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Tag Archives: Household Pests

Carpet Beetle Larva: Can it be Related to Asthma flare???

Am I allergic to this hairy bug
Location: Boston MA
November 13, 2010 3:22 pm
Hi Daniel,
Great website! I love learning from what you’ve put together. You’ve made me very curious about bugs.
In particular, I have a bug that I am having trouble identifying. I’ve found them in my home, in the bedroom and a few other places.
Bugs I have observed are 1/8th inch to almost 1/4 inch long. The one in the attached pictures is 3/16ths inch long (just short of 1/4 inch). It’s the biggest one I’ve found. It has hair tufts along its body.
My best guess is a Carpet Beatle / wooly bear, but I am not sure that is right. Is this the larva of Anthrenus verbasci beetle? Or what do you think it is?
What can I expect from this bug living in my home? I have asthma, and have noticed I have been having more irritation with my lungs since I noted these insects, especially after spending a night in the bedroom where I found them. Could I have some allergy to their presence / fur?
If I need to remove them from my home, can you recommend a method?
Thanks so much, Daniel!
Signature: Justin Molloy

carpet beetle larva justin 300x224 Carpet Beetle Larva: Can it be Related to Asthma flare???

Carpet Beetle Larva

Hi Justin,
We are not medical professionals and we feel very reluctant to provide any opinion regarding the possibility of Carpet Beetle Larvae being connected to a complex syndrome like asthma that can be triggered by stress as well as the physical environment.  We will try to address you letter as best we can.  We agree that this larva is in the genus Anthrenus (see BugGuide), however we are very reluctant to provide an exact species identification, though Anthrenus verbasci is a strong possibility.  According to BugGuide, the habitat of Carpet Beetles is:  “An abundant household ‘stored product pest.’ In nature they inhabit the abandoned nests of birds and mammals, as well as old wasp nests where the larvae scavenge on accumulated fur, feathers, skin flakes, and dead insects” and additional comments include:  “Controlling carpet beetles can be achieved by keeping your home free of accumulated hair and dust (dust is mostly shed skin flakes of people and pets), discarding infested items and properly storing vulnerable items. Store dry foods (including dry pet food) in glass or metal containers with tight-fitting lids. Store woolens, furs, silks in a cedar chest. Forget mothballs and moth crystals. They are ineffective and carcinogenic respectively.“  Because the larvae may feed upon fur, hair and skin flakes, it is possible that environmental factors are contributing to your asthma and that the presence of the Carpet Beetle Larvae is a symptom of an underlying problem that might be corrected by more frequent vacuuming and cleaning of accumulated debris.

Hi Daniel,
Thank so much.  This info is very helpful, and is the link to your site on Anthrenus.
Really appreciate your guidance!  Have a great day.
Justin

Posted 14 November 2010 § Diseases: Real and Imagined § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Is it possible to avoid transporting insects in a move?????

Tips for a bug-free move?
Location: New York, NY
November 8, 2010 7:30 pm
Hi Bugman,
I live in New York City–a.k.a. Bedbug Central–so when I found a bug on the rug in my closet a few weeks ago, I completely freaked out! I was pretty sure it wasn’t a bedbug–it didn’t look like any of the pictures I’d seen, I hadn’t been bitten, and a thorough search of my mattress and headboard turned up nothing. Still, I panicked!
Thanks to your website, I’m now confident that that bug–and a few that have subsequently appeared–are spider beetles and beetle larvae. (The latter look exactly like the many carpet beetle larvae photos on your site, and they curl up into a ball when touched.) They seem to love the dark corners of my closet (see photo). So far I’ve found two dead spider beetles in a hanging jewelry organizer that I keep in my closet, and a few live larvae–the one on the closet rug, one in a ratty old pair of slippers (which I immediately bagged and threw away!), and one crawling up the tile wall in my bathroom.
Here’s my question: In about a month I will be moving to a new apartment here in the city. Do you think it is worth having an exterminator visit as a precautionary measure? If not, will I run the risk of transporting these pests with me to my new pad? I’m not sure if hiring someone to inspect my stuff pre-move is a smart idea or a waste of money.
I’d also appreciate any tips on avoiding picking up bedbugs during a move. (The other day I saw a mover on the street with one of those filthy blankets that they use for padding, which just seems like asking for bedbugs to me!) I’m planning to pack all of my clothing and linens in sealed plastic containers, wrap my couch and mattress in plastic, and provide my own packing materials. Are there any other steps I can/should take?
Signature: R.D.

