
A reader recently sent us a photo of a brown worm-like organism. She explained that she found a few of them on her wall. She thinks the creatures are carpet beetle larvae, but would like us to confirm this identification. The picture shows a white and brown striped specimen. It has a segmented body that is covered by some short bristle-like hairs. This is definitely a carpet beetle larva!
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If All About Worms was a celebrity tabloid then carpet beetle larvae would be the A-list stars! They are extremely common household pests and we write about them every week! Since our reader correctly guessed the identification, we think she probably also did some additional Internet research about these creatures. Even so, we will still provide some information and tips for getting rid of them.
Carpet beetle larvae are generally considered to be household pests because they can feed on such a wide variety of items found in a household and can become quite a nuisance if left ignored. Their destructive behavior is one of the reasons that it’s so crucial that our reader act fast to get rid of them. They can also travel from room to room looking for new food sources and survive for long periods without eating. Fortunately, getting rid of carpet beetle larvae is relatively straightforward. It is all about cleaning!
To get rid of these creatures and eliminate any future potential food sources, our reader will have to embark on a cleaning mission. First, she will need to locate and dispose of the primary food source for the larvae she found on her wall, since it will likely be full of other larvae and unseen eggs. Once the primary food source has been removed, the cleaning mission can begin. Every day she will need to vacuum, sweep, dust, and do laundry until she is confident her home is free of carpet beetle larvae. Although this might seem like overkill, it is truly necessary in order to successfully eliminate carpet beetle larvae.
To wrap up, one of our readers discovered a few carpet beetle larvae on her wall. As most of our readers know, saying farewell to carpet beetle larvae requires 2 weeks (minimum) of thorough cleaning!
All About Worms is always free, always reader-supported, we don't subject you to ads or annoying video pop-ups. But it does cost us money out of our pocket to keep the site going (nearly 20 years so far!) So your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP Publishing.
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