March 20, 2005
Beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice!
Yoshi has been finding these beetle(?) bug thingys throughout the house for the last month or so. Yoshi had asked me to ask Will Campbell: Answer Man if he knew what they were, but I hadn't seen any until last night.
Yoshi saw one crawling on the wall next to my head (ack!) while we were watching TV. Good thing my camera was in my pocket and I snapped a shot of it. Now I can post the picture for Will Campbell: Answer Man and see if he knows what it is. (Yoshi had already done some web research on miscellaneous beetles and found one similar to this online, but we thought we'd ask the Answer Man for a second opinion.) Supposedly these things are harmless, but I don't like them... especially since after not having seen them at all for a month, I ended up seeing ANOTHER one in the same night.
I was getting in bed and had my glasses on the night stand (I'm pretty much blind without my glasses or contacts) when I saw a little black piece of fuzz on my pillowcase. I went to grab it and it turned out to be a hard little bug! I shrieked and threw it on the floor and then asked Yoshi, "Was that one of those beetle bug things?"
"I don't know..." said Yoshi. "...seeing as you THREW it before I could see what it was."
Since I throw like a girl, the bug ended up just a couple of feet away on the floor. I put my glasses on and saw that it was indeed a beetle bug thingy. I picked it up with a tissue and smooshed it and went to flush it down the toilet. (I take no chances with bugs, no matter how "harmless" they are.)
And then I washed my hands with anti-bacterial soap before coming back to bed and flipping my pillow over. (It was late and I was too tired to change the pillowcase.) Blecch.
After those damn spider bites more than a month ago (the scars are still VERY visible on my forehead), I have zero tolerance for critters of any sort anywhere near the bed.
So anyway, back to the point...
Will, what are these things? And how do we get rid of them? THANKS!
Posted by jozjozjoz at March 20, 2005 09:41 PMTrackbacks
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Comments
Yee-Ha! Comments are fixed. I was wondering how those nasty spider bites were now.
Posted by: Nez at March 21, 2005 01:21 PMMaybe they're bed bugs? Don't let them bite!
Posted by: nanette at March 21, 2005 02:23 PMMy lord Joz, thanks for all the links and hype. Way to put the pressure on me! :) Luckily I was able to rise above the stress of not being able to readily identify your critter. A little research and I was able to find the beetle culprit in question.
What you have is pretty much your garden variety carpet beetle. These wee suckers can do large amounts of damage — not just to carpets, but to items composed
of animal fibers such as wool, furs, silk, felt, and leather.
But just chill a second. Deep breathes... there ya go. The adult carpet beetle you found and smooshed doesn't necessarily mean you have an infestation. See, it's the carpet beetle larvae that feed on fabrics and cause the damage. Adults actually feed on flowers.
So the possible conclusions are:
A) There's a chance this adult might have just
haphazardly gotten inside by being drawn to a lightand you don't have anything to worry about, or
B) You've got a carpet beetle larvae infestation, and there's something to worry about.
If it's B, carpet beetle larvae prefer to feed in
dark, undisturbed areas such as closets, attics, within boxes where woolens and furs are stored, along and under the edges of carpeting, underneath upholstered furniture, and in air ducts where they feed on yummy stuff like lint, pet hair and other bits of debris.
Carpet beetle infestations may also originate from bird or animal nests in an attic, chimney or wall void. They also occasionally feed on seeds, pet food or cereal products in the kitchen or pantry.
The best way to get rid of carpet beetle problems is through prevention. Woolens and other susceptible fabrics should be dry cleaned or laundered before being stored for long periods. Cleaning not only removes odors and body oils that are attractive to the
beetles, but also kills any eggs or larvae that may be present. Articles to be stored should then be packed with moth balls or flakes in tight-fitting containers.
Insecticides should not be used to treat clothing. However, mothproofing solutions may be applied to susceptible clothing by professional dry cleaners.
Routine vacuuming effectively removes carpet beetles which are already present, as well as hair and lint which could support future infestations. Particular attention while vacuuming should be paid to the edges
of carpets, along baseboards, underneath furniture and similar "quiet" areas where carpet beetles prefer to feed.
Insecticide applications directed into infested areas are often useful as a supplement. Products containing active ingredients such as chlorpyrifos, permethrin, bendiocarb and allethrin are effective against carpet
beetles. Sprays may be applied to carpets (especially beneath and along the edge adjacent to the baseboard), underneath furniture and other likely areas of infestation where prolonged contact with humans is
unlikely. Clothing and bedding should not be sprayed and should be removed before treatment.
Control of carpet beetles requires patience and a thorough inspection to locate all sources of infestation. Elimination of widespread, ongoing infestations may require the services of a professional pest control operator.
Best,
Will
Joz, Your comments are hinky and not allowing me to post. I sent you an email with your answer.
Posted by: Will Campbell at March 21, 2005 04:21 PMWill Campbell: Thank you for being the best Answer Man, ever!
Posted by: :: jozjozjoz :: at March 22, 2005 10:16 AMtwo words: Bug Bomb
Posted by: Ginny at March 22, 2005 02:04 PMAw Joz... I don't know how to answer that! :)
Posted by: Will Campbell at March 22, 2005 02:45 PMBlech.
Posted by: muckdog at March 22, 2005 05:58 PM
Dude, your place is infested. Call the exterminator.
Posted by: Deltus at March 21, 2005 11:57 AM