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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

Striped, Brown Creature in Bedroom is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“I’ve been de-mothing my bedroom recently, and found a few of these”, writes this reader in Colorado about the thin, brown-striped, worm-like creature pictured below. “While they bear a passing resemblance to carpet beetle larvae, they don’t appear to match up exactly (I am, however, not the expert here). I’ve included both pictures of a dead one and video of a live one moving. If helpful, I live in the Rocky Mountain area.” First off, we want to say that we agree that this does look like a carpet beetle larva, and we do think that is what it is. The reason why it might not match up exactly with our reader’s idea of a carpet beetle larva is because there are actually multiple species of carpet beetles, all of which look slightly different from one another.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Stout Bugs with Bristles Appearing Out of Nowhere are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“I have these crawling types of worms/maggots appearing from nowhere on my ceiling/walls in my living room”, writes Billy about the bristly, striped creature pictured below. “They only appear at height and cannot see them emanating from anywhere. They just appear! They seem to be drawn to the brightest points in the room (directly above lamps etc). I’m attaching a few pics (one including my finger for size reference) and the others are zoomed in pics so quality isn’t great. It would be great if you could identify them so I can finally deal with them.” Billy is absolutely right in saying the quality of these photos is not great, and unfortunately that makes it much harder for us to identify the organisms. Given what we can see from the photo, we would like to conclude that this is a carpet beetle larva.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Pinhead-sized Bugs are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“I found these pinhead-sized, little bugs that move like a worm and look like a larva”, writes Maya about the bristly, brown creature pictured below. “I have kept my laundry room clean. Not sure what they are?” Fortunately for Maya, though the picture is not super clear, we have encountered these creatures so often that we know exactly what she has been finding in her laundry room: carpet beetle larvae. Unfortunately for Maya, carpet beetle infestations can begin no matter how clean a laundry room is kept, because they can start anywhere in the home. This is because carpet beetle larvae feed on organic-based, textile materials, which are often found in most rooms of a house.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Striped Worms on Towel are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and today found these larvae or worms on a towel on the floor by my bed”, writes John from Calgary, Alberta, Canada about the striped, worm-like creature pictured below. “My two dogs also sleep in the bed. Please help!” Based on the photo alone, we can tell that this is a carpet beetle larva. This is because we have written about these critters more than any other worm-like organism on this site. If one were to judge what the most commonly-spotted critters in one’s home were, they would think that carpet beetle larvae are right up there with spiders and house flies. But that is not really true: despite being common, not everyone is as likely to find these in one’s home.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Generally

Bugs and Fluff Scattered Around Bedroom are the Products of a Carpet Beetle Invasion

“Could you please help me ID these two creatures?” asks “Becky Bee the Buggaphobic” from Eugene Oregon. “One was hanging from an electronic near my bed, and that is swinging back-and-forth in the short video that I’ve attached to this message. The other picture is of a circular glob of spider egg-like material that was also near my bed. However, it was just sitting, dangling like the brown mass, and sort of avoiding light perhaps, under some papers near my bed. I am not sure if the two masses are related nor am I sure what the white worm-like casing is that is pictured — heck maybe different stages of life and same species? The brown circular-shaped mass on the blue paper below was what dangled from the electronic device in the video.”

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Black and White-striped Insects on Bed are Black Carpet Beetle Larvae

“Can you help me identify these insects?” asks Jen in East Yorkshire, UK about the little, black and white-striped bug pictured below. “We have been finding these larvae in our bed for several weeks. Are they carpet beetles? Is it possible these might be falling from the ceiling / wood beams, as the way they have turned up makes us think this is a possibility? Thanks.” To start with, we think Jen is right in identifying these as carpet beetles, though we want to point out that, in this case, they are the larvae of the carpet beetle. We can tell based on the shape of the body, as well as the black and white stripes.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Hairy, Striped Bug is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“What is this?” asks Ayoade in his submission regarding the bristly, striped, bug-like creature pictured below. He does not provide any further context – something that we always advise our readers do. Fortunately, in this case, we have seen this creature so many times that we do not need more context to identify it. This is a carpet beetle larva. We can tell that it is a carpet beetle larva based on its brown coloration, stripes, long bristles, six prolegs, and the ovate shape of its body. Now, although we were able to identify the organism without it, context would have still come in handy when it comes to knowing how many of these Ayoade found, and where he found them. Regardless, we will simply give a basic overview of carpet beetle larvae.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Where to Check Your Home for Carpet Beetle Larvae

“Is this worm a carpet beetle larva worm?” asks Dawn in her submission regarding the darkly-colored worm-like creatures pictured below. “And if I only found one so far, would there be a nest or others somewhere else? Where would I look? Thank you.” To start with, we have to unfortunately point out the low resolution and bad lighting in the photographs, and why that will make it difficult for us to confirm with certainty whether or not the organisms our reader found are carpet beetle larvae. We will say that, if she finds more of these larvae in places where there are a lot of textile items, such as on her bed, a couch, in a wardrobe or closet, or on rugs or carpet, then these could be carpet beetle larvae. However, we cannot confirm this identity based solely on the photo or on the context.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Little Brown Worm-like Critter Crawling on Sheets is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“Is this a carpet beetle larva?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the tiny, brown creature pictured below. “I found it in my bed and I am not sure since it seems smaller than the others. If not a carpet beetle larva, then what is it?” Based on the photo alone, we would say that this is indeed a carpet beetle larva. The stripes, bristles, and shape all point to this conclusion. Carpet beetle larvae are infamous household pests, as they like to munch on textiles much like the sheets on our reader’s bed on which the bug was found. In addition to bed sheets, they like to feed on carpets, rugs, clothing, loose hair and fur, and any other items made from organic materials like cotton, wool, feathers, leather and more.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Light Brown Bug with Bristles is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“What is this?” is all this reader asks about the little brown bug pictured below. Although she provides no context, which is usually imperative to us being able to identify any given organism, we have seen this critter about a thousand times: this is a carpet beetle larva. Carpet beetles are notorious insects that feed on textile items such as clothing, bed sheets and, yes, carpets. As such, they have earned the status of ‘pest’, as infestations of them can cause significant damage to such items in one’s home, and they can often go unnoticed for long periods of time.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Interesting Worms Worms Facts

