A reader recently sent us this message, “I found a white larva or worm in my bed this morning. Can you identify the larvae and tell me if I should be worried about it?” The photograph he sent us shows a tiny organism perched on the edge of a penny. Not only is this an excellent picture, but we commend our reader for including the penny so that we can see exactly what size the larvae is! The specimen is white with some thin brown stripes on its body:

This is a carpet beetle larva! Now that we have identified the larvae we can answer our reader’s next question: Should he be worried? From a health standpoint, he does not need to worry. These larvae aren’t known to transmit any diseases or pose any health risks. On the other hand, these larvae can cause quite a headache if you are dealing with an infestation. It isn’t clear if this reader is just dealing with a few carpet beetle larvae, or if he is dealing with a full blown infestation. Since he only discovered one larva, we think he should be able to get things under control fairly easily.

In a household there are a lot of potential food sources for carpet beetle larvae. Since he discovered this larva in his bed, it is probably eating some part of his bedding, potentially the feathers that stuff his mattress, comforter, or pillow. He should inspect his bed thoroughly for signs of damage and remove anything that shows evidence of carpet beetle larvae. It would also be wise to wash all of his bedding to get rid of any potential unseen eggs. Since carpet beetle larvae may also eat dust and other small particles, he can also vacuum, sweep, and dust to get rid of other potential food sources. He should keep up with a fairly rigorous cleaning regime until he is confident that there are no longer any carpet beetle larvae present in his home.

To conclude, a reader discovered a small white larva in his bed. This is a carpet beetle larva! These larvae are harmless, but can sometimes be annoying to get rid of. We hope our reader is able to say goodbye to them rather quickly!