My husband and I pulled up out carpet in our bedroom and we descovered carpet bugs. These little things were everywhere. Now that there is no more carpet, I found them in our matress. I have recently been getting bit by something at night and we have torn apart out bed looking for bed bugs, but these are the only thing we found. Do they bite humans and how do we properly get rid of them?

I'm not sure what your "carpet bugs" might be. Carpet Beetles are scavengers, as are most of their dermestid cousins, and as such are unlikely to feed on living flesh.

Here's a website for carpet beetle management:
Carpet Beetle Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html)

If you eliminate the "Carpet bugs" and still have problems, we can explore what other causes might be.

Do they look like little black flecks of pepper, and do the bites feel like pin pricks but then there isn't anything there? Are they leaving any marks- from tiny little red bumps that don't itch much to red pimple like things that drive you insane? If yes, then they are black pepper mites, a very bad thing to deal with, we have them now- they come in on our feet when it rains and when I ripped up my carpet while it was raining last week our minor infestation has turned into a full fledged take-over. They first started 3 months ago, and seem to be immune to poison. They are also called Morgellons Syndrome, look that up if what I describe sounds right. Otherwise anything else I say will terrify and disgust you for no reason. Wish I could help more, but I need some help myself now that I know what they are.

There are more of 7 months we removed the living room carpert, was last summer.
Until then I found carpet bugs are still at home. In winter clothes, sofa seats, and boxes with paper
Closters. My family said is my imagination, and send me to a Dr. I am desperate, because they climb my head
Wanted to entry in my ears. We do a Pests control for bird lice, didn't know what happen to me and our little grandchild. I will appreciate a good responsed to my question. We are pensioners and do not have much money to spend. Thanks... Iris

You sound like you have a bad case of bedbugs which WILL bite you over and over again and are extremely hard to get rid of. You did disturb their nest when you removed the carpet and now I'm sure they have totally infested your home big time.

I also have found carpet beetle larvae bt I've only found 4 and I've stippd my bedroom upside down to find a nest bt there seems to be no nest that I can find I've sprayd my whole bedroom including te bed with a bleach and water solution and hoovered it thourghly I can't put poison or pestisides down because of my dog , what else can I do to keep them away x

Hey if you are sure its carpet beetles then it is, I had the same problem, their larvae have tails that are itchy and sometimes can poke the skin and feel like bites but are mostly likely an allergic reaction which is not uncommon. To get rid of carpet beetles just buy some moth balls and return them - but they are toxic and have cancer causing toxins so put them in closed containers. If they are on your bed just wash it as best as you can and vacuum everyday. I know some people use diatomaceous earth, don't know if that helps, but they increase quickly and are common in every household, just don't stress out over it, I did the same and it didn't help, just try and decrease their numbers by vacuuming everyday - they love ledges on the wall, corners and eat skin dust and hair

Its not your imagination - I found carpet beetles in the kitchen, bathroom, closets, on the ceiling too once! If its in your sofa, maybe take the cushions and put them in a container with mothballs for 4 months - that will definitely help, and them vacuum every inch of that sofa everyday - the eggs can live up to 3 years or so and their larvae too, so vacuum then clear out the vacuum. If your desperate there is a spray I think its called permetrin or something that kills ticks on instant contact, maybe just spray that in common places for the carpet beetles and it might get them.

I've been waking up with bites for the past 2 weeks and I figured it was bed bugs. So I decided to SEARCH today. I found 2 (so far) on my wood bed frame. So I sprayed them and observed. It was very tiny with yellowish and black strips and has like hair or little spikes. Than I googled it and found out it was a carpet bugs, but everyone is saying they don't bit. But those are the only thing I found on my bed and I'm getting bitten. I haven't found any actual bed bugs. Its frustrating I'm waking up with bits that turn into welts!!

