Larvae Found in Bed Could be Carpet Beetle Larvae

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We just heard from a reader who has been finding larvae around her bed for about a week. She said some are smaller and brown, some are longer, some are slender, and she also noticed a white, maggot-like one. She has washed her bedding, and sprayed her sheets with insecticide. She also had a foam mattress topper which she threw out after she noticed larvae coming out of.  Her futon bed sits directly on the floor, which is above the basement of her house. The presence of these larvae is really freaking her out, especially because there aren’t any flies in her house. In fact, her house is generally critter-free with the occasional spotting of a drain fly or red ant. This is the photograph she sent us:

Although not all the evidence suggests carpet beetle larvae, we think that is probably what our reader is dealing with. The creature in the photo definitely could be a carpet beetle larva, even though the image isn’t very clear. Even though we haven’t seen a carpet beetle larvae that looks like the maggot our reader described, the location and manner in which our reader is finding these critters suggests that they are carpet beetle larvae.

Carpet beetle larvae are common household pests that eat animal products, fabrics, and other small particles around a home. Since our reader is finding them around her bed, we think they might be eating something in that area. Since she has washed her sheets, we think they might be eating the mattress, or the comforter, especially if either are stuffed with feathers or wool. We recommend our reader inspect her entire mattress (the underside too) for signs of an infestation, and have it removed from her home and professionally cleaned. She should continue to wash her bedding so that any unseen carpet beetle eggs can’t hatch into a new generation of carpet beetle larvae. Other than disposing of the primary food source, getting rid of carpet beetle larvae is all about keeping up with a cleaning routine. She will need to vacuum, sweep, dust, and do laundry every day to make sure there are no new potential food sources for the larvae.

In summary, we believe a reader has discovered carpet beetle larvae in her bed. To get rid of these unwanted visitors, she will need to commit to a cleaning routine and remove their primary food source.

 

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Larvae Found in Bed Could be Carpet Beetle Larvae
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Larvae Found in Bed Could be Carpet Beetle Larvae
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we believe a reader has discovered carpet beetle larvae in her bed. To get rid of these unwanted visitors, she will need to commit to a cleaning routine and remove their primary food source.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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