Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Mystery But Week, Part III - Meet the Beetles


Help! You will certainly have a hard day's night if you discover these mystery bugs in your house. Pictured above, the varied carpet beetle is one of the most common bug samples we have sent in to our office for identification. They will do damage to carpets and fabrics, but can invade food products too. It is the fairly distinctive larvae of these bugs that do the damage - tiny, hairy worm-like creatures. But most often the adult (pictured) is what you will see. The first method of treatment is to find the source of the infestation and either clean or dispose of it. If found on clothing, have the items dry cleaned. It's best not to store natural fiber-items without first having them cleaned. Remove pet hair with a thorough vacuuming will also reduce any possible food sources - disposing of the vacuum bag afterward as a precaution. If the infestation persists, call in a pest professional.
Carpet beetles are so effective they are used in natural history museums to clean animal skeletons. Although these beetles are sometimes used in forensic entomology (calling Gil Grissom), they can cause millions of dollars of damage to natural fibers in homes and businesses. So if  you see one of these critters on your carpet - best to not let be!

No comments: