Carpet beetles? Help!

[Mypuprocks]

Hello. I had a bad infestation of carpet beetles in my previous apartment, from which I moved about six months ago. Today I opened a box of papers, desk supplies, etc. that I had packed about six months ago (yes, I'm still unpacking!), and I noticed some carpet beetle larvae in a small plastic lined box. Much to my shock and disgust, the larvae were alive and moving! Up until today, I was relieved that I hadn't seen any carpet beetles (adults, larvae or eggs) in my new home, but now I see that I have managed to transport the little monsters nearly 500 miles. What I am most surprised about is that the larvae were still alive, and they were living in a plastic box with no apparent food source. I thought that carpet beetle larvae fed on wool, silk, feathers, fur, etc. How is it possible that these disgusting critters survived for six months without an apparent food source? Do they eat paper and cardboard, too? Do they eat cotton? Could they have survived by eating the cardboard of the outer box? Also, how do I get rid of these things? I tried absolutely everything in my previous apartment. Even highly concentrated mothball vapors didn't seem to eradicate them. I have never encountered such tenacious pests. It's easier to get rid of rats and mice than carpet beetles! Carpet beetles are very destructive, and the larvae are absolutely revolting to look at. If any one can answer my above questions or provide help, I thank you.

[Bert Byfield]

Time to call a professional and pay for the service.

[Lar]

On 12 Sep 2004 04:04:55 GMT, [e-mail] (Mypuprocks) wrote:

:) Hello. I had a bad infestation of carpet beetles in my previous apartment, from :) which I moved about six months ago. Today I opened a box of papers, desk :) supplies, etc. that I had packed about six months ago (yes, I'm still :) unpacking!), and I noticed some carpet beetle larvae in a small plastic lined :) box. Much to my shock and disgust, the larvae were alive and moving! Up until :) today, I was relieved that I hadn't seen any carpet beetles (adults, larvae or :) eggs) in my new home, but now I see that I have managed to transport the little :) monsters nearly 500 miles. What I am most surprised about is that the larvae :) were still alive, and they were living in a plastic box with no apparent food :) source. I thought that carpet beetle larvae fed on wool, silk, feathers, fur, :) etc. How is it possible that these disgusting critters survived for six months :) without an apparent food source? Do they eat paper and cardboard, too? Do they :) eat cotton? Could they have survived by eating the cardboard of the outer box? :) Also, how do I get rid of these things? I tried absolutely everything in my :) previous apartment. Even highly concentrated mothball vapors didn't seem to :) eradicate them. I have never encountered such tenacious pests. It's easier to :) get rid of rats and mice than carpet beetles! Carpet beetles are very :) destructive, and the larvae are absolutely revolting to look at. If any one can :) answer my above questions or provide help, I thank you.

They can also eat meal type sustenance...hard to say what they were surviving on, they may be able to go long periods of time without feeding. They are as common as house flies, so you probably can't ever be totally rid of them, but you can protect your clothing by storing clean clothes in air tight containers..zipper bags are not air tight. If you go the way of the mothball, get the ones that use Paradichlorabenzine (PDCB), it not only just help repel but will kill what may be in the closets, though if you have a stack of wool sweaters or suits on hangers jammed together they can survive if the air movement does not contact them.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

[Mypuprocks]

Would professionals use an insecticide that is different from the chemicals in mothballs?

[Mypuprocks]

containers..zipper bags are not air>tight. If you go the way of the mothball, get the ones that use

be in the closets

Thanks for your reply. When you say that they might have been eating meal type sustenance, do you mean that there might have been some grains in the boxes that I was unaware of?

[Lar]

:) Would professionals use an insecticide that is different from the chemicals in :) mothballs?

Totaly difefrent than what is used in mothballs....

In a light- moderate infestation the problems can usually be traced close to the source....a problem closet full of clothes, a deer head mounted above the fireplace etc. For the situation with a closet I suggest everything must be cleaned....the lowest heat setting on the dryer that is safe for the material is enough to clean out the garments. The clothing must then go straight to the air tight containers (tupperware for clothing) I would then treat the emptied closet with a residual, concentrating in the corners, under shelves below the baseboards.

Extremely heavy populations can many times (most of the times) be traced back to at some point someone had thrown meal type rat bait all over the attic and it has fallen out of sight in the insulation, fallen down the walls , etc. Cases like these it is impossible to stop them, I try to keep a residual in areas they are likely to be found, and suggest wool, feather, silk items again be stored properly. And routinely fogging or dusting the attic area.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

[Lar]

:) Thanks for your reply. When you say that they might have been eating meal type :) sustenance, do you mean that there might have been some grains in the boxes :) that I was unaware of?

It wouldn't surprise me if they could go extended time without having to feed at all. There may of been countless organic debris they may of found nutrition from, impossible to say.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.