Skip to content

Tag Archives: Household Pests

What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Bug of the Month: April 2008 – Carpet Beetle

bug on windowsill
In the last week (first week of March), we have seen several of these tiny beetle-like bugs on our windowsill. We’re concerned that they might be from possible dampness in the wall – or are they from a house plant. It’s too cold here yet, so you windows have not been open for fresh air and bugs! Thanks for helping us identify this tiny bug. It’s about 2 millimetres long.
Lauren

Hi Lauren,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle. It and its siblings have probably been living all winter in your home as fuzzy larvae, feeding on wool, feathers or fur, or some other animal product. Carpet Beetle infestations can do major damage to your valuables and are considered one of the most serious threats to natural history museum collections. Adult Carpet Beetles emerge in the spring and are attracted to windows. They feed on pollen as adults and are trying to get outside to feed.

Ed. Note: (04/04/2008)
It seems that daily we have been receiving multiple requests for the identification of Anthrenus Carpet Beetles, hence our decision to make them the Bug of the Month for April. These Carpet Beetles can be extremely destructive to museum collections as well as to natural fibers in the home. The larvae are fuzzy and are the destructive stage of the insect.

Carpet Beetle Larva
(04/13/2008) Carpet beetle larva from MN
Hello Daniel and Lisa.
Thanks to your site, which I visit almost daily now, I was able to identify a carpet beetle larva when I first saw it last year crawling up the wall in my room. Now I found another one this year in the same place and time, and now I have a better camera for getting a decent picture of it. I noticed that you made it the Bug of the Month for April, and the picture you have up there is a little blurry, so I thought you might like some clearer images. I’m still not sure of the species of this one though. I live in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Joel

Hi Joel,
Thanks for providing us with a sharper and more current image of a Carpet Beetle Larva. We scoured the archives for the one we originally posted in the Bug of the Month for April 2008 posting.

Update: (04/12/2008)Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thank you SO much for making the Carpet Beetle April’s bug of the month! We have been in this house for 3 springs now and have wondered what on earth those little things are! It’s nearly impossible to find info online for one bug out of millions! I have a question… I looked up info on what they eat, the larvae that is. It said they like wool carpet. Our carpeting is made from recycled milk cartons! We do have a pet rabbit, but the bugs tend to stay in our daughter’s room, which the bunny is only allowed in on occasion. What could they be eating that keeps them coming back each spring? Again, thanks so VERY much! You have really satisfied a curiosity of mine and my husband’s (who, by the way, thought they were some bizarre kind of tick or flea!) Sincerely,
Crystal
Southern California

Hi Crystal,
Your letter is the second thanks we have received since making the Carpet Beetle the Bug of the Month. That is always a tough decision, and we almost chose the Striped Morning Sphinx. We have also gotten numerous requests for that identification. Your letter did not indicate if you are finding the adult Carpet Beetles or the larvae in your daughter’s room. If the adults, they could fly from the larval feeding source. If you have rabbits, they will probably shed and the larval Carpet Beetles will eat the shed fur. They will also feed on other pet hair and human hair that gathers in corners and under beds.

Posted 08 March 2008 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Carpet Beetle

bug on windowsill
In the last week (first week of March), we have seen several of these tiny beetle-like bugs on our windowsill. We’re concerned that they might be from possible dampness in the wall – or are they from a house plant. It’s too cold here yet, so you windows have not been open for fresh air and bugs! Thanks for helping us identify this tiny bug. It’s about 2 millimetres long.
Lauren

Hi Lauren,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle. It and its siblings have probably been living all winter in your home as fuzzy larvae, feeding on wool, feathers or fur, or some other animal product. Carpet Beetle infestations can do major damage to your valuables and are considered one of the most serious threats to natural history museum collections. Adult Carpet Beetles emerge in the spring and are attracted to windows. They feed on pollen as adults and are trying to get outside to feed.

Posted 08 March 2008 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (1) ° Also tagged:

Spider Beetle from UK: We think Golden Spider Beetle

spider beetles, Niptus hololeucus, in the UK
Hi there bug lovers,
In the last 3 or 4 months I have been seeing these beetles in our city flat off and on (I’ve probably seen more than a dozen by now). I have been trying to key them ever since I saw the second one but never got any further than ‘bed bug’, which I know they are not, or assassin bug (which quite frankly is an even worse match). I have collected 5 of them (2mm -5mm, in all kinds of brown shades) in a jar where they ‘didn’t get to eat anything’ for about a month (appart from a dead spider which they seemed to have taken appart) until yesterday when I gave them a bit of old boilt rice (which they also seemed to like). We eat a lot of grain and health foods which means we have a lot of them around but they are being used and replenished regularly and I never noticed any batch to be parasitized. Although I’m sure that we must have a source somewhere I’ve never successfully located one. I have also recently noticed very few and small moth type holes in one of my boyfriend’s t-shirts and don’t know whether that could have been the bugs. The biggest bug (see pic of bug a grain of boilt rice) even has some really nice ornamentation on its back. Without magnification one can’t even see a suture on their backs but I did catch one flying once. Now, roaming through your site I finally found which species they should most likely be!!! I am sure they are some type of spider beetle, most likely Niptus hololeucus. However, no matter which site I find there seem to have been no sightings of this (American) species in the UK so far! If you could help me solve this riddle once and for all I’d be forever grateful! I have also attached pictures of two of my captured bugs. Thank you tons,
Julja
PS.: Since the last time I tried to contact you I have also found that they come crawling out of my downstairs neighbour’s drain sometimes and I have in fact seen one crawling out of one of our drains… ( abit weird for a bug that’s meant to feed on grains, no?)

Hi Julja,
We agree that this is a Spider Beetle, and also that the species looks correct. We googled some key words and found a great website on Spider Beetles with species listed and distributions. The Golden Spider Beetle, Niptus hololeucus, is listed as Cosmopolitan except for some areas of the tropics.

Posted 18 February 2008 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Silverfish

please help figure out what this is!
I find this bug in my master bathroom. It’s always crawling on the wall, only one by itself but i’ll see it once or twice a week. Sometimes it’s on the wall of my bedroom. Any idea what it is? Please!!!
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
We have received several requests in recent weeks to identify a Silverfish, but we have not posted a new image of a Silverfish since it was Bug of the Month in March 2007. Silverfish are primitive insects that can become established in homes and become household pests. They are usually found in dark damp areas and they are known to damage books by feeding on the organic glue and sizing in the binding and also do damage to wallpaper. They eat many forms of dry organic matter and will also feed on sugar, flour, breakfast cereals, fabrics and insulating materials.

Posted 19 November 2007 § Silverfish, Bristletails and Firebrats ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bathroom Flies Mating

Can you identify that bug?
Hi,
In my house, we have a bug problem! We can find lots of the bugs I’m sending you, we had found two sources but they disapeared just a few days! They come from very black thin worms and larvae open to make them live. The source need water! Please help me! Amicalement,
Cindi

Hi Cinci,
These are Bathroom Flies, Clogmia albipunctata, and one image shows a mating pair. They are often found indoors in bathrooms and the larva live in sludge in the pipes and drains.

Posted 03 July 2007 § Flies ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Spider Beetles

What is this little bug? (please help)
Bugman please help!
I live in Philadelphia and I keep finding these bugs in my apartment. I thought they were biting me but I am not sure. I have never seen anything like these things before in my life. Enclosed are two photographs of these bugs. I found them near my bed, which makes me terrified to sleep in it. They are round and shiny like tiny beads and are amber-reddish in color. They have those little legs and they are almost always dead when I find them. Also, when they are held up to the light they are translucent.
Scared in PA!
S.A.

Dear S.A.,
Fear not. These are Mezium Spider Beetles, grain infesting Pantry Beetles. They will infest your stored food, but will not bite you.

Expert Update: (05/22/2008) spider beetle errors
Dear Bugman,
I believe I had written earlier when looking at many of the spider beetle pictures. Almost all of the shiny brown, globular body, images are of Gibbium aequinoctiale and not Mezium species. There is a combined 2 image photo (finger and beetle & 2 beetles) of Mezium : the answer was posted by Eric Eaton, I believe. Gibbium species do not have a velvety covering on the thorax, Mezium species do. You should correct your website postings so people will have a better idea of what they have been finding. Best regards,
Lou
Louis N. Sorkin, B.C.E.
Entomology Section
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
New York

Dear Lou,
Thanks so much for resending this vital correction to our website. We really appreciate your expertise on this. We sincerely hope that addressing you with such familiarity doesn’t detract from your professional status.

Posted 26 April 2007 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Case Bearing Moth Larva

Weird bug
This thing is about half an inch long, and there were two of them, in an old cream-cheese lid…. I had picked it up to throw it out, but got distracted and put it down next to me, and then I noticed the pieces of dirt were moving…. not only that the worm like thing can come out of either side! Anyone know what this thing is? One of them escaped, but I got photos of the remaining one….. he was about to crawl off of my workbench, but I caught him…they seem very aware… the worm part doesn’t come out unless you stop moving.

This is a Case Bearing Moth Larva. We get blurry photos and pumpkin seed descriptions all the time from all over the world. Your photo is quite exceptional.