dark closet 225x300 Is it possible to avoid transporting insects in a move?????

Dark Closet: What is lurking in there?????

Dear R.D.,
In our opinion, your desire for a bug free move is a fantasy, and the best advice that we could give you to attempt to accomplish that goal with anything vaguely resembling certainty will probably be rejected by you as an impossibility.  The best way to ensure that you will not take any bugs with you is to leave everything behind, including those nice wool sweaters hanging in the dark closet.  Especially leave all food behind.  Move into a brand new apartment in a brand new building that is composed entirely of synthetic materials.  When you purchase brand new clothes and furnishings, do not buy anything made with organic materials.  Never ever eat in your new home.  Do not store any food in the kitchen.  Make sure that you discard the clothing you are wearing before entering your new home and purchase synthetic clothing prior to your first visit.  Do not entertain nor ever allow any visitors to enter your new home.  There is no guarantee that you can have a bug free existence even with the extreme measures we have described.  We share this planet with insects and other bugs and they can be found most anywhere.  On a more practical level, the measures that you have described in your email sound like a good way to reduce the chances of transporting undesirable creatures from your existing apartment to the new place.  We agree that an inspector and a visit by the exterminator prior to the move is most likely a waste of money, especially since you already know you have Spider Beetles and Larvae in your home.  In our opinion, you probably have cause to be concerned about the moving company you employ and the dirty blankets they use to wrap belongings.  You may want to wash or have all your clothing and textiles professionally cleaned before moving.  Even that might be extreme unless you have cause to believe you have an infestation.  Since you have no evidence that there are Bed Bugs in your current household, you probably do not have them.  You have said nothing about Cockroaches which can also be transported while moving, or indeed, when bringing home groceries or laundry from the laundromat.  Creatures that are considered Household Pests have a nearly cosmopolitan distribution because of they way that they have adapted to living with humans.  These Household Pests include Carpet Beetles, Spider Beetles, Pantry Beetles, Clothes Moths, Cockroaches and others.  We also hope our readership will provide additional advice for you.

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Posted 11 November 2010 § Bedbugs § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles § Pantry Moths, Clothes Moths, Case-Bearers and Meal Moths ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Carpet Beetle Larvae mistaken for Bed Bugs yet again!!!

Bed Bug
Location: Indianapolis, IN
November 6, 2010 9:34 pm
I found many of these bugs (20-30) on my mattress & box spring, mainly at the fold where the pillow top meets the main part of the mattress. I’m in Indianapolis, Indiana. Can you please tell me if these are bed bugs?
Signature: Jeff

carpet beetle larvae bedbugs jeff 300x269 Carpet Beetle Larvae mistaken for Bed Bugs yet again!!!

Carpet Beetle Larvae

Dear Jeff,
All of the media attention given to Bed Bugs recently is generating a flurry of identification requests bordering on Bed Bug hysteria.  These are not Bed Bugs.  They are Carpet Beetle larvae.  They feed on organic matter including human hair and pet hair.  Vacuuming more thoroughly and turning your mattress more regularly should help control the number of Carpet Beetles you find in your bed.

