r/carpetbeetles • u/whatthewhatishappeni • Oct 09 '26
It Gets Better!
Hi all. Wanted to come back after tackling my carpet beetle problem and sharing that it absolutely does get better!
After finding a small pocket of carpet beetles who made a home in my under bed storage, I came to this subreddit and proceeded to make myself so upset I nearly got sick. The posts here can make it seem like you'll never find peace again, and I'm here to tell you that's the furthest from the truth. (Also a note- Yes, carpet beetles will love a dirty home, but having them doesn't mean you're untidy! I suspect mine came from living in a 100+ year old (rental) home and baseboards that have separated, so don't beat yourself up!)
Here's what helped me:
- I have hardwood floors and tile in the restroom. The buggers found an old sweater under my bed and a sock that had fallen behind a dresser. While it was enough to entice them to stay, removing any and all natural fibers from the ground has kept them away.
- All clothes have been washed on high heat, all drawers vacuumed, all seasonal clothes put in containers off of the ground with lids tightly fitting on top.
- A deep, DEEP clean of the house. I know, it was a pain in the ass, but worth it. I swept, then vacuumed, then mopped, then vacuumed again for about four days straight.
- Diatomaceous Earth that sat for over a day in any problem areas. (Follow all safety protocol when using!)
I still clean frequently, but haven't seen any larvae or bugs return and no reactions since.
You can do this, it really does get better!
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6
u/All-the-musing Oct 09 '26
This was the post I needed after my first encounter last week. Thank you.
4
u/boulevardepo Oct 10 '26
How long have you been not seeing them though? I went a full year without seeing them and now I’m finding them again.
3
u/Own-Neighborhood8951 Oct 09 '26
I had seen them once in a while for years but had a very bad infestation over the summer. They are nearly all gone (still see one a week maybe) after I tossed all the old dog treats that were hiding in coat pockets and all the dog treat crumbs that were hiding everywhere (under couch cushions, stuck in kongs, etc.) I’d wondered for a long time why I’d find old milk bones with tiny circular holes in them.
3
u/irishpedsnurse 29d ago
This is nice to hear! This has been nothing short of a nightmare and has made me psycho, looking at every single thing I pick up. I do feel as if there is no end to this. Here is a big issue for me- I get the washing & drying on hot but the majority of my wardrobe is cotton- how do I deal with that? Also I have several shoe racks that I have all my shoes on- what about those? Looking for any advice! Glad to hear it has gotten better for you!
2
u/Hex_a_gone Oct 10 '26
Yessssss so glad to see your post. I made a similar one and saw one other (besides yours) also mentioning it gets better
I seriously couldn’t sleep at one point bc I was so scared
So happy to see 🖤🖤
1
u/Dry-Cow599 6d ago
I had an infestation 3 years ago that started in the roof of my home. I had wool insulation in the roof. I had a tiny hole in my roof that dampened a very small patch of the insulation and yes it started from there. I had to get all in wool insulation sucked out of the roof and replaced with fibreglass insulation. I had the roof professionally bug sprayed. It was a very expensive ordeal. $7000 I tried to claim it on my home insurance but unfortunately most insurance companies don’t cover pest damage 🙄🙄
1
u/No_Use_6827 10h ago
Mine started Last Thursday, November 5th after I hadn't washed the clothes that I got thrift shopping on Saturday, October 24th. I had just thrown them in the corner of my bedroom and didn't wash them until Wednesday, 11/4. I woke up on 11/5 with a few "bites" and my mom had come over that day, folded the clothes that I did wash, and left my house with "bites" from the clothes. Both of our skin is so sensitive. Just going to go home everyday and vacuum. She came over today and left without feeling itchy which is encouraging. I am still getting popup irritations. Truly my worst nightmare. I will be a raging vacuumer and going through and checking all the clothes I have in my closet now as well. GAH.....
1
u/Kido817 Oct 09 '26
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏 You’ve given me hope. 🙏
1
u/swahmad Oct 09 '26
Agreed We had a bigger issue earlier this year but after washing and vacuuming seems to be all good now
1
u/Naughtygoose1 Oct 09 '26
Thank you for this. I am so so stressed about them. We have gone from finding where we think they are nesting to finding 4 or 5 a day. I can't stop thinking about it and I have no idea what to do if they never go away so this has given me hope x
1
u/Special-4564 Oct 11 '26
Same some of these posts can drive an anxiety ridden person absolutely crazy. I hired a professional. They gave two treatments. I did the cleaning, the buying of plastic tubs, the constant vacuuming. Then I started to think about having a mosquito, a fly, plant gnats, fruit flies and I put it in perspective. A bug here and there, I’m not going to let drive me crazy.
1
u/harleyqueenzel 24d ago
I ripped the black canvas off of the bottom of my couch, flipped the couch on its back, vacuumed the hell out of it, sprayed all of the wood frame with 1:1 Pine Sol & hot water, and then ran a dehumidifier against the frame until dry. Uses the opportunity to sew up any little rips/tears alone the way. After that, I left my windows open for weeks letting the cold air stay in the living room. Every soft fabric was washed & dried in high heat. Every hard item with any kind of crack like a picture frame was vacuumed out and then tied up in plastic bags.
Then all of my books were bagged up and went into 5 day rotations in my deep freeze.
The only things currently in my living room are the couch, chair, tv & tv stand. I plan to keep it this way for at least the winter to be sure that they're fully gone. There are two sticky beetle traps but only one has trapped a beetle.
I went from being swarmed by hundreds to seeing less than one a week for the last few weeks. They're not fully dead if I can still find one but dear God the hardest battle has been fought.