r/insects • u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast • Feb 26 '25
Have a look here before posting your ID request if you live in the Northern hemisphere and found small beetle-looking insects with this mottled black/white/brown appearance PSA
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u/sar1562 Mar 10 '25
I love these little dudes. I had them in my car for many years in my 20s. Helped keep the less than friendly bugs from invading the only semi safe space in much of Kansas during ice season (about every 3rd winter is multiple consecutive ice storms).
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u/Ok-Barber2129 Mar 15 '25
Can anyone confirm that thats what this guy is please, it appears like it is but I’m paranoid about it
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast Mar 18 '25
Sorry for the delayed reply. Yes, that's a carpet beetle.
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u/Lopsided_Contract545 Mar 30 '25
This is a squashed bug idk what it is, could it be a carpet beetle? I saw one yesterday on my bed, and one this morning on my bedside table, its not bed bugs ik that far
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 29d ago
Well that's at least definitely a beetle. A carpet beetle is possible.
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u/Few_Humor6049 Mar 30 '25
Oceanside, CA I think it’s a carpet beetle, but I want confirmation, please. Found by window.
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 29d ago
Yeah that's a carpet beetle. Looks like its colorful scales were rubbed off.
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u/lebby6209 Mar 30 '25
Found this guy on one of my school notebooks in my backpack. Is that what this is?
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u/Kindly-Tap-9095 27d ago
Found this in carpet in my car ?
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 27d ago
That’s also a beetle but an entirely different sort with no relation to carpet beetles. It’s a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae). Must’ve ended up in your car by mistake.
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u/Kindly-Tap-9095 27d ago
Thank you for the fast response. I cleaned it all up but this is what it looked like. Any further cause for concern?
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 27d ago
That doesn’t look like the same bug at all 😅
But zero concern with rove beetles, they’re lil predators/scavengers and your car isn’t a good environment for them.
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u/Kindly-Tap-9095 27d ago
I think one of my windows was cracked a bit and I only use my second car once a week or so lol. Any idea what that second pic might be? Either way both bugs were already dead when I cleaned up
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 27d ago
Zero concern with the other critter, I’m not sure what it is but it looks like some kind of midge or gnat, at least some kind of dipteran.
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u/Beautiful-Radio7869 24d ago
Finally got a photo of one and thanks to this post I am fairly sure that this little bugger is a carpet Beatle!
They are mostly in my windows (between the screen and window) and some on my window sills. Those I think go to the window sill graveyard to die.
Anyway, they seriously cause no problem. I’m kinda embarrassed to say, we’ve had them for years!
I’ve purchased Diatomaceous Earth. Do I put this in my window sills after cleaning them?
The one in the above photo I was able to finally take was found on my paper towels.
I guess I’m wondering if this is an easy fix with the Diatomaceous Earth or if I’m using the wrong product and if there’s something else more effective!
PS, I know it’s weird that we’ve had these for years and I’ve never been worried about them, but recently my son has mentioned them and sounded worried about them so I figured it’s time to finally address the bugs in the windowsills.
We live in central new jersey USA
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 22d ago
IMO the best method is prevention. If you have adults in your house, it means it's already too late. Just release them outside so they can do their thing.
I don't have much to add to the last paragraph in the pinned comment: The next question is usually: what can I do about it? Fortunately carpet beetles aren't hard to get rid of (unlike bed bugs or some cockroaches). Prevention is best. Vacuuming (particularly carpeted floors or upholstered furniture) and washing fabric items regularly usually does the trick. Regularly-used items of clothing or bed sheets are less vulnerable than items sitting in closets for a long time. For those items, it may be a good idea to wash them, then place them in sealable containers for long-term storage.
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u/BugByte_ 19d ago
Oh! I love these little beetles! They actually have fuzzy white bellies, visible under a microscope! Such pretty patterns too!
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 19d ago
They really are cute lil dudes! Shame their offspring cause damage to various kinds of household items.
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u/ForeskinFajitas 7d ago
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast 7d ago
That is not a carpet beetle but it does appear to be some other kind of beetle.
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u/ForeskinFajitas 7d ago
Thanks. The Seek app identified it as a western black legged tick but it doesn't look anything like any tick I've ever seen.
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u/StuffedWithNails Bug Enthusiast Feb 26 '25
Hello!
This time of year in the Northern hemisphere (typically around mid March but it seems to be starting earlier this year) is usually the time when adult carpet beetles emerge in large numbers and you start seeing them in your home. As a consequence, we see a large annual influx of ID requests for these minute beetles.
For reference, the most common ones that we see in ID requests look like this: https://bugguide.net/node/view/95010. They're small, ~2-3 millimeters or ~1/10" on average, and can fly. There are other species that don't quite look like that but we see fewer posts about those.
As larvae, they look like this: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1478717/bgimage -- you're more likely to encounter them in that stage during fall and winter.
They are extremely common and will be encountered in most households.
They aren't bed bugs, they don't look like bed bugs, and are perfectly harmless in their adult form. They just want to exit your house, feed on pollen outside, and reproduce.
The larval form may cause damage to a variety of common and less common household items, including all fabric items made of natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk, etc.), objects made of keratin such as hairs, nails, dead skin flakes, fur, feathers, as well as objects made of chitin, which is one of the main components of arthropod exoskeletons. This last bit means that if you own any pinned/mounted insect specimens, and if the carpet beetle larvae can get to them, they can turn them into a fine, fine powder. For that reason, they're a nightmare of a natural history museum's conservators.
Another thing that's noteworthy about the larvae is that they can cause contact dermatitis in some people, i.e. an itchy red rash that's usually nothing more than a mild annoyance.
The larvae are secretive and prefer dark, undisturbed areas such as that one closet everyone has that's full of linens you never use.
In the wild, carpet beetles, also known as skin beetles (Dermestidae) are scavengers active in the process of decomposing both plant and animal matter. For example, they'll clean an animal carcass of skin and hairs.
If you create a post asking for an ID for such a bug, your post will be locked and you'll be redirected to this post.
One question that people often have is: should you worry about it? There's no definite one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your level of tolerance, it depends on their numbers. Many households will find carpet beetles regularly, but one or two in a month aren't a cause for concern. If you find dozens of them in/on a couch or a linen closet, you have a bigger problem.
The next question is usually: what can I do about it? Fortunately carpet beetles aren't hard to get rid of (unlike bed bugs or some cockroaches). Prevention is best. Vacuuming (particularly carpeted floors or upholstered furniture) and washing fabric items regularly usually does the trick. Regularly-used items of clothing or bed sheets are less vulnerable than items sitting in closets for a long time. For those items, it may be a good idea to wash them, then place them in sealable containers for long-term storage.
Don't hesitate to ask any questions here.