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Carpet Beetle Infestation (Why Can't I Edit a Post? ARGH)
Bare with me, this is long. And please realize I'm being (presumably) humorous here because the horror known as carpet beetles is too much to take otherwise.
A few years ago, I had a carpet bug infestation. It seemed to be limited to my kitchen cabinet around an (probably by that time antique) box of mashed potatoes. I got rid of everything in my cabinets & that seemed to solve the problem. But what did I know? I was in my 20s & reading about carpet beetles had nothing to do with girls.
I noticed one, ONE of those little buggers on my couch a few months after I annihilated his entire extended family. I thought he was a hanger on, so I murderlated him & thought that was that. In the last year however, I noticed my couch pretty much disintegrating. I thought it because my couch was old, having seen my college days & the numerous horrors in-between. Now I know thoroughly suspect carpet beetles are eating it alive (figuratively).
Well, to make a long story short(er), I was laying on my uncouch a couple of days ago & I noticed what felt like little bugs on me. I also had little red bumps on my skin & I freaked out because I thought I had bed bugs. I started vacuuming, bagging up all my clothes, & invoking God's name in ways my mother told me not to. Lo & behold, the next I noticed a carpet beetle when (for a reason I can't remember) I was down very close on the carpet. I suspected they were on the couch & you know what? THEY WERE!
These little guys are hard to see; from up high, they look like little pieces of debris or fuzz. It's not hard to mistake them for this, as I am a bachelor & my carpet reflects that. But when I'm uncomfortably close, I can see they are the same potato eaters as before.
I started looking at other areas of my carpet, noticed a few more carpet beetles & hairy little larvae in the carpet (I wikipediaed this time! Huzzah!). Wikipedia informed me they like to chew on fiber, such as on furniture or carpet; I guess you could call them carpet munchers. I vacuumed & started washing all my shirts.
Now, yesterday at work I felt what seemed to be things crawling on me. I couldn't see anything in the mirror, but I felt tingles on my arms, face, ears, & hair. I was afraid it was psychosomatic, but I left work anyways because it's Friday & a good excuse to leave early. I went home, showered & the sensation went away.
Because I'm an idiot/man, I slept on the infested couch (which I now call Beetle Town) last night. This morning, I felt the occasional tingle of something crawling on me again. I assume that, if there IS something there, I can't feel it unless the hair is disturbed.
I have rubbed these areas, but not raw. I usually come away with either a very small speck on my finger; if I'm really careful, it instead is a minutely larger skinny little white or brown-white thing. I THINK these are newly-hatched carpet beetles (I done seen that on Google Images) & the specks are the little guys that assumed a fatal yoga position.
The worrisome part is that some of the tingles are sometimes nearly in my eye, fairly deep inside my ear, around or just inside my nostrils, or a lower intensely private area. There is very occasionally a little sharp sting where I felt a tingle. It's very rare though. I DO NOT feel them under my skin or anything & again, the feeling goes away for a time if I shower & scrub well with soap.
I feel it'd be a strange coincidence to feel like something was crawling on me, saw small red bumps on my skin, panicked because I thought they were bed bugs, discovered I had carpet beetles & larvae an hour later, then the next day felt more tingly things on my skin.
I believe this leads to a question, but I'm not sure what it is. Does anyone have the answer?
A few years ago, I had a carpet bug infestation. It seemed to be limited to my kitchen cabinet around an (probably by that time antique) box of mashed potatoes. I got rid of everything in my cabinets & that seemed to solve the problem. But what did I know? I was in my 20s & reading about carpet beetles had nothing to do with girls.
I noticed one, ONE of those little buggers on my couch a few months after I annihilated his entire extended family. I thought he was a hanger on, so I murderlated him & thought that was that. In the last year however, I noticed my couch pretty much disintegrating. I thought it because my couch was old, having seen my college days & the numerous horrors in-between. Now I know thoroughly suspect carpet beetles are eating it alive (figuratively).
Well, to make a long story short(er), I was laying on my uncouch a couple of days ago & I noticed what felt like little bugs on me. I also had little red bumps on my skin & I freaked out because I thought I had bed bugs. I started vacuuming, bagging up all my clothes, & invoking God's name in ways my mother told me not to. Lo & behold, the next I noticed a carpet beetle when (for a reason I can't remember) I was down very close on the carpet. I suspected they were on the couch & you know what? THEY WERE!
These little guys are hard to see; from up high, they look like little pieces of debris or fuzz. It's not hard to mistake them for this, as I am a bachelor & my carpet reflects that. But when I'm uncomfortably close, I can see they are the same potato eaters as before.
I started looking at other areas of my carpet, noticed a few more carpet beetles & hairy little larvae in the carpet (I wikipediaed this time! Huzzah!). Wikipedia informed me they like to chew on fiber, such as on furniture or carpet; I guess you could call them carpet munchers. I vacuumed & started washing all my shirts.
Now, yesterday at work I felt what seemed to be things crawling on me. I couldn't see anything in the mirror, but I felt tingles on my arms, face, ears, & hair. I was afraid it was psychosomatic, but I left work anyways because it's Friday & a good excuse to leave early. I went home, showered & the sensation went away.