3

Posted 07 November 2010 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Cockroach Nymph, not Bed Bug

Oh please let this not be a bed bug
Location: Manhattan
November 3, 2010 5:34 am
I got bitten by a mosquito while sleeping and got up to chase the little bugger. While chasing him around I found this on the floor of the living room scurrying across the carpet.
Ive checked my bed and my couch as best I can and don’t see anything else, but i do live in times square nyc, so im terrified.
Please notice that unlike all the bedbug pics i see online this thing has long antenna and 2 little points sticking out from rear of abdomen.
abdomen does have ridges like the expandable one of a bed bug.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Signature: Sleepless

cockroach nymph nyc 300x195 Cockroach Nymph, not Bed Bug

Cockroach Nymph

Dear Sleepless,
We rue the day that Bed Bug infestations went viral on the internet.  Now it seems every day several letters with images of dead insects attached arrive in our mailbox with a subject line very similar to your subject line.  This is not a Bed Bug, but a few years ago, we would have expected this exact subject line ending in Cockroach, which is what you have found.  Revulsion is relative.  Where once Cockroaches ruled when it came to being the most reviled insect that horrified the web browsing public, the Cockroach has been displaced by the Bed Bug.  Ads for Bed Bug extermination are ubiquitous and it seems there are stories on the news with great regularity regarding the current plague.  The media coverage is fueling the paranoia.  While we acknowledge that Bed Bugs are quite unpleasant, and a difficult problem to eradicate, and that they are being reported in increasing numbers, we get very few confirmed identification requests for the little biters of bedtime lore.  Though our Bed Bug category has 15 posts, many are informational only and were not identification requests.  We began this online column ten years ago and the website 8 years ago and we have posted only 8 images of Bed Bugs or related species like Bat Bugs in that time, though we also acknowledge that we are unable to answer all the mail that we receive.  In actuality, many of the blurry images we receive might have been Bed Bugs. With that said, it seems Cockroaches are reproducing in the vicinity of your home, and the individual in your photo may have siblings or other relatives nearby.

Posted 03 November 2010 § Cockroaches ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Carpet Beetle Larvae from Iran not causing Bites

larve or worm
Location: iran/tehran
October 30, 2010 9:30 am
Hi I’m Maryam. My family and I are living in Iran.
During the last month my parents suffered from some kind of rash or bite…!
Who did not understand what causes allergies.
Until we find a large number of very small worms under their bed.
Their length is about 4 mm… We do not know exactly where they live..!?
Do they live in textiles, mattress or in soils and between the tiles..?
Because they also existed under the carpets
Is it possible they eat blood?
Because some of them had a reddish color…
How we destroy them?
Thanks for your help
Signature: allergen worms

carpet beetle larvae maryam 300x206 Carpet Beetle Larvae from Iran not causing Bites

Carpet Beetle Larvae

Hi Maryam,
The insects in your photo are Carpet Beetle Larvae, probably in the genus Attagenus based on comparison with some photos on BugGuide.  Carpet Beetles have a cosmopolitan distribution and they are responsible for doing considerable damage to museum collections that contain animal specimens including insect collections, taxidermy specimens, and human textiles made of wool and other organic materials, but they are not responsible for the bites in the second photo you have submitted.  The Carpet Beetle Larvae will also feed on pet hair and human hair, but they may be damaging your wool rugs.  The bites are another matter entirely, and we are not sure what might be causing them.

bites iran maryam 300x225 Carpet Beetle Larvae from Iran not causing Bites

Unknown Bites

Posted 01 November 2010 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Spider Beetles

bug found in bed!!! not a bedbug but still wtf!!
Location: in the basement of a house in Denver, Co.
October 28, 2010 6:48 pm
hey guys,
i found these two in my sheets one morning. they freaked me out at first but after looking through the archives on your site, im confident they’re not bedbugs. they’re reddish brown, have six legs spanning only 5mm, and have a glossy round abdomen thats only 2mm wide. they look like miniature weevils to me. sorry about the weak picture but the macro setting on my cell phone sucks. what do you think?
Signature: Michael

spider beetles michael 300x240 Spider Beetles

Spider Beetles

Hi Michael,
These are Spider Beetles in the genus Mezium which you can verify on BugGuide.  According to BugGuide, the habitat includes:  “mammal/bird/bee nests, dry carrion, tree holes; several species occur in homes, granaries, mills, warehouses” and it seems that beds can be added to that list since your letter is not the first report we have gotten of Spider Beetles found between the sheets.  Perhaps you should stop eating crackers in bed since Spider Beetles are most commonly associated with infestations in the kitchen.

