Semicircular, Black Bugs Found on Bed and Upholstery May be Clothes Pests of Some Kind

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“I am finding these tiny worm-like things in my bed and upholstery”, states this reader about the black organism pictured below. “They are semicircular and only about a quarter of an inch.”

Our reader states that he submitted “a magnified picture”, but despite that, the picture is of quite a poor resolution, making it difficult to discern any of the creature’s finer details. This, paired with the fact that no more context is provided, makes it hard for us to provide a confident identification of the organism. In any case, we are not familiar with any ‘semicircular’ black organisms that tend to show up on beds or upholstery.

Given the location of discovery, we would be tempted to say these are some type of pest that feeds on textiles, like the clothes moth larva or the carpet beetle larva, but this bug does not resemble any known ‘clothes pests’ that we know of. In any case, if these organisms are indeed eating on the bed sheets and upholstery, then there are some general methods one can use to eliminate and prevent infestations of such creatures that work across the board, regardless of the specific species.

The most important thing in eliminating such an infestation is to consistently vacuum infected areas and launder infected fabrics (and steam clean where laundering is not possible). If the infestation is big, this should be repeated multiple times a week for a minimum of two weeks.

Prevention is all about keeping the bugs out of one’s home and off of one’s items. To do this, our reader should make sure that his window screens are completely intact, and that there are no gaps in them through which bugs could enter. Likewise, getting rid of or storing unused garments in vacuum-sealed bags will help prevent clothes pests from finding those pieces. Sealing cracks in walling and flooring with caulk (or something else viable) is also helpful in preventing all kinds of creepy crawlies from entering one’s home.

To conclude, we are not sure what it is that our reader has been finding. If he wants a specific identification, we suggest sending us clearer pictures or taking the bug to his local county extension office to have it physically examined. Regardless, we hope that the advice in this article proves helpful, and we wish our reader the very best.

 

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Summary
Semicircular, Black Bugs Found on Bed and Upholstery May be Clothes Pests of Some Kind
Article Name
Semicircular, Black Bugs Found on Bed and Upholstery May be Clothes Pests of Some Kind
Description
"I am finding these tiny worm-like things in my bed and upholstery", states this reader about the black organism pictured below. "They are semicircular and only about a quarter of an inch."
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Author: Worm Researcher Anton

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