Carpet Beetles

[Anonymous]

Have you ever had carpet beetles? I have been getting mosquito-like bites over the past month, averaging one every 2-3 days. I assumed it needed to be something in my bedroom as I was waking up with them. Did very thorough inspections for bed bugs and came up with nothing. Finally, I set some bug traps and caught what looks like 2 carpet beetles. Apparently, they can leave welts similar to a mosquito bite.

Anyone have experience with getting rid of these?

[Anonymous]

My previous two year old house was infested with carpet beetles. The larvae crawling around in spring were like something from a horror film.

Our issue was cluster flies in the attic. Once we got rid of those, the carpet beetles disappeared. Cluster flies attract carpet beetles. We had a pond and the previous owner had horses (which attracts cluster flies).

We also found an old bag of potato chips way under a low rack in a closet (previous owners) which looked like a beetle breeding zone.

In our year with the bugs, none of the four of us ever got bit. Are you sure it's carpet beetles?

[Anonymous]

We have carpet beetles and they chew holes in our wool and cashmere sweaters. It's annoying and not inexpensive to have the cashmere sweaters rewoven, but they've never bitten us. I didn't think carpet beetles bite people.

[Anonymous]

Sounds more like bed bugs.

[Anonymous]

Fleas?

[Anonymous]

Having just gone through this, I’d send a picture of the bug you found to an entomologist. I used ward pest control, but if you call any bed bug company they will look at the pic first before coming out. Carpet beetles don’t bite- their larvae can cause an allergic reaction by touching you. Bed bugs will bite only a few times every few days.

[Anonymous]

We used to have carpet beetles - I haven't seen them in a while. However, we never had bites. Sounds like bed bugs I'm sorry to say...

[Anonymous]

Very unlikely you're getting bites or bite-like welts from carpet beetles.

[Anonymous]

sounds like bed bugs

[Anonymous]

Yes..I agree bites/irritation from carpet beetles. I get them occasionally and dust very thoroughly in the bed room. I have found the bugs and they do not look like bed bugs and also the bites are not the typical cluster of three from bbs.

[Anonymous]

Oh man. I feel your pain. I had 'mystery welts' all over my legs and torso and everyone said 'Fleas, Bed Bugs, Ghosts!' NO. NO. NO.

My husband never had anything show up on him. It turned out it was carpet beetles on a rug in my TV room. They shed their outer layer in the spring and it's very irritating for some people (no everyone will react.)

The only thing we could do was throw the rug away ASAP, clean the room extremely well and keep an eye out for any signs on our other rugs.

IF you can't get rid of your carpet, then vacuum EVERY DAY (it's only the Spring - once they shed you won't get a reaction any more.) Keep your clothes off the carpet. Don't sit on the carpet. Don't let you blankets touch the carpet.

In a couple of months it will all be over.

I'm glad you found out that it was carpet beetles. It took two years of 'Mystery Bites" and lots of pain and suffering before we figured it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh man. I feel your pain. I had 'mystery welts' all over my legs and torso and everyone said 'Fleas, Bed Bugs, Ghosts!' NO. NO. NO.

My husband never had anything show up on him. It turned out it was carpet beetles on a rug in my TV room. They shed their outer layer in the spring and it's very irritating for some people (no everyone will react.)

The only thing we could do was throw the rug away ASAP, clean the room extremely well and keep an eye out for any signs on our other rugs.

IF you can't get rid of your carpet, then vacuum EVERY DAY (it's only the Spring - once they shed you won't get a reaction any more.) Keep your clothes off the carpet. Don't sit on the carpet. Don't let you blankets touch the carpet.

In a couple of months it will all be over.

I'm glad you found out that it was carpet beetles. It took two years of 'Mystery Bites" and lots of pain and suffering before we figured it out.

Oops - I meant to say 'not everyone will react.' They aren't actual bites. They're little bits of their outer shells that they're shedding that have little 'hairs' on them that I (and OP) are very allergic to.

[Anonymous]

I hired an exterminator. It worked.

[Anonymous]

This is 16:01 again. Sorry... I'm just really passionate about this topic because these carpet beetles terrorized me for two years and I really want to help others no go through the same hell.

It's called "Carpet Beetle Dermatitis."

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/carpet-beetle-dermatitis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is 16:01 again. Sorry... I'm just really passionate about this topic because these carpet beetles terrorized me for two years and I really want to help others no go through the same hell.

It's called "Carpet Beetle Dermatitis."

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/carpet-beetle-dermatitis

NP HERE, Thank you so much tonabive poster. I’m going through the exact same thing as OP. One child covered in bites, I have a few too in addition to two rashes on my arm but rest of family has zero. Had pest company out and they saw no evidence of bed bugs. I’m intrigued by the carpet beetle allergy as it would make sense. Should I just throw out th carpet in that child’s Room? Is it usually carpet or other upholstery/clothing/etc? Just wondering how to identify the source and if you have any other tips on getting rid of them.