Please please help! Carpet beetles!

wiggywoo9

I posted this on another board but no-one helped, I have a HA maisonette, with two balconies. I had carpet put down before we moved in 3 months ago which cost me £400 and was a huge investment for me.

I found 2 beetles then another 3 on seperate occasions in my lounge by balcony. Then I hoovered twice a day, after I found some in my son's pop-up tent/tunnel which he keeps up, and has been in!! I found one on his bedsheet- the same bed he'd slept in that night!! And one on his floor, another one today! I just found one on MY floor and on windowsil and I just feel creeped out and sick.

I don't want to sleep cos I don't know wher they are, its disgusting and they're very small so hard to see unless on my knees doing hoovering! I can't stand this, please tell me what I can do ASAP!

daska

Firstly relax, they're not a health hazard!

Start by searching out all items that contain wool, feathers, leather etc. Check roof areas as well just in case there's a birdsnest etc.

See if you can identify the source. If you can isolate that then place it in a plastic bag, let it warm up to room temperature and then stick it in your freezer (on it's lowest setting) for a few days. Keeping the bag sealed allow it to defrost to room temp for a few days then repeat the process, and again for a third and fourth time - the repeated shock should kill them.

Otherwise go down to the local hardware store and ask for a pesticide that will deal with them and use it according to the instructions.

sassyblue

Have you found beetles or the larvae? I kept finding the little larvaes and didn't know what they were until someone else mentioned them and l googled....

I just kept hoovering them and didn't do anything else, they disappeared after a few months, l think they actually came WITH the new carpet because we never had them before.

geoffky

We have ants at the moment...It must be the cold weather...
I have dispatched about 30 so far but i can not find where they are coming in from..

Bella56

A thorough steam carpet clean is apparently the way to go. We also hoovered everyday when we had them, thru the Spring, and let in as much sunlight as possible as they don't eat unless its dark. This year we've only found 1 so far so feel that we're winning the battle. We did however have to wash & tumble all blankets, sheets, clothes, etc and put them in big plastic containers to store. It takes diligence but you can win the battle (: It sounds like they are new, don't let them take hold and lay eggs as next year you'd then have many more and they really eat thru carpet (unless its synthetic only) and clothes!

wiggywoo9

Thanks, I'll get a steam-cleaner and insecticide too! Just a question, if anyone knows, will they hurt or bite my guinea pig? She's at the foot of my bed and as I found them not too far away, I'm worried for her. She's clean and her cage is spick and span so its not her, but just wondered in case?

Bella56

P.S. I felt the same as you when we first discovered them - we'd had them one year, didn't know what they were, the next year we had carpet damage (tiny area though) and lots of them near it. But really it hasn't been too bad and now I'm not scared of them, they should be scared of ME and my Henry!!! They can be defeated!!!

Bella56

wiggywoo9 wrote: »

Thanks, I'll get a steam-cleaner and insecticide too! Just a question, if anyone knows, will they hurt or bite my guinea pig? She's at the foot of my bed and as I found them not too far away, I'm worried for her. She's clean and her cage is spick and span so its not her, but just wondered in case?

They are actually really picky about what they'll eat and luckily thats just natural things like cotton, wool. Not guinea pigs, thank goodness!!

Bella56

Just one more... by steam carpet cleaner I mean carpet cleaning machine with hot water, not one of those small steam cleaners as it would take hours to do the entire area and it is best to do it all cause the eggs are almost impossible to see, even getting down low to the carpet.

wiggywoo9

Yes, I've found ne like that on Amazon, bit like a hoover but has steam/water instead. Do I need any particuarly good detergent? Or just hot water?

Kynthia

I moved into a flat in spring that had been empty for a while and suddenly I found loads of these beatles. Then a year later I had a few, but no-where near as many. I just kept hovering and keeping the place clean and airy. Where I live now I tend to find some each spring, but they're like ants in the fact that as long as you don't have loads of them there isn't anything to worry about.