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notdillusional notdillusional
wrote...
Posts: 16
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12 years ago
Help!!
Can you help me solve my carpet beetle dermatitis problem or point me in the direction of someone who can.  I have type 111 hypersensitivity to the larvae etc and the medical profession are unsympathetic at present.  Thanks in advance for any response.
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wrote...
12 years ago Edited: 12 years ago, biology101
You're not delusional. You have to rewash all your clothes with a strong detergent, replace your carpet, and replace your bedsheets. That is the root of your problem, sad to say.

Check out this article:

Carpet beetle dermatitis
wrote...
12 years ago
Many thanks for your reply biology101 and your advice.  However I have and am still doing all that and more.  The house has been redecorated and new furniture flooring, bedding soft furnishings etc.  It is also up for sale!  I was/boil where possible with borax and detergent/bleach.  Use clove oil as deterrent as well as recommended insect killers.  Have vac packed all clothes and material items which are not used immediately.  Then the cylce of cleaning steaming etc continues.  Needless to say I have replaced my vacuum cleaner and have industrial steamers for floors and other areas.  Anything else you can think of I would be grateful for.  Please let me know of anyone else who has been through this and come through sane at the other end!! Thanks again.  p.s. Already seen the article and am in contact with a professor from Penn State University by email.
wrote...
12 years ago
In my experience, the quickest and most direct way to resolve these problems is to remove the carpeting. In general, carpets do nothing but hold and maintain all kinds of nasty things. Insect feces, dust and all kind of allergens to name only a few so it's little wonder their ever tolerated in the home in the first place. That being said, I know many people like having carpets so trying to cope with the problem is more likely what you'll be doing and with that in mind, here are some suggestions.

First, make sure you get a good vaccuum. If the one you're currently using isn't cutting it, upgrade. This could be a less costly option compared to removing the carpet and could resolve the problem quickly.

Two, don't stop treating. Carpet beetles, as well as many other insects that can live in carpets, will many times take awhile to "run their course". This means more will replace the ones you kill so it's important to keep treating for at least 9-12 months to resolve most infestations.

Three, don't ignore area rugs, especially the bottom side of these, as well as furniture and drapery. All fabric can harbor carpet beetles so make sure you get them all treated throughout the home.

Four, be sure treatments include a long term growth inhibitor. We prefer the GENTROL or NYLAR. Both do a good job of stopping the cycle. A good adulticide to use would be PERMETHRIN 10. Alternatively, the ONCE A YEAR FLEA GRANULES seem to work on this pest really well too. Though designed for fleas, we've learned the granules dry out the "carpet environment" where the larva of this pest (and so many others) like to live making it impossible for them to exist. It also seems to help "cleaning" the carpet by absorbing allergens and other contaminates.

Lastly, don't forget to take care of the dog too. Bath them with a good shampoo like MELALUCA SHAMPOO. This will help reduce the itching. OXY MED ITCH RELIEF is another good topical treatment for their skin and should remove any hotspots they're fighting.

Follow these guidelines and you should defeat the symptoms you're currently experiencing. By looking at the "bigger picture" and considering other variables besides the carpet beetles alone, you will increase the odds of reaching a resolution faster. Carpets can harbor all kinds of nasty things. Control the pests and other contaminates carpets regularly collect and you should be able to keep them and not have to be itching all the time Slight Smile
Biology!
wrote...
12 years ago
Many thanks for your detailed reply Howard.  I really appreciate the quick response I have had to my thread.

However although detailed in your advice I have already carried out all of these methods and still the CB cycle continues.

The very unusually hot weather has exacerbated it at the moment and I am working overtime on the cleaning,  pesticides etc. 

The good thing is that we have no pets nor children making a mess and I refuse visitors. Therefore I know what is around from day to day on the lint situation within all nooks and crannies.  I totally agree with you on carpets!!

Hopefully I can give a much better report to the Forum this time next year.
wrote...
12 years ago
Any news on the situation?
wrote...
12 years ago
Not had any success as yet.  Still working on gaining the expert entomology report and ID and also medical lab tests reports.

Once I have these I will let you know and hopefully resolve the situation fast or as fast as is possible.

While on what do you know of exotic myiases Crying Face
wrote...
12 years ago
Hello, i am a newbie with over 10 months of living with the larvae of the carpet beetle both black and varied.  I also have sensitivity to them both dermatitis and sinusitis.   What I have learned is that you must treat both with a kill and growth regulator like Gentrol IGR.  I got the areosol foam spray , great for crevices but not for carpet.  You tend to miss too many spots.   
 

Ve t-Kem® Siphotrol® Plus Area Treatment and Vet-Kem® Siphotrol® Plus II Premise Spray  but they are NOT  labeled for beetles.   I have animal companions- cats, rats and turtles.  This is the safest for my box turtles who I have had 28 years and they can walk on the carpet after it drys.   I use the pump area treatment as it is not areosol when I need to spray and the turtles are in the tank.  With the Premise spray i must remove them from the room and put the somewhere at least 10 ft away. in another closed off room.
  The owners  of my apt. care less.  I copied an article for my Dermatologist  and showed her the blisters, I also get a rash.   She said the only treatment is cortisone  products and  Diphenhydramine /Benadryl

You must treat every 30 days but if you have lived there awhile you should move or start fumigation.   Then will need to fumigate at least 2 times preferably 4-6 times to catch the cycle of the pupae and egg sacks which are impervious to chemicals.  I also read that 2 stages of larvae development are impervious.