Because I'm an idiot/man, I slept on the infested couch (which I now call Beetle Town) last night. This morning, I felt the occasional tingle of something crawling on me again. I assume that, if there IS something there, I can't feel it unless the hair is disturbed.
I have rubbed these areas, but not raw. I usually come away with either a very small speck on my finger; if I'm really careful, it instead is a minutely larger skinny little white or brown-white thing. I THINK these are newly-hatched carpet beetles (I done seen that on Google Images) & the specks are the little guys that assumed a fatal yoga position.
The worrisome part is that some of the tingles are sometimes nearly in my eye, fairly deep inside my ear, around or just inside my nostrils, or a lower intensely private area. There is very occasionally a little sharp sting where I felt a tingle. It's very rare though. I DO NOT feel them under my skin or anything & again, the feeling goes away for a time if I shower & scrub well with soap.
I feel it'd be a strange coincidence to feel like something was crawling on me, saw small red bumps on my skin, panicked because I thought they were bed bugs, discovered I had carpet beetles & larvae an hour later, then the next day felt more tingly things on my skin.
I believe this leads to a question, but I'm not sure what it is. Does anyone have the answer?
Have you noticed them all the time, or does it disappear sometimes? This happened 3 weeks ago & I didn't feel them after a few days. Now I do. Started last night.
Okay, that's the same as me. If I keep away from the areas apparently infested with carpet beetles, then the feeling disappears. But I'm afraid of spreading them around my palace, because they only seem to be in my living room.
Hi I have the same problem cb.
they are crawling on me constantly. at night I spray windex on my legs.
they seem to mostly crawling below the waist. Sometimes there are specs on my face, ears. hair. I have had bites, but from what I read, it seems to be an allergic reaction. have taken allergy pills, but doesn't help.
I have had my house sprayed by pest control co. 4 times. nothing worked.
I put flea carpet powder on just about everything, cupboards, couch, bed.
also put encasement on mattress (but it tears easily, its taped up). it's not good to breath in all that powder.
everyday I sweep my hardwood floors and get black pieces of something (sure it has to be part of the carpet beedle shedding. this has been going on for a year. it's a horrible way to live and I don't know how to get rid of it. everyone has bugs in their home, but it's like I am sleeping with the enemy. good luck
they are crawling on me constantly. at night I spray windex on my legs.
they seem to mostly crawling below the waist. Sometimes there are specs on my face, ears. hair. I have had bites, but from what I read, it seems to be an allergic reaction. have taken allergy pills, but doesn't help.
I have had my house sprayed by pest control co. 4 times. nothing worked.
I put flea carpet powder on just about everything, cupboards, couch, bed.
also put encasement on mattress (but it tears easily, its taped up). it's not good to breath in all that powder.
everyday I sweep my hardwood floors and get black pieces of something (sure it has to be part of the carpet beedle shedding. this has been going on for a year. it's a horrible way to live and I don't know how to get rid of it. everyone has bugs in their home, but it's like I am sleeping with the enemy. good luck
1 Comments
Did you eliminate the problem? If so what did you do?
I also wanted to mention they are on my legs 99% of the time. I use peppermint oil (pure). can feel them flying off my legs then.
I have been to the doctor and had blood work done. Everything was normal.
my kids think I am crazy, but then they are not living with this. if anyone comes to visit, nobody feels anything. they are in my clothes, shoes, I have stayed at a hotel a few times, then I get some sleep.
I am basically good when I am not in the house. they are in my car as well.
it's getting to the point I might move and leave everything, stay at a hotel for a week or so, changing clothes, making sure these demons (to put it mildy) are gone for good. not an easy thing to do.
I have been to the doctor and had blood work done. Everything was normal.
my kids think I am crazy, but then they are not living with this. if anyone comes to visit, nobody feels anything. they are in my clothes, shoes, I have stayed at a hotel a few times, then I get some sleep.
I am basically good when I am not in the house. they are in my car as well.
it's getting to the point I might move and leave everything, stay at a hotel for a week or so, changing clothes, making sure these demons (to put it mildy) are gone for good. not an easy thing to do.
I also wanted to mention they are on my legs 99% of the time. I use peppermint oil (pure). can feel them flying off my legs then.
I have been to the doctor and had blood work done. Everything was normal.
my kids think I am crazy, but then they are not living with this. if anyone comes to visit, nobody feels anything. they are in my clothes, shoes, I have stayed at a hotel a few times, then I get some sleep.
I am basically good when I am not in the house. they are in my car as well.
it's getting to the point I might move and leave everything, stay at a hotel for a week or so, changing clothes, making sure these demons (to put it mildy) are gone for good. not an easy thing to do.
I have been to the doctor and had blood work done. Everything was normal.
my kids think I am crazy, but then they are not living with this. if anyone comes to visit, nobody feels anything. they are in my clothes, shoes, I have stayed at a hotel a few times, then I get some sleep.
I am basically good when I am not in the house. they are in my car as well.
it's getting to the point I might move and leave everything, stay at a hotel for a week or so, changing clothes, making sure these demons (to put it mildy) are gone for good. not an easy thing to do.
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