Black Worms Surfacing from Houseplant Look Like Blind Snakes

“I found these strange, wriggly guys next to my indoor houseplant that I had watered earlier that day”, states this reader in her submission regarding the long, black worm-like creatures pictured below. “They were squirming around outside of the pot. When I looked in the soil, I saw a few more moving around – maybe brought to the surface after the watering? (For size reference they are on a Kleenex and maybe 1-2 inches long.) My plant group and Reddit are both stumped as to what they are! Sorry for the terrible quality but any ideas would be welcome! I’m located in Toronto, Canada. Thank you!”

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

Light Brown Bristly Worms with Multiple Legs Invading Car are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“Please tell me what these nasty terrible awful things are?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the light brown bug pictured below. “They look like tiny worms, but zooming in on the camera you can see they have lots of little legs. They obviously hatch into something because they leave the worm-like shell behind but I noticed them in my car a few weeks ago. I’ve vacuumed like a madman and it doesn’t seem to be getting rid of them: they just keep multiplying and I’m so freaked out by this that I’m almost ready to take a huge loss on my vehicle! Help! I have no idea how to get rid of these things!”

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Brown-striped Bug with Long Tail is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“What is this?” is all this reader asks about the brown-striped organism with a tail pictured below. Usually, when readers provide no context, it is difficult to identify the organisms in the picture, as we have only their appearance to go on. However, in the case of this little critter, we have seen their like so many times that we know exactly what this is. This is a carpet beetle larva. If any of our other readers have been following our articles for some time, they are probably familiar with this little bugger by now. Carpet beetle larvae are infamous for infesting people’s homes and chewing up all their clothing and furniture, and that is because they will munch on anything that is made from materials that are organic. This includes cotton, wool, silk, feathers and leather, and people can commonly find them in their wardrobe, on their carpets and rugs, on and under their beds, and in their attic. They will even eat loose strands of hair and fur.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Brown-striped Critter Found in Piece of Food is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“What larva is this?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the brown-striped organism pictured below, which seems to be digging into a piece of food. “It looks similar to a carpet beetle larva, but that doesn’t make sense. I’m in the Southwest United States, and carpet beetles are in Europe, right?” Now, there are a few things to unpack here from our reader’s submission, and we will start with her first question: what larva is this indeed? Well, we think she is right in comparing it to a carpet beetle larva, as it really does resemble one, and that is exactly what we think it is.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Indian Meal Moth Larvae Worms Found in the House

Translucent, Dark-headed Worm-like Creatures Coming Through Vents are Insect Larvae

“What kind of worms are these and how do I get rid of them?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the translucent, dark-headed creatures pictured below. “They are coming into my house through my microwave (which is my vent hood over my stove) and the bathroom exhaust fan. That’s the only place I’ve seen them but there are always a lot of them. I live in Southwest Louisiana in a double-wide trailer.” To start with, we think these are larvae of some sort of insect: likely a moth or fly. We think this due to their translucent white bodies, which is a common characteristic of moth and fly larvae. However, we do not know specifically what species they would belong to. Since the larvae are coming in through the vents, it is likely that the mother insect laid her eggs in the vent, coming in through the outside. As such, the context does not give any clues as to the species they belong to.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

Light Brown, Striped Bug on Pillow is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“I found this worm-like creature on my pillow today”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the light brown, striped critter pictured below. “I need help identifying what it is, and would like any other helpful info you may have. It has some strands coming out of one end of it. Thank you!” Firstly, we want to thank our reader right back, for sending in her submission to us. Secondly, we want to present our reader with an identification: the worm-like creature she found is a carpet beetle larvae. Unfortunately for her, carpet beetle larvae are notorious house pests which can spawn massive infestations that can damage a lot of the items in her home.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

Striped, Brown Bug Found Near Closet is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“The below was found on a carpet near a clothing closet in Manhattan, NYC”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the creature pictured below. “Please advise. Thank you!” The creature in question appears to be striped, with alternating colors of beige and brown, and has an ovate, bristly body. Based on its appearance alone, we would say that this is a carpet beetle larva, though the location it was found in also supports this conclusion.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Bristly Bug with Prolegs is a Carpet Beetle Larva

“What is this bug?” is all this reader asks in her submission. She refers to the creature pictured below, which is brown in color, and appears to have bristles and three pairs of prolegs.

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Brown, Segmented Worms with Hair on Tails Swarming Home are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“These are tiny, brown segmented worms”, states this reader in her submission regarding the creature pictured below. “They have something like hair at the ends of their tails.”

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Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

Brown-striped Bugs Found on Ceiling are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“Over the last couple of days, I have been finding two-to-four of these bugs walking around on my ceiling”, states this reader in her submission regarding the light brown, striped organism pictured below. “Do you know what they are and how I can get rid of them?” she asks.