carpet beetle please help

[craggles]

Originally Posted by evey

I haven't got a loft I live in a flat above a shop, have not sealed all gaps and cracks but i'll get on it when I have time the only problem is there are MANY, i have hoovered absolutely everywhere, checked everywhere i use most plug sockets in the house but that's a good point actually. Another thing that i'm gonna do tomorrow is put lavender around the house, it doesn't kill them but i've heard they're scared of the smell. I just want them to keep away from our wardrobes really, i've washed all cloth...
And my fiance says the same, he doesn't care about them too much and would probably live with them but to me they're disguisting. I might just have to put up with them though because the whole floor is carpeted, the place is rented and the landlord doesnt want anything to do with it, we've signed lease for another year before i made that horrifying discovery...
Have you seen much damage on your cloth btw? I so far have not noticed any.

In all fairness ive not seen any damage to clothes,,I have only found 1 larvae in a wardrobe.

This afternoon I went into my spare bedroom where no carpet is,there is just a bed and few empty draws,,I put a full synthetec washable rug in there about a month ago incase people stay...Anyway today i shuck it out in the bath,,low and behold 3 baby larvae..yet people continuasly say they dont eat synthetic materials..so why are they in a fully synthetic rug.

Anyway i only mention the caulk up gaps and cracks because I have never seen a nest and it is very possible they are in the wall cavaty.

lavendar may upset the adults in spring but believe me it won't make any difference with the larvae,,I have tried it with them in a jar i put oil on a bit of material and it just hid under it.borax and diatimus earth or whatever its called doesnt work either..

they are indestrucatble,,steam will kill them and freezing items will,very hot machine wash will,but nothing under 60oC (ive been experimenting on them for a while now)

you need to see the adults to find out which type you have wiki link is ok here Carpet beetle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have the varied type,,some places sell pheramone traps which attract the male adults,so stopping the breeding cycle,,but they dont work on varied..

there is also something from america,not sure on it yet as only just researching its an IGR insect growth regulator,,you put it down and it effects the larvae,,stops them from turning into adults,or messes up there sex gland or something so they can't mate..I know it sounds mad,but i dunno what else to do.

keep hoovering,empty hoover out each time,move furnature,pull back carpet,just keep ontop of it..

[sickofbeetles]

Hi
I've just read this whole thread and so much of it sounds like my life for the past 4 years. I've moved 4 times and the carpet beetles have moved with me despite my efforts. I've had the first place fumigated twice. No improvement. I've cleaned. Washed and dried every item I own. Thrown away thousands of dollars of belongings. Nothing I do works. I'm sick of seeing these wriggly little larvae. I'm finding them in the bedroom now (the worst possible place as far as I'm concerned. I hate thinking where they could crawl while I sleep.) Knock on wood I have never been able to find their "nest." It's always just one or two at a time. Lately I find at least 2 a day. I won't wear anything that came from my old place. I've bought a few new clothing items that I try to keep as far away from anywhere I've found a beetle/larvae but that's becoming less and less places as the days wear on. I can't express how sick of these things I am. There's got to be a way to kill them for good. I hate the thoughts of them being in my underwear drawer or something. I can't live like this for the rest of my life.

[patioJack]

I too have just read this thread with interest as I found quite a few of the woolly bears last year and about a dozen adults. I now sprinkle Borax powder along the skirting behind large bits of furniture and the back of wardrobes/under the bed and other places where my dog cannot get access to. I think it kills them by being a desiccant as it sticks to their legs and when they clean themselves they ingest it. I found most of the woolly bears in the bristles of an old bath scrubbing brush and also in an old soft toy. There is a very good site that explains their life cycle but I don't think I am allowed to add links here.

[craggles]

I understand your pain,Ive given up trying to kill them now,they are bullet proof the larvae.nothing kills them,,the adults on the other hand are easy to kill.

This is the first year I have not seen as many,but i did take up all my carpet and have replaced with vinyl which is sealed down all round,since dowing this ive only seen a few so far conpared to last year.

It seems they are under my sound deadening floor in my flat,there is very dusty lagging under it,,,when i sealed my floor there was an area in my kitchen I could not seal down down,the only place in my flat,and there is a hole,which has a gas pipe going through,this is now the only area ive found adults round this hole,so its certain they are between the floor.

Ill never find the nest and im not going to bother for the last 4 years or so ive pulled my hair out only to now realise you will never rid them unless they die of themselves,,so just keep the population down.,

Hoover round more,empty the bag/cylinder each time.
put double sided tape on cardboard on window cills,,ive cought loads of adults this way.
you can put borrat or crawling insect killer down,,BUT it will kill harmless spiders,,i put it down behind wardrobes last year and when i pulled it out there was a few dead spiders,inturn the larvae was eating these so it ended up food for them in the end,so i don't put anydown now.