Caterpillar In The Carpet

Carpet caterpillar at this time of year even here in southern arizona i am always a bit surprised to find insect activity.

Caterpillar in the carpet.

Sometimes the cat ignores his litter box in favor of urinating on the carpet and his owners wonder what s going on. It was a familiar species but still a bit early i think. Vacuum every corner of the carpet and use a vacuum extension to suck up any beetles and larvae on your furniture. Remember to vacuum inside the cracks of the furniture as carpet beetles like to feed in dark places.

Barberry berberis vulgaris is not generally thought to be native to britain but it was once planted widely as a hedgerow shrub as it grows densely and has sharp spines. Look for the carpet bug larvae. Imagine my shock then at finding a caterpillar on my living room floor today. However in the 19th century it was discovered that the plant is a host for a fungus that causes stem rust which damages wheat.

Remove carpet beetles and their larvae with a vacuum. Making sure our house was thoroughly cleaned i got on my hands and knees and proceeded to pick at it with my finger. I found a hard substance that was incrusted in our carpet while i was cleaning. Don t ever skip looking for these as evidence of adults also indicates probable presence of larvae.