One of our readers sent us an email about some orange worms that she had found in her laundry basket. She was inquiring about what they were and if she needed to get rid of her clothing. She did not include a picture, but there is a strong possibility that these worm-like creatures could be carpet beetle larvae.

Carpet beetle larvae are usually orange and brown in color with tiny hairs on their bodies. They grow to be anywhere from 4mm to 8mm in length. They are usually oval or carrot shaped.

The important thing for our reader to know is that carpet beetle larvae are very destructive! They feed on fabric, leather, wool, fur, and feathers. They can damage clothing, furniture, and carpet. They move from room to room looking for food. This causes a lot of destruction in a home that has carpet or furniture that they think is tasty.

Carpet beetles are usually found in and near clothing, carpets, air vents, and near dead insects that they might have tried to feed on.

It is important that our reader either dry cleans her clothing or wraps it in plastic. This will help to get rid of any carpet beetle larvae in her closets. If she has carpet, it is very important that the carpets are cleaned properly and quite frequently. This will help her to get rid of the larvae. By cleaning out any air vents of dust, the larvae will move elsewhere to find food.

In summary, our reader found orange “worms” in her laundry basket.  She didn’t send a picture, but based on what she said, our best guess is that she actually found the larvae of carpet beetles.

Originally posted 2015-10-05 16:05:34.