After exhaustive research on the net I have come to the conclusion that there is no conclusion. What I have found look like carpet beetle larvae under the edges of my carpet where the tack strips are. Also found one in my guitar case and cam corder case. Both of which I tossed. I looked them up and some soureces say they don't bite but I am being bitten and a few of the bites look like Bed bug bits (3 in a row) but the larvae. I am also experiencing itching bite like feelins all over but there is nothing there. Professional exterminators want 41000 to treat for bed bugs and only $200 to treat for carpet beetles. Looks like I am in for evey oyther day spraying and vacuuming cause I just CAN'T afford the professional help. I am disabled with a heart and lung condition as well as axiety disorder so this is driving near suicidal I hope you figure out your issue cause I'm stumped with mine. Type in bed bug bites and carpet beetle bites and you get the same pics. Yet others say carpet beetlses don't bite. ARRRGGHHHHHH!!

tspoonhunter, have you considered that there may be more than one infestation and you just haven't seen many signs? The bite marks in a line are sometimes the only sign of bedbugs until the furniture is disassembled for treatment. Other bugs that could be causing problems include mites of various types, some small spider species, or you could be having reactions to environmental factors in addition to the insect infestation. If the 200 treatment for carpet beetles includes the use of a growth regulator I would recommend purchasing that service, as the growth regulators work on several pest species. You may still have some insects of some type afterwards, but it would be a good first step.

From Wikipedia:

"The larvae of A. verbasci is a common household pest. Adult beetles usually lay their eggs in air ducts, in closets, under furniture, or under baseboards.[7] Once hatched and until they pupate into adults, the larvae hide in dark, undisturbed areas and feed on organic material. The larvae are thus responsible for the damage of various items, such as furniture, clothing, blankets, furs, and carpets. Collections of specimens, especially of insects, are also vulnerable to attack, making A. verbasci a common pest in museums.[8] Infestations can be prevented by regular vacuum cleaning, dry cleaning or airing clothing outside, placing naphthalene balls in closets, and removing abandoned bird and insect nests attached to the building.[7] Signs of an infestation include the presence of damaged articles, molted larval skins in dark areas, and an abundance of adult beetles near windows.[7] Susceptible people may also find that shed hairs from the larvae cause irritated itchy welts that may be confused with bedbug bites. [9]Marcia Anderson, US E.P.A. "Carpet Beetles are Welcome in my House if it Means not Having Bed Bugs!". U.S. E.P.A. Retrieved April 4, 2013.</ref name="bites"> Deterring or killing A. verbasci can be accomplished using insecticides,[7] oxygen deprivation,[10] freezing,[11] and pheromone[12] and scent traps.[12]"

My experience with the varied carpet beetle is that they are mostly confined to carpets and along baseboards or under beds where dander collects. Alll you need to do is vacuum regularly and don't leave clothes and stuff on the floor. From time to time if you see one just vacuum well and throw out the vacuum bag if it has one or dump it into a trash bag and get rid of it right away so no larvae can get out.

It's really not a big deal and they don't spread disease or anything. Just try not to let it get to you.

Posting links to articles where you found your information is usually a good idea, jojo, but copying rewrites from Wikipedia really isn't very helpful. Had you posted the link to the EPA article cited your answer would have been more authoritative. The source for the allergic reactions statement would have been superb.

As for using the vacuum alone on a carpet beetle infestation, it would seem to be a method of controlling the infestation, preventing it from getting worse but not doing much to eliminate the problem. Any eggs that managed to hatch into larvae would tend to burrow through the nap of the carpet to get to the edible backing and thus be able to avoid the suction.

Carpet beetle larvae love warm places. I found them in my electrical outlets and power strips. The beetles themselves won't bother you, but the hairs left by the larvae will irritate your skin to look and feel like bug bites.

Good information, bk45. It's true that adult beetles will try every possible exit to get outside to breed.

However, this thread is now almost 3 years old and the original poster hasn't come back. It's time to give someone else a chance to ask their own question