My question is does anyone   Bio MAN  or here know if this is true??   A pest man told me that the Sulfuryl Fluoride
or VIKANE as it is known will kill and penetrate the pupae and sacks.  That is contrary to the info i have I found.

Can anyone verify this for me?      I am moving this up coming week and still may be able to get a fumigation done.  The owners stated the garage could be tented.  Why not the house?  gets me.   They did not want me to tell the downstairs negihbors.

So PLEASE I NEED to KNOW if I am dumping everything or not.  If I fumigate I think i will get a storage locker and put my few possessions I have left and then contnue the Gentol IGR and Siphotrol.    They have even gotten in my car so this is something to be aware of. 

FYI  they are invisible when they hatch .  only seen under a microscope.   the biggest they get ( larvae is near 1/4 inch. The beetles are smaller.   YOu many not see the larvae but look for debris.  white crystalline powder trails, scratchings inot stuff including jade, cds. glass. etc.  They can be in the fridge.   To kill by fresszing you must keep the freezer at 15 degrees F for a solid 14 days or -20 for 4 days i think it is.  The refrigerator will not make them dormant.   I thought it would seal them out but if you put anything on the counter you could be in contact with newborns and not see them.  This is how bad my rental is.  My guess here is that they were here before the last tenant  that was 6 yrs and have been roaming unchecked all this time.  I noticed them after cleaning up an ant invasion at the first rains last ear.  been here 1 yr 3 months.


so if anyone can confirm about the fumigation and killling off the sacks and pupae please respond.  thanks   

PS my other thought is this may be causing what people are calling Morgellons because you can not see them until damage occurs.  Feels like things crawling on you but I also have seen that they do have a clear white fiber and many red and blue fibers around them especially when they are going into one of their stages.  possible they cocoon and then the pupae feeds off the fibers.  its bizarre  other wise I have all the signs of Morgellons here but not on me just in the environment.

This has affected my rats immune systems . They are scratching so much.    I do not leave food in the cage and have had to wipe them down every3 days with small pet flea and tick spray.  or bird spray.     I use paper towels in their litter pans and there is always blood droplets and porphyrin ( checked with a black light).  In all my years I never seen clumps of hair bound by white stuff as if they had dreadlocks cut off.   I was finding these as well until I started this wiping down their fur.  The Revolution did not work as they were not getting bit but crawled upon and they became sensitive just like us.  My cats scratch as well   They are indoor only.  same thing.

Hope this is of some help and if anyone can please get back on the fumigation question. 
I did spray a sack. it became transparant and then dried up and stuck to the plastic silverware tray so I think they are not affected.  That is what shells do right? protect the eggs.
ppk
wrote...
Valued Member
On Hiatus
12 years ago
I have animal companions- cats, rats and turtles.

Don't want to criticize you or anything but those animals you keep in your house are potential vectors for such pests.
wrote...
12 years ago
Yes I know cat hair and human hair are some ot the larvae favorites but i am 69 and have never had these insects in a home I have rented before or for that matter a home I pet sit. which is my occupation. I am a petsitter, homecare and plant care person.  I have found them in none of the other places  even ones built in 1928 and 1940.   So knowing they were here before i movied in has made iit a very unusual infestation.
I also have 2 air purifiers and a dyonn animal.  i have asthma so I am very aware of smells and hair.   Most people do not know I have cats they never smell my litter boxes.    Rats are very clean animals with a bad reputation.
I clean their cages daily and wash w/ novalsan once a week and bleach once a month.   I used to think I was a compulsive cleaner when I was young. I do not let dishes sit over night etc.   

i should have known not to rent here when I saw wood rot at the shed and the stairs came away from the house the first day we moved stuff.  It went down hill from their but it was a place that has potential if the owner ever came out to see what is going on.  He just does not care. The manager is great but can only do what the owner tells him   He owns the house next door and by coming here has seen his house in a different perspective.  redid the roof and trimmed the plum tree etd. helped me clean out the dryer vent that had never been cleaned since 86 .  So yes my fur kids contribute.  like dogs some cats shed more the nothers.  These are not big shedders.  I probabaly lose more hair then them. 

appreciate the comment though because other people may not know that.  have a great day
ppk
wrote...
Valued Member
On Hiatus
12 years ago
Rats are very clean animals with a bad reputation.

That's clearly a bias opinion because technically I can provide 100's of studies that can refute that. Still, I believe those animals you introduced into your home may have instigated this issue and the only real means to begin removing these pests is by getting rid of the pests you intentionality introduced into your home. Now please don't take this as being rude, but I believe the root of the problem can be dealt with if you temporarily remove the pets in your home.
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