the house. That caused the larva to go looking for food and I found the little black worms crawling all over my house on every level in every room – usually along the baseboards. I also found adult carpet beetles on my window ledges a few months ago. Maybe it was in the spring/summer? Losing track of time. Tonight I’m going to pack everything up and put it outside in the 3 degree temperature to freeze anything that’s in my clothing. Probably won’t work since I’ve heard that they come out at night to eat and then crawl back into their crack or crevice of where ever they hang out. In case you all were wondering I’m slowly going insane.

I am in the process of fighting a mild case of Carpet Beetles right now.I have had the exterminator out to spray once a little over a month ago and have not seen any since ( he used a spray called Cykick).I also came across a new product called Cimexa it’s a silica dust powder that kills many insects including bed bugs and carpet beetles. I called the company that makes it and was told this is excellent for killing carpet beetles.They told me to put it all over my carpets and let it sit for about a week or longer and then vacuum it up. I did this about 4 days ago and so far so good.It kills the carpet beetles and the live larvae within 2 hours after they encounter it.I asked about the eggs and he said when the eggs hatch and they go across the Cimexa it will also kill them.The dust gets on their bodies and it dehydrates the bugs killing them.This product has great reviews and so far it is helping my infestation.I guess time will tell.

I have known about the Carpet Beetles and their cousins, “Upholstery Beetles” in my home for many years. Many times during house cleaning I have picked things up off of the floor that were spotted with those fuzzy little “casings” from the larval stage. I was also finding pin-holes in my clothing, but I was able to take care of it by lining my laundry baskets with plastic garbage bags. The beetles don’t seem to be able to penetrate the plastic, and seem to leave my clothes alone after they’ve been washed.

Now I have been itchy on and off for the past week, last night being the worst. I woke up at 4 a.m. with an insane amount of itchiness around my left ribcage (the side I usually sleep on). I have never found any bite marks, nor felt any bumps. I have also never seen any crawlies on my bed, though I definitely have seen them on the floor around my bed, and in the bathroom.

Unfortunately: steam-cleaning and/or carpet replacement is not a financial option for the near future. Besides vacuuming like hell, I will also try 1.) Using an over-the-counter Antihistamine (pill) before bed; 2.) Buying a maximum strength anti-itch lotion from the allergy-remedy aisle; and 3.) Seeing a dermatologist for something stronger. I am DEFINITELY going to look into that “Diatomaceous Earth” stuff!

I think that no single solution will work; we will all have to employ multiple methods SIMULTANEOUSLY, and for weeks – if not months – before we see any results.

And just for the record: NOWHERE in Ms. Anderson’s article does it say that Carpet Beetles bite Humans! She DOES, however, mention that the larvae and their shed skins (casings) have hundreds of nearly microscopic hairs that cause incredible itchiness for sensitive people, which can lead to hives and welts that RESEMBLE bites from other insects.

OOPS – Forgot to mention:

To “sheila in virginia” (May 9, 2013): I find it sadly ironic that you have traced your infestation back to your unintentional purchase of (old store stock) carpeting from Lowe’s. They probably also sell “Diatomaceous Earth,” too. Maybe they should’ve used some on their own back-stock…?

@ TinaBR: You really haven’t done your homework. Not all DE is the same. There’s a big difference between ‘amorphous’ and ‘crystalline’ silica. Only crystalline silicon dioxide is recorded in studies to presents the risks you discuss. FOOD GRADE DE contains less than half a percent of crystalline silicon dioxide. POOL GRADE DE is heat treated to convert amorphous silicon dioxide into the crystalline form and should NEVER be used in a home!

Food Grade DE works on insects because of their body structure. It’s a hydrophilic substance that first scratches the protective waxy coating on their keratin-based carapace (outer shell) and then absorbs the liquid within. It kills them through desiccation. The product is not a toxin.

FOOD GRADE DE (only buy FOOD GRADE, search online for a local supplier) is considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and is a registered food additive in the USA and Canada. Only long term (over five years) exposure to DE of loose powder at high concentrations (like at mills) truly presents the type of risk you are discussing. Used in a limited, and cautious fashion, it really presents very low risk. Used to eliminate an infestation over a short period risk is extremely low.

Note: When applying FOOD GRADE DE, wear gloves and glasses. It can dry skin and is an eye irritant. If you get it in your eyes – flush them with water and if irritation persists, seek medical assistance. Keep DE stored in air tight containers. It will absorb moisture from the air and lose efficacy.

I use DE because I’ve been extremely chemically sensitive all my life (I get chemical burns from Band-Aids). For me, it is an excellent alternative to toxin-based pesticides which I can’t use. I have been using DE sparingly/as needed for over ten years with no ill effects. I was here researching Carpet Beetles for a friend – I don’t even have a problem with them.

I first got carpet beetles from either my son or my daughter’s house (they both have them) three years ago. I am on my third move. Just found one at my latest home. You can’t get rid of them. I moved here and left everything behind. I came with one garbage bag of clothes and bought all new furniture and replaced all clothing. I live in plastic. Every thing I own is in a plastic bag. Clothes in drawers are in Ziploc bags, hanging plastic bags in the closet. I don’t even leave towels hanging. Someone should buy stock in Glad garbage bags and Ziploc, because I literally spend $60 a week on plastic bags of one sort or another. When I enter my house, I strip at the door, and leave my shoes in my car (in plastic). All clothing is washed 2-3 times per load.
Since first finding CBs I have lost everything: all furnishings saved for past 30 years, all clothing, and most of my friends (no one will come near my house.)
I don’t even let my children come to my new house since they still have them at their own homes. The only thing that eliminates carpet beetles is either Borax or Diatamaceous Earth. DE can only be ordered online, just be careful that you don’t breathe it in when applying. I didn’t know that when I first used it (2 homes ago) and now have some lung issues. CB have been greatly reduced at my daughters house from using DE. I have always wondered why I could live for 54 years before I ever even heard of them and now I am paranoid when in department stores and when I visit anyone’s house. I am sure they are in my car although I have never seen them in my car, but the bottom line is that you can’t get rid of them. Just like my finding one in my house this weekend. Not sure how it could get here with all new everything. You all have my sympathies. For three straight years, I cried myself to sleep every night. They are a life sentence, and have ruined everything in my life.