Hey folks,
I’ve started noticing these tiny brown bugs all over my window sills and near the lights in my living room. At first, I thought they were baby ladybugs — they’re roundish, brownish with small spots — but now they’re everywhere.
After a quick Google search, it sounds like they might be carpet beetles or Asian lady beetles, but I’m not sure how to tell the difference.
Has anyone dealt with these before? A few questions:
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How can you tell what kind of bug it actually is?
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Are they harmful (to furniture, clothes, or pets)?
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What’s the best way to get rid of them — DIY traps or professional help?
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Any prevention tips to stop them from coming back?
Would love some advice before I end up vacuuming every five minutes.
Sounds like carpet beetles to me. They look cute but are super destructive. The adults usually hang around windows, but their larvae eat natural fibers — wool, leather, even lint. Check your closets and rugs ASAP.
I had the exact same problem last spring. Found out they were varied carpet beetles. Vacuuming daily and washing everything in hot water helped, but I eventually had to treat baseboards with boric acid powder. Haven’t seen one since.
If they’re more round and orangey-brown with a slight smell when crushed, they might be Asian lady beetles. They tend to swarm inside when the weather cools. Harmless, but super annoying. Vacuum and seal cracks around windows and doors.
Whatever they are, they LOVE light. I noticed them clustering near lamps and windowsills. I used a vinegar-water spray and a sticky trap at night, it actually worked better than I expected.
They started showing up in my laundry room a few weeks ago. Thought I was losing it until I found a pile of lint full of larvae behind the dryer. Once I cleaned that out, infestation dropped fast.
Anyone else getting these in high-rise buildings? I’m on the 12th floor and still seeing them on the windows. No idea how they even got up here. My landlord says they’re “seasonal,” but that doesn’t make me feel better.
If you’ve got houseplants, check the soil too. I had beetles breeding in one of my potted herbs, the larvae were feeding on decaying roots. I repotted everything and problem gone.
Most infestations start from an old food source — pet food, flour, birdseed, etc. Check every cabinet, vacuum thoroughly, and toss anything that’s been sitting open for a while.
We had them every fall for two years. Ended up installing better window screens and sealing attic vents with fine mesh. Haven’t had an issue since. Sometimes prevention beats all the sprays.