small bettle like bugs in house?

Question

We keep finding 2-3 small beetle like bugs around the house on a daily basis. Sometime alive sometimes dead. We live in a top floor appartment in Manchester, UK. Over the last few months we are finding small oval dark beetle like bugs aprox 1-2 mm in length. They sometimes have pale markings on thier backs and appear to have wings but we havent seen any flying.
If you poke them they just curl up their little legs and then wait, then carry on. they dont try to escape or run away.
We usually find them around windows on windowsills or on route to the window area.
They seem harmless but we are about to have a baby and we have found a few in the moses basket so we are keen to get rid of the pest before the little man arrives :)

Any advice of help much appreciated.

Paul

Answer 1

I would say they are carpet beetles. I only know this because I asked a similar question a couple of days ago and that was the answer. Google Carpet Beetles and see if this is what you have.



I was gutted because I associated them with dirty houses and unclean furniture, after looking them up I discovered it's nothing to do with that. Apparently they start in birds nests and work their way into the house because they are attracted to the warmth.



I also live in Manchester but I don't think that's anything to do with it. They are pretty universal.

Answer 2

Bit hard to say what they might be - could be woodworm. Best bet is to find out the local phone number of your local government agriculture department or the local university (zoology or agriculture) department and ask if they have someone who can identify the beetle for you. Collect a specimen in a matchbox or small container and take or post it to the contact. I have done this a couple of times with my local agriculture or university sources and they have always been very helpful.



Alternatively, you may have a good natural history museum in Manchester, which may have a curator who can identify the specimen for you, if you take a couple in with you.



Once you know what the beetle is, you can decide whether you need to call in the local pest control officer from your local council or just live with your acquired livestock.

Answer 3

Carpet beetles leave birds nests and go into homes. They eat the pollen on plants.

If that is what they are, vaccuuming a lot will pick them up. Their larvae will be in the carpet and along the baseboards.

http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th8f.htm

Answer 4

do you have any flour in your house. i suffered with this problem many years ago but could never trace exactly where they were coming from. then an old lady told me to check my flour that it wasnt old. so i did. as i got to the bag there was hundreds of them inside it. they hatch from the eggs laid in the corn/wheat. i never let my flour go past sell by date now.