“What kind of bug is this?” is all Kimberly asks in her submission regarding the dark gray-brown-colored organism pictured below. She does not include any context with her submission, and we do have to note that the resolution on the photo is poor, meaning that when we zoom in on the creature, the details become incredibly blurry. With that in mind, it will not be possible to provide an identification which is 100% accurate; the identification we are about to make is based purely on an educated guess we made, which is, in turn, based on the little we can make out from the photo.

Given the shape, coloration, and striped nature of the organism’s body (plus little spikes that look like bristles near one of its ends), we think this looks like a carpet beetle larva. This is definitely one of the most talked-about organisms on our page in recent years. People keep finding these in their homes, which is quite unfortunate, because they are pests that can cause large infestations that are very hard to get rid of. Because of their dull coloration (they vary in color between a beige/yellow color to dark brown or black), they can easily blend in with the textile items in the home that they feed on. Such items include carpets (predictably), clothing, upholstery, towels, and more. To be clear, carpet beetle larvae feed on the organic fibers found in these textiles, such as wool, silk, cotton, feathers, and leather. They also feed on loose hair and fur, so any areas where pets spend a lot of time are prone to infestation. The more carpet beetle larvae, the more damage they will do to these items, and the longer the infestation goes on, the more generations are born.

Our first piece of advice to Kimberly is to look for more larvae: assume the worst. Look inside dresser drawers (in between, under, and behind clothing), inside wardrobes (all the way to the back), under and behind upholstered furniture, under and on rugs and carpets (especially between the fibers of the carpet), in boxes of old clothes or materials stored in garages, attics, or basements, and anywhere else where there is infestation-prone items (and especially places that are dark, where the larvae could hide for a long time unnoticed). If she does not find more, check again. It is not common for a lone carpet beetle larva to enter a person’s home: usually, they are born there from an adult beetle. Check even the pantry, as the adult beetles will get into dried food goods, and the larvae also can if prompted (which they would be if they were born there). If she does find more, she will have to clean her home, maybe several times over the course of a couple of weeks. This cleaning includes vacuuming all infested spaces (though we recommend vacuuming the entire home, as eggs are often invisible to the naked eye), and laundering any infested (and potentially-infested) textile items. If she has access to a steam-cleaner for her carpets, even better. On top of that, methods of prevention are equally key; storing unused textiles in airtight containers, mending or replacing torn window screens, and vacuuming often. We should also note that the bristles on carpet beetle larvae can cause allergic reactions (typically a rash), and they can get left behind on the items they feed on.

In conclusion, we think it is possible that Kimberly found a carpet beetle larva. Besides their bristles potentially causing allergic reactions, they are harmless to humans and pets. However, they can cause a lot of damage to the home if they go unchecked, so we recommend that Kimberly act quickly. Of course, it is hard to say for sure if the critter she found really is a carpet beetle larva, given the lack of context and the blurry photo. That said, we hope the information and suggestions we did provide prove helpful, and we wish Kimberly the very best.

Summary

Article Name

Striped Dark Bug Could be a Carpet Beetle Larva

Description

"What kind of bug is this?" is all Kimberly asks in her submission regarding the dark gray-brown-colored organism pictured below. She does not include any context with her submission, and we do have to note that the resolution on the photo is poor, meaning that when we zoom in on the creature, the details become incredibly blurry. With that in mind, it will not be possible to provide an identification which is 100% accurate; the identification we are about to make is based purely on an educated guess we made, which is, in turn, based on the little we can make out from the photo.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton