Carpet beetles and borax

Penelope_Penguin

We have an existring thread on getting rid of these beetles, using borax and other remedies. I'll merge this thread so that you can have a browse

Penny. x

Fire_Fox

Fire_Fox wrote: »

My parents have them in their flat in a Victorian mill conversion (wool!). The pest control people reckon the carpet beetles live outside and come in when the windows are open, hence why the chemicals appeared not to work.

Would you believe I just saw my new rescue cat watching a little dark speck moving on my rug and it was a blooming carpet beetle. :mad: I'm pretty sure it arrived with his soft toys from the foster home as I haven't been to my parents' flat in months (they are abroad). That means I need to insecticide his toys, one of which he is sleeping on now ... I also need to vacuum but he will be terrified.

sonicx_2

I have had these little critters living with me since May and they are driving me absolutely daft! Before I knew what they were I tried the usual insecticides and sprays but I kept finding more. So after hoovering the whole house two and three times per day for weeks including under all the heavy furniture, I spent about £120 on products especially for eradicating carpet beetles. I almost choked the family in the process. Anyway after a mass declutter and searching through every item in my house I phoned the council. They sprayed the house and let some sort of product off in the loft. I found some more larvae fit and well some weeks later. The council came out and resprayed. About four weeks later. I still have the darn things. I did find a birds nest in the loft and tried to remove it. (A pest man told me that apparently this is one of the main causes of carpet beetles) most of my clothes bedding and towels are tumble dried and packed into storage bags before any blimming grubs get them. A technician from the council is coming out to try and find the source of the problem this week. If this problem isn't sorted soon I think I will have to move into the shed. I bet there's less insects in there! Is there going to be any light at the end of my tunnel?

sonicx_2

Just thought I would update anyone who may be interested about my carpet beetle problem. The technician came out and chatted to me. He had a look at possible walls that they may drill through to put insecticide in. He then sent 2 chaps the same week to investigate further in the loft. The men found a huge birds nest at the front of the house, in the loft between the facias and soffits (no wonder I couldn't find it!) but they couldn't get to it to pull it out. Apparently the beetles/larvae crawl down the wall cavities into the house. They told me they had sprayed it, but unless we got rid of the nest and sealed the roof there was nothing else they could do to help. They also advised me to put ant powder down the wall cavities. I asked them if there were any more nests. They said they didn't look because they thought this nest was the source of the problem. (They also re sprayed my carpets again.)
Anyway, As there were gaps in the roof all around the house, I had no alternative but to have a new roof. The roof is now half done and I'm now skint! The roofer told me that he found birds nests in the facias and soffits all along the back of the house too! He has taken them out and poured seven 500g tubs of ant powder into the cavities. He is going to powder the chimney and seal the roof for me. I do worry that if we have problems, then maybe the house next door might too, or when we replace the loft insulation it will disturb more bugs. This is all I need in December. It looks like my kids will get an apple and an orange for Christmas!

beckydee

hi all ive got a bad investation of carpet beetles.2 weeks ago we notice some in the kids bedroon on wood flooring.we didnt know what they where so took them to
environmental health.they said they where carpet beetles and could not do anything about the problem.told me to use ant powder. i tried this just thinking the problem was only in the kids bedroom yesterday ive discoved them alover the upstairs of my home.all the rooms have wood flooring thats where we are finding them.there making me ill the kids are frightened to go to bed even.ive tried everything i can think of i just bought some boric acid as looking on the net that seem to kill them.am on benifits so should the council help me out.they did say they wouldnt come out tho.:(

julesh_3

I have a problem with beetles too but they are these ones,hide beetles.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/insects-and-invertebrates/31725-unidentified-house-beetle-help.html
Anyone else managed to get rid of these,I presume we have a dead mouse under the floorboards.

bluebag

Sorry to barge in here, Hello all. Just had to say what a relief that someone else has had the problem.I felt like I was the only one in the whole world. Drove me nuts.

I got rid of all my carpets downstairs and hoover upstairs weekly. I used an insectcidal laquer callled Deathlac, highly toxic and not for use on fabrics. I hoover all the cupboards twice a year and spray it on the floor and sides it goes on working for months.

In the research I have done the usual culprit are birds nests, so a check in the loft wouldn't go amiss, although I didn't find anything in mine.
They are vile things and the reason I dislike and discourage pigeons so much.
I found that just keep on hoovering and spraying at regular intervals keeps them down and I haven't seen any for a while though I never let up on the deterrrent.

I have to say I didn't find borax very helpful or indeed any of the other mountains of stuff I tried and so had to bring out the big guns.
You indeed have my sympathy.

Thyme

I also have this problem ...really thought this year I had got rid of them as I go around the house like a bat out of hell every day searching ! and I'm in a new built house , so no bird nests.... :A In the spring, starting around February you will see the tiny beetles on your window sills , with me they don't stand a chance ! They are trying to get out after hatching to get to the early blossom to feed ...they then fly back later in the year to lay their eggs .....

So sorry folks to alarm you ....no chance you will ever see an end .....just keep trying to keep them down ....It's become quite a sport with me :j...and to get very creative with my bad language .... :eek:

Think I might try these traps though ...see how many I can catch ! :T

julesh_3

I got some Death Lac and fingers crossed not seen any for ages.Will keep spraying every few months though.I suspect they came with the downstairs carpet as this is where most of them were.No doubt the carpet warehouses are riddled with pests.

jess.sutt

Hey guys. I am a veteran in the war against carpet beetles. Haha, that sounds much more serious then it actually is, but I work at a place where carpet beetles seem to be very much attracted and I had to learn how to get rid of carpet beetles. Things that I find that work are:
1. [FONT=&quot]vacuum them up
2. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]wash your carpet and fabrics
3. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]can dust boric acid on the affected area

Hope this helps - JESS
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