A reader wrote to us recently about a “worm/bug” he has been finding on his bed sheets for several days in a row. Upon zooming in on one of the photos our reader sent in, the creature in question appears to be ovate in shape, black and white in color (though given the image’s quality this is uncertain), and has bristles surrounding its body.
Our reader is afraid that he got bed bugs from when he went traveling a week prior to sending his query, though he has not noticed any bites. He mentioned that when putting his finger close to the bug, it climbed onto his skin and seemed to lift its back end a lot. In addition to this, our reader spotted “‘feelers'” on the bug, which are visible in the image above. We think that the feelers our reader noticed were actually bristles. This, in conjunction with the creature’s apparent striped pattern of colors, has led to us to believe that the critter our reader found is a carpet beetle larva.
Carpet beetles are common pests of the household whose larvae can wreak quite a lot of damage to fabric-based furniture. As the larvae feed on animal-based textiles, one can often find them chewing holes through carpets, clothing, and upholstered furniture. Additionally, carpet beetle larvae also eats lint, crumbs, pet food, and dead insects, among other things. We would guess that the particular larva that this reader found was that of the black carpet beetle larva, given its coloration. What is different about this species of carpet beetle larva is the size to which it can grow, getting as long as 8mm, while the ‘normal’ carpet beetle larva tends to be 4-5mm. Once fully grown, carpet beetles feed on nectar and pollen, but have been known to get into human food as well when present in the house, thus making them pests nonetheless, even when fully grown.
Our reader will be happy to know then that these are not bed bugs, although carpet beetles are equally difficult to get rid of. To rid one’s home of a carpet beetle infestation, one must first locate the source, which will be given away by roaming larvae and beetles (in this case it is likely our reader’s bed, where he has been spotting them every day) and old skins that they have abandoned. Looking for the eggs or pupae of carpet beetles is fruitless, given that they will usually be hidden between the fibers of the carpet, or between the folds of clothing or other fabrics. Once the source is located, one must vacuum that area in order to – hopefully – rid the area of all the organisms and eggs. Then, it is important to launder all the pieces of fabrics in the source’s vicinity in extremely hot temperatures to ensure the eradication of all the carpet beetles that may have remained. Furthermore, if our reader wishes to employ measures for preventing future infestations of carpet beetles, some ideas he may want to take into consideration are: sealing cracks in walls and flooring, ensuring the wholeness and quality of window screens, and storing animal-based fabrics in vacuum-sealed bags or in a cold vault.
To conclude, the worms our reader found on his bed are carpet beetle larvae. While these critters are not dangerous or harmful toward humans, they can still prove to be an unfavorable guest in one’s home, but by following the methods listed above, we are confident that our reader can have these carpet beetles gone in no time.
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I have had a hellish experience for almost 3 yrs now from what initially I thought could’ve been lice in my hair however it did not itch and upon trying every single OTC treatment for lice and super lice to which these (still unidentified) did not respond and every single home remedy I’ve tried had absolutely no effect, I’m desperate to get some relief! My hair has broken off all over my head where there used to be 12 inches of long healthy hair is now short straw like hair that feels like I have sand all through my hair. I take my head and flip my hair over to brush/comb them out because there’s just a crawling sensation and just the feeling of something foreign in my hair. By accident I discovered that when doing this the pests land in the toilet water which produces a shadow from the light in the bathroom and acts like a magnification tool and you can see things otherwise you wouldn’t. These parasites do not leave white nits and you cannot see them very good without a magnifying glass however sometimes the bigger one you can. They stick to my hair like glue and when the comb goes through my hair it just takes the hair with it and you can actually hear it breaking it off!! They are tiny black and brown little spider looking things and let me tell you, NOTHING kills them!! Not anything I’ve tried does. I don’t recommend this to anyone but I have been so desperate to get rid of these parasites that I’ve ever resorted to using kerosene and also motor oil and still.. nothing. I’ve tried using baking soda and vinegar. No effect. Peroxide and even rubbing alcohol!! Yes, it’s that bad. I’ve also tried dying my hair different colors in an attempt to eliminate these pests with no success. Even a 500 degree hair straightener doesn’t do anything but melt them to my hair and some of then pop off abd this sounds gross but I guess their guts land in the mirror and it looks like yellow mucus or something. I’ve told my family doctor about it and he just shrugs me off as if I’m crazy. So I went to an urgent care facility and the nurse practitioner looked thru my hair and said it looks fine to me and that she didn’t see anything. I asked her to look at some of my hair under a microscope and she says they don’t do that. Help!! I’ve hesitated to write in but I have no where else to go that might possibly know what these things are. I have lost almost all of my hair and it looks so awful like the worst haircut ever and I wear a bandana or ball cap all the time . It’s gotten so short I can barely pull it up in a ponytail and it feels gritty and rough. I have all kinds of different pictures and I don’t have any idea what they are. I am to the point where I am about to shave my head and I’m a girl/woman and I am not looking forward to that but if I can’t get rid of them they will break all of it off anyways. It’s so embarrassing too. I am going to make an appointment with a dermatologist and see what they say but I’m not sure that they will even know either. They appear to have six or 8 legs and when they are in water their legs move really fast so it’s hard to capture a still of the legs and some of them look like the comb tore the body of some of them. I also do not know if they are in my environment or coming out of my scalp. It is so bazaar and I don’t even like going out in public anymore bc people seem to know and are making jokes about it and everything. This is serious and I am not a dirty person although my house could be a lot cleaner I do shower everyday and even wash my hair more often than anyone should but I cannot stand this feeling. Does anyone have a clue what this is or what I can do? It has affected my entire life. I won’t even let my kids come over in fear they will catch whatever this is. It’s been 3 yrs. I don’t want to miss anymore time with my children.
I would appreciate any input, information, advice, or help.
Thanks