Beetles inside our bedroom - please help.

[GazNicki]

Hello.

I am posting as my wife had killed a beetle-like creature a few weeks ago in out bedroom. Over the past few weeks these creatures have been appearing and my wife has been killing them.
Today my wife has informed me that there have been several in the bedroom which she has killed over the course of the day - 2 of which were left for me to photograph.

These creatures certainly do look like beetles. They are a similar size to a small ladybird, although they are elongated rather than round. They have a firm exterior and are black/dark brown.

The bedroom has Laminate Flooring and hasn't had a carpet in it for as long as we have lived here. My wife is very clean and vacuums daily, and all bedsheets in the house are washed everyweek. The same bedsheets are never on the bed longer than 7 days, as we have several sets to change to.

I was hoping someone could shed some light onto what exactly these creatures are, where they are likely to be coming from, and how I can get rid of them permenantly. I have attached some images for you. There are 4 in total in the library (apologies in advance as I am unsure 100% how to use this feature).



Kind regards,

Gaz & Nicki

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi there,

the pictures are bad, but I can tell as follows:

Family Dermestidae, maybe genus Trogoderma. For closer informations I would need a better picture or the beetle itself.

Regards
Klaas

[GazNicki]

Thank you for the swift reply.

I will attempt to get some better pictures for you over the coming days.

Is there anything I can do in the interim to prevent/irradicate these beetles?

Many thanks,

Gaz & Nicki

[Klaas Reißmann]

Yes. It is always the same thing. Trogoderma or maybe Attagenus are fed on dry protein or dry hairs or feathers. Normally nearly everybody has some visitors like those in the household, but only a little number of max. somewhere around five over a few days. If it is more there normally is a problem in dust, woolen clothings, feathers or, in case of dry protein needed, in dry and dead pigeons or mice in the attic, under the roof etc.

Best would be to take the vacuum cleaner and clean the area where you found the beetles. Is it in a cabinet you better wash it out, because of eggs that might be laid in the cabinet. You also should be checking the clothes, especially those of wool, cashmere and similar products of animal hairs. If they are infested with larvae or if you just can see the damage of the larvae, litter them, if the damage is to hard. If they are still ok, just give it to a chemical cleaning. Wash all the other clothings.

It is most important to find out where those beetle develope. If you can find out, litter everything they use or used for their developement. To find out you sometimes have to think unconventionally.

Short form:

1. find out where they develope and litter the material.
2. clean the area very well.
3. watch out if there are still beetles to find. If not, you made it. If it is just a few (less than 10) within a few days you made it, too, but take those beetles out of the house or kill them.
4. is it more than 10 beetles you find within a few days, you have to start at the beginning, because than you didn't find the place of developement or you just found one and there is one or several more.

If there are any questions don't hasitate to ask. And sorry for my bad English.

Regards
Klaas