Carpet Beetle Larvae

[Laguna]

That's right.

Just got a call of a woman with a 2002 Camry that keeps having these little larvae coming out of her back seat. Nothing crazy, only sees maybe 2-3 every few days. Vacuumed the car like crazy before and it went away for a bit, but has come back.

This is a new one for me. I'm doing research on what I can do to see if I will even take this client on. I don't want her spending money and time on me doing a very extensive detail, only for them to come back a month later or something. I also don't want to spend the time and take her money if I can't perform the service.

Anyone ran into this before? You can bomb a car, but this isn't fleas or anything that I think a bomb will work on.

You can be sure I'll be charging my mold prices most likely, which starts at $300.

[pirahnah3]

Depending on the foam used it could be a larger issue than you want. If your not scared of much then maybe having to pull the seats out and cleaneing them from the backside to ensure you get to them, or it could even be something under the seat and not involving the foam padding at all. It could randomly be something between the foam and the fabric that ate into the foam. 

[Ricky Bobby]

Do you have an ozone machine? That should kill any larvae for sure.

[jeffo65]

What about removing the seats and putting them inside large plastic bags and bombing/fumigating inside the bag. My uncle used to do this with cypress stumps when making tables. He would put the stumps inside heavy duty plastic bags and fumigate them for a period of time to kill all bugs. I do not know what he used or how long he kept them in the bag. And I can't ask him as he has passed away.

[pirahnah3]

Im with RB on that one, def easy way to ensure that they die so long as you take precautions. 

[Ricky Bobby]

Or you could do the poor mans way. Tons of Lysol on the seats lol

[Bill-V8V]

Bomb the trunk ??? Then check the window and door seals to see if it is something new that keeps getting in. But there probably is something dead in/under the back seat. 

[Laguna]

I do not have an Ozone machine. You can rent them though, can you not?

 

I am definitely worried about what could be found under the seats. If the foam is toast or the whole back seat is, then this is beyond my scope of services.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Laguna

[LFairbanks]

Ask her if she has transported birds or bird seed at one time.  The seed will generate something similar to what you're describing.  My wife keeps all her seed in an extra fridge down stairs for that reason.  

[Laguna]

Ask her if she has transported birds or bird seed at one time.  The seed will generate something similar to what you're describing.  My wife keeps all her seed in an extra fridge down stairs for that reason.  

 

Interesting. I will find out.

[Ricky Bobby]

I do not have an Ozone machine. You can rent them though, can you not?

 

I am definitely worried about what could be found under the seats. If the foam is toast or the whole back seat is, then this is beyond my scope of services.

 

you MAY be able to rent them, but if you detail often, you may want to invest in one for nasty jobs - it will pay for itself on one smokers car - $150-200 on Amazon IIRC