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Carpet Beetle
Carpet Beetle
Carpet Beetle

Most people think that when they find mystery bites at home that they are suffering from bedbugs. But what if you don't find any and you still are getting bites? Bedbugs are pretty easy to spot, they leave blood poops in your mattress and on your sheets. But there are other pests that cause marks such as rat fleas and carpet beetles that aren't as easy to spot. We had our own run in with carpet beetles and it took around a year to diagnose the problem. Once I identified the issue I went to work getting ride of them! Below is a culmination of what I read online and what worked for us.

 

Marks by carpet beetles are actually not bites from the beetles themselves, but are caused by an allergic reaction to the tiny hairs on the larval form. You may see the larvae crawling up walls, in your couch, under carpets in the bottoms of closets. You may also see there discarded exoskeletons that they leave behind as they grow. These also have the hairs on them that will cause a reaction.

carpet-beetle-larva (1).jpg

 Any where the hairs can fly and collect or stick onto you need to consider. So this is anywhere dust accumulates; the blinds, tops of light, clothes and fabric. Wash the bedding, and anything else washable after you dust or you will just by laying in what you dusted off. They love to stick to static electricity, so cutting down that will help. This includes using fabric softener, an ionizer (I got mine on Amazon) and misting water/alcohol/vinegar all throughout the house daily until under control (don't mix all these things... either use a water/alcohol mix, or water/vinegar mix). Vinegar is also a natural insecticide. The adult beetles live outside and are harmless and feed on pollen, but come inside to lay their eggs. Close the windows to keep them out. The larvae feed on proteins in hair, skin, nails and dead insects. Clean anywhere you can find these things. Mostly this accumulates where things have not been moved for a while, in the blinds, windowsills, in and under the couch, and under the bed. DON'T SWEEP. Sweeping will make the hairs airborne and the problem worse. Vacuum once a day until under control and then once a week, mop with a vinegar mixture once a week (with a couple drops of cedar, an insect repellant), put clothes away asap/don't re-wear, keep the windows closed, use a purifier and take allergy medication. You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth around (this kills them by cutting them up, it's essentially microscopic glass shards... don't sweep or make this airborne either, it can irritate your lungs/eyes).  

Carpet beetles are also a major problem for dry mounted taxidermy and natural fibers. Specimens affected can be wrapped in plastic and placed in the freezer for a week or more

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