3

Posted 29 October 2010 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Carpet Beetle Larva

what is it?
Location:  inside house on walls, one on top of quilt, one on top of exposed bed divan. On landing wall.
October 20, 2010 9:51 am
TOP LEFT OF PICTURE
It’s 5mm long.
4 furry legs, mostly at the front of the body.
Mustard colour, with white stripes on the abdomen.
Small blob for a head, body gets bigger and bigger to abdomen, then tapers off to a furry bottom.
I thought it was a pupae, until close inspection showed it was a hairy creepy crawly.
In the picture you will also see all the different casts of ONE bug I caught earlier this year.
many thanks
Signature:  Tracey

carpet beetle larva tracey 246x300 Carpet Beetle Larva

Carpet Beetle Larva

Thank you for your reply.
I do hope it is possible for you to tell me what “old fluffy bum” is.
I studied your website in great detail after I requested identification, and I loved it, too much I’m afraid, I didn’t get anything done all day.
I should have added that I have not murdered the grub, at the moment he is in a glass jar with air holes, but as I don’t know if it is carnivore or herbivore, he could die of very slow starvation unless you reply to me.
I await your reply (please) with anticipation.
Kind Regards
Tracey

I identified the bug using your web site IT’S A CARPET BUG LARVAE
October 24, 2010 1:33 PM
Thank you, but I have found really good close ups on your web site and it’s a CARPET BUG LARVAE

Hi Tracey,
Please accept our apology for not returning either of your earlier emails, but as our automated form has indicated, we have a very, very small staff.  Daniel still has a considerable amount of answered email from October 20 as well as from days prior to that and days since then, but he was so charmed that you informed us of your success, and your subject line caught his attention, so he tracked down the photo attached to your original email.  He was also impressed that you enjoyed the website so all of your previously overlooked communications to us have been collated into a posting with your photograph of a Carpet Beetle Larva.  If you want to continue to raise your Carpet Beetle Larva, you can try feeding it pet hair.

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your reply.  I think the little BUG’rs been eating my hair, cause I’m always pulling handfulls of it off the Dyson carpet brush attachment and I don’t have any pets. I’ve asked my mum for a loan of her Kirby, cause it will do a better job of vacuuming.
Best wishes for the future and kind regards, Tracey

Posted 26 October 2010 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Lawn Shrimp

Copper colored flat bugs
Location: Los Angeles
October 22, 2010 6:38 pm
Hi. I am desperate to find out what these bugs are that I am finding dead in my house in one particular room. They are flat, but not like bed bugs. They are flat instead from the side. They resemble shrimp. The color is metallic copper with pink accents. Two events coincided with the bugs’ appearance. 1. I opened my sealed wedding dress box which (& this is disgusting) had been invaded by termites). 2. I just bought a bromeliad tropical plant.
I have never seen the bugs alive. they seem to be dropping from the ceiling, but maybe they care just coming from the plant & then being distributed to different parts of the room with foot traffic.
I would be forever grateful if you could help, O kind sage.
Signature: Sarah

October 22, 2010 11:15 PM
Hi!  I looked at your site again & identified my bugs as “lawn shrimp.”  Thank you for your site.  It is wonderful!!!!

lawn shrimp sarah 300x229 Lawn Shrimp

Lawn Shrimp

Hi Sarah,
We are happy to hear you were able to utilize our extensive archive to identify your Lawn Shrimp without our assistance.  We are posting your photo because we believe the recent rains will probably cause other area residents to notice the terrestrial amphipods, also called House Hoppers, when they seek shelter and die indoors.

1

Posted 24 October 2010 § Sow Bugs, Pill Bugs, Isopods, Lawn Shrimp and Amphipods ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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