Your own bed full of beetle larvae – a nightmare! But that can happen to anyone in this country at any time. The uninvited appearance of the larvae really has nothing to do with impurity. However, if you don’t want to tolerate them, you have to clean them thoroughly immediately. And above all, it is essential to prevent new supplies. But which type of beetle found itself in the warm shelter to lay eggs?
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How do the beetles come from?
Human roosts are not usually considered beetle habitats. Their traditional home is the great outdoors. There they find their food, whether of plant or animal origin. However, individual beetles can easily get inside a house through open windows. They can also be brought in unintentionally from outside.
In the house, the insects will seek and discover alternative foods and thereby stay alive. So it will inevitably come to one or even more eggs. What is better for this than a cozy and warm place? So it may well be that some beetle species opt for a nearby bed. As a bed owner, you probably won’t notice until you see a crawling larva with your own eyes.
carpet beetle
Adult carpet beetles feed on nectar and pollen. That is why they are mainly found outdoors, where they also mate. They choose sheltered places to lay their eggs. So it occasionally happens that they visit our premises for this purpose. The feeding preferences of their larvae are entirely different. They prefer keratin, which they commonly find in hair, nails, skin, and feathers. Sweat, hair and dander also make the bed attractive to larvae.
Recognize
How to recognize the carpet beetle , scientific Anthrenus scrophulariae, and its offspring:
- Beetle is 3 to 4 cm long
- oval body outline
- is colored red along the wing seam
- dark colored elytra
- with three light, wavy cross-connections
- Larvae are up to 5 mm long
- are very hairy
Possible damage
Carpet beetle larvae damage textiles by feeding on them. But they can also damage our health. The fine hair can cause respiratory problems in sensitive people. When their arrow hairs pierce the skin, the effect can be compared to mosquito bites.
Fight
Locking the carpet beetles out of your own four walls is difficult because it has to be ventilated. The beetle only has to stay outside if the windows are covered with insect nets. Specimens that have already flown in and their offspring must be combated with thorough cleaning.
- Wash bedding in hot water
- Freeze non-washable items for several hours
- vacuum the mattress
- Extend cleaning measures over a wide area
Brown fur beetle
This species of beetle from the bacon beetle family , which also includes the carpet beetle, carpet beetle and cabinet beetle, is regularly spotted in living quarters. While the beetles usually do not eat during their short lives, their larvae eat fur and woolen textiles.
Recognize
Attagenus smirnovi, as the beetle is scientifically called, can be identified by the following characteristics:
- becomes 3 to 5 cm long
- Elytra are light brown
- Pronotum and head are colored darker
- Larvae are also brownish in color
- they grow up to 7 mm long
- are densely covered with long hair
Possible damage
The larvae feed in such a way that their feeding marks are clearly visible to the eye. Cases and furs show bare patches, while many holes are observed on textiles and carpets. As a result, their value is significantly reduced or completely destroyed.
Fight
Wash the bedding in hot water and vacuum the mattress thoroughly. However, you should also examine the contents of your closet if you have valuable fur pieces hanging in it. Since these don’t belong in the washing machine, you should put them in a large bag, seal it, and then freeze it for a few days. The cold kills all eggs and larvae.
cabinet beetle
It is also referred to as a museum beetle because it can often cause great damage there. Outdoors, cabinet beetles are commonly found near rowan trees. They retreat to houses, among other things, to lay their eggs. The larvae of the museum beetle are more likely to be found in cracks in the floor than in the bed. But their nocturnal visit cannot be completely ruled out.
Recognize
- Length is 2 to 3 mm
- black body, yellow-red fillers
- dark elytra have markings
- of white and brown-yellow scales
- further bright drawings on the pronotum
- each larva is very hairy
- 4 mm long and light brown
- possess arrow hairs for defense
Possible damage
The beetles themselves do not cause any damage, but their offspring do. These would feed with preference on dead insects. Since they rarely find what they are looking for indoors, they use textiles made from animal fibers such as wool or silk. In bed, direct contact with the larvae is likely, which can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people.
Fight
It is best to clean the entire bedroom. Wash everything that can be washed at at least 55 °C or alternatively put it in the freezer for a day. Beat out bulky carpets or vacuum thoroughly. If you suspect this light-shy pest in cracks in the floor, a contact poison such as pyrethrum may have to be used.
Woolly Flower Beetle
This type of beetle likes to lay its eggs in buildings. There are many possible places in it. Carpets and upholstered furniture are popular, and so is the bed.
Recognize
These are the characteristics that you can use to identify the wool weevil and its offspring:
- colorful beetle up to 3 mm long
- round body
- on the back are different colored scales
- 3 light, wavy cross-connections on the wings
- Larvae are covered with bristles of different lengths
- arrow hairs with barbed hooks sit at the rear end
Possible damage
The weed blossom beetle is one of the most common textile pests, which does not stop at upholstered furniture. The fine hair can also trigger allergic reactions on the skin and respiratory tract.
Fight
If you don’t want to spray poison against these insects, you have to rely on thorough cleaning. Heat and cold kill the insect larvae.
humpback beetle
An infestation with humpback beetles is rare. But if a humpback beetle enters the house, then in moderation. In this country it is incorrectly referred to as a ball beetle. Since he does not disdain textiles, among other things, his offspring can certainly be found in bed.
Recognize
about 1.0 to 3.4 mm in size
- smooth, shiny elytra
- brown to reddish colour
- long feelers
- legs and abdomen hairy
- reminiscent of a spider
- the larva is about 3.5 mm long
- and colored white
Possible damage
In the bedroom, the damage will be limited to punctured fabrics. If the infestation has spread further, supplies could be contaminated with faeces and thus unusable.
Fight
Since the use of toxins in living spaces is problematic, the beetle and its larvae must be driven out of the bed by cleaning measures. But the rest of the house also needs to be inspected. Infested food must be disposed of and the cupboards wiped out. If the infestation persists, a pest controller can be hired.
Messingkäfer
If you live in an old half-timbered house, the risk of an infestation is significantly greater than in new buildings. The pest usually remains in the beams, but it sometimes penetrates into the interior of the room.
Recognize
You can recognize Niptus hololeucus primarily by its coloration. But other features are also significant:
- 2.5 to 4.5 cm long
- Physique reminiscent of a spider
- Thighs are thickened
- Elytra are covered with hair
- noticeably long antennae
- Larvae are yellowish in color
- slightly curved
Possible damage
This species of beetle is a material pest that particularly preys on dry food supplies. Threads from the larvae and droppings from the beetles render them useless. In bed, they can cause damage to textiles.
Fight
A few beetle larvae in the bed can be regarded as stray specimens. The source of the infestation will be somewhere else and needs to be tracked down urgently. Pay particular attention to voids in the roof. You can control the brass beetle with a contact insecticide or a diatomaceous earth preparation.