Regarding the “case bearing moth larva” posted 04/10/2007); you might want to add that these insects also go by the names “household casebearer” and “plaster bagworm.” Most of these found in the United States likely are in the genus Phereoeca, but the genus Praececodes also has been reported from the southern USA. See http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/occas/household_casebearer.htm for more detailed information.
Ed Saugstad
Sinks Grove, WV.

Posted 10 April 2007 § Pantry Moths, Clothes Moths, Case-Bearers and Meal Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Carpet Beetle

You have a great site. Thank you for providing a picture of an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle. I will now be able to put a name to pictures that I posted on chaindropz blogspot.
Thanks again
chaindropz

Hi Chaindropz,
Thanks for sending your photo. We have been getting numerous reports about Carpet Beetles lately.

Posted 05 March 2007 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bug of the Month: March 2007 – Silverfish

What is this?
Hi, there,
Recently I can see this kind of bug everyday in my house. First I thought it is a House Centipede. But I found there are not enough legs. Please tell me what it is and how to control them (I killed 2-3 everyday). Thanks and regards
James

Hi James,
This is a Silverfish, a primitive insect. They are considered household pests. They are found in dark, damp areas, often the bathroom and basement. They will eat many things, but are fond of glue that adheres wallpaper to the wall and the glue in book bindings. Your timing was perfect and your photo quite gorgeous, so we are making the Silverfish the featured Bug of the Month for March 2007.

Posted 02 March 2007 § Silverfish, Bristletails and Firebrats ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Mealworm

what is this horrible looking thing???
Hello, great site you have here. Been browsing it for a bit but still cant find this little chap on there! Found him under my carpet, with the cat sniffing near it. Don’t know if it came in off the cat, or if there is something in the house… It was found near my fireplace, which is not used and has a gas fire in front of it. The chimney is boarded up, but not sealed. Thanks for your help! I’m in the UK, by the way.
Ian

Hello again,
As well as asking you, I also asked the Natural History Museum insect dept. for some help, and they have sent a reply. Just though I would let you know, so you don’t waste any more time on this enquiry! It is a the larvae from a mealworm beetle apparently, and can be found in roofs/attics/chimneys where birds nest. hence why I found it in near my fireplace! Thanks anyway, and keep up the good work on a fantastic site! best regards,
Ian

Hi Ian,
Thank you for your photo as well as the results of your inquiries. During normal business hours, we at What’s That Bug? are in the real world trying to make a living and normally answer questions early in the morning or late at night. We were unaware that the Giant Mealworm Larva, a Darkling Beetle in the genus Zophobas, were found in association with bird nests. It is very interesting.

Correction (03/28/2008)
I just wanted to point out that as Ian was told by the Natural History Museum, this is a Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) which is not the same as a Superworm (Zophobas morio). Superworms are often confused with Giant Mealworms (the latter being a hormonally enhanced mealworm which grows larger for use as a feeder). While mealworms and superworms are both types of darkling beetles, they do have different appearances.

Posted 01 March 2007 § Pantry Beetles, Grain Weevils, Spider Beetles, Meal Worms and Carpet Beetles ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Silverfish

Help identifying a bug
Hi,
I attached a pic of the bug that has been plaguing my room. I found 8 huge ones around and under my bed (about 2″ long), and have found several smaller (0.5″) to bigger (1 – 2″) ones randomly in other parts of my room and in boxes. Could you please help me to identify it, and if so would you know any way to keep them from coming back? Thanks!
Kym

Hi Kym,
This is probably the most beautiful image of a Silverfish we have ever seen. If we could tell you how to eradicate the Silverfish from your home, we would be fabulously wealthy. They are found in dark warm places, and can squeeze through tiny places. They are found inside walls as well. They are generally considered household pests as they will eat starchy substances, including book bindings, fabric and wallpaper glue. They will also eat many food products including sugar, flour and cereals.

Posted 06 January 2007 § Silverfish, Bristletails and Firebrats ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Bathroom Fly

Bathroom Fly
Hi bugman,
Couldn’t find this little bugger at first – I should have just searched for “bathroom” because I found this little one in a public restroom at Boston Logan airport! The iridescence on the wings was really quite impressive, and it looked rather like a crude ’silver’ under the natural lighting. Thank you for running your site – it has already helped me identify 4 odd bugs!
Richard
P.S. the “American Homebody” website being linked to in the footer of all pages appears to be gone and squatted with ads?

Hi Richard,
Bathroom Flies are found in public restrooms as well as domestic bathrooms. They breed in the sludge that accumulates in drains. We will notify Lisa Anne that the domain license to American Homebody, our parent site, has expired, but she is probably devoting more time to Steal This Sweater and the other sites she maintains as well as continuing her busy personal life. Sadly the usurper of our former home is capitalizing on all of our web traffic.

Posted 14 December 2006 § Flies ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Page 4 of 11« First...«23456»10...Last »