Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Finding Opportunity in Crisis?

I didn't really mean to disappear from the interwebs for such a long time, but... well... suffice it to say my feeling of being overwhelmed has not exactly subsided.



First of all, I've been sicker than a dog. To be fair, I'm not exactly sure how sick "a dog" is, but I think I'm givin' him a run for his money. Seriously, it's been over 2 weeks now, and while the coughing and sneezing has pretty much subsided, I'm still a bit of a snot factory - which has made sleeping difficult. And, when my sleep patterns get disrupted I get migraines... so yeah... I have not exactly been a happy camper.


But... being sick is not actually the crisis I was referring to with the title of this post. No... actually there's been another little issue here at chez CatLady - the invasion of the carpet beetles!!


Now, to be honest, I've been dealing with the carpet beetles for years now. They're more annoying than anything else - they don't bite people or animals, and don't carry diseases - they just lay eggs that hatch into disgusting larvae that eat things like wool and animal hair.


Hmm... where could they be finding a source of animal hair in this household?

Well anyhow, as I said, this issue has been brewing for years now.  Last year I figured it was just the cat hair, because I had been avoiding frightening Princess with the vacuum while she was sick. So I made an effort to wash their beds and vacuum more frequently. Still, the little black bugs persisted.

Thinking back on it though, I realized that this issue has been slowly building for a looooong time. I first noticed it back before I bought this house, when I took my long-neglected violin out of its case only to discover that most of the hair was totally missing from my bow.

Not my photo, but that's pretty much what it looked like.
At first I thought it was just a "musical" problem - you know, the gods were punishing me for neglecting my violin for so long. But one of the teachers at the music school said it looked like damage from a "bow hair bug" - which is essentially a carpet beetle that has gotten into your case and decided to feast upon the horse hair bow.

I got a new case and re-haired the bow, but the problem persisted. But as I was thinking about it this past week, I realized that the bug had to have come from somewhere... and I think I have finally figured out the culprit.


Yup... me beloved old recliner. The timing is right... the bow hair bug appeared shortly after I found this thing at a yardsale for $20 (that was over 20 years ago). But you see that crease between the headrest and the back... well, every cat I've ever owned has always gone crazy pouncing on "invisible" somethings in that little crease. And I'm pretty sure that I now know what it was!

Anyhow, long story short, I left one of my beloved Smartwool tops on the recliner (which was slipcovered) for a few days, and when I retrieved it to put it away I discovered to my horror that there were about half a dozen holes in it! Then I saw the larvae fall out of it. Eeeeewwww! I ripped the slip cover off and saw a bunch of larvae retreating into the stuffing of the chair.


That was it. I finally reached my "ick factor" tolerance level. So the recliner is now gone and I've been on a carpet beetle eradication mission.

Folks, between my coughing and sneezing I've undertaken a deep cleaning frenzy the likes of which I've never taken on before, because those little suckers have pretty much invaded the entire house. Along the way I've gotten rid of huge amounts stuff - most of it having to be tossed rather than given away - because I can't in good conscience give away something infested with carpet beetles. I do have to say, it feels great to let go of stuff.



So, here's the "opportunity" part. As I've been cleaning, scrubbing, laundering and vacuuming, I've decided to make some upgrades around here.

First on my list is the kitchen.


This started because I pulled a rag out of a kitchen drawer to clean something and discovered carpet beetle larvae on the rag! Oy! So every drawer & cabinet has been emptied and scrubbed, and I replaced the horrible curtains and mini-blinds with easy to clean, cord-free roller shades. I also laundered the rag rug (and discovered that there's a cheap and easy way to keep it from slipping on the floor - duct tape - who knew?!)

Along the way I figured out why my silverware drawer was so hard to pull out - long story, but a little roller piece had fallen off the bottom of the drawer, which was causing the bottom brace to rub against the bottom of the drawer, literally wearing a groove in the drawer bottom itself. Anyhow, I didn't take any pictures, but here's one I found on the web that shows you the little roller.


I re-attached the little goomer, and wow! It's really nice to have a drawer that's easy to open and close!

Anyhow, somehow having functional drawers and window coverings made such a huge difference that I decided I'm gonna make some further improvements. Eventually I'd love to replace the floor and countertops, but for the moment I think I can make a huge improvement by just painting the kitchen. I'm thinking white cabinets and trim with contrasting brown walls to help tie it into the floor. Most of the walls are covered with cabinets, so it will be mostly white, but the brown will provide a nice contrast. I'm thinking something about this color - because there are flecks of this color in the horrible yellowing floor tile:


BTW - I've tried EVERYTHING to de-yellow that tile. I've stripped it and scrubbed it and bleached it and even tried a crazy science experiment with peroxide, oxy-clean and UV light - no dice. So I'll just live with the floor for the time being.

But I'm gonna replace the cabinet hardware and do a bit of work on them so they'll close properly and stay closed. And I found a trash/recycling combo can that will actually fit in the space next to the microwave - it's been ordered and I can't wait to stop tripping over that second can that doesn't quite fit into the space.

Maybe if I hate my kitchen a little less, I'll be motivated to keep it cleaner.



Next up: the window coverings. I've been washing all of the drapes because carpet beetles like to hide in the pleats, and along the way I'm realizing that many of them are literally falling apart, plus I sort of hate them.


So I'm working on slowly replacing them with easier to clean alternatives. It may take a while to figure out what works - the cats seriously complicate the matter. The ideal window coverings would be cord-free, plastic free, easy to clean, insulating, and cat proof. I may have to compromise a bit, because finding something that fits all of those requirements is a tall order, but I've ordered a cellular shade to replace the horror pictured above, and we'll see how it works. In theory, it will look something like this:



I've also decided to lower my "eco" standards a bit and put some moth balls in the closets. Moth balls kill carpet beetles and their larvae, and since the little buggers LOVE dark places like closets, I'm sure it's a prime breeding ground for them.

This means that I'll need to keep the closet doors closed and latched - both to make the moth balls more effective and to keep the cats out of there. So I've done some work on the closet doors to make them work better, and I have to say, having closets that close easily and stay closed is sort of huge in terms of how the house feels.



And speaking of repairing things so they'll close and stay closed... We've had a few somewhat concerning incidents in the neighborhood recently. One involved random people walking through backyards (including mine) in the middle of the night. Could have just been kids "cutting through" so they didn't have to walk all the way around the block, but it was a bit un-nerving.

The other thing was, I was working in the front yard one afternoon when a strange SUV pulled up and a woman claiming to be a "new neighbor" from a few blocks away started asking me questions about garbage collection. It struck me as odd, and I had a fleeting thought that it might have been one of those things where one person distracts the homeowner in the front yard while another slips in the unlocked back door and robs the place. Fortunately my back door was locked, but both of those incidents convinced me that I needed to do something about my ill-functioning gates.

It took some creativity because the land has settled over the years, so the gate latches were no longer close enough to the pole to function properly. But I rigged an extra pole in the gap on each gate, and then I put a padlock on all of them.


It's not gonna stop anybody who really wants in, but it should make my yard less attractive for random midnight wanderers and anyone looking for an easy "crime of opportunity". It will also stop the things from blowing open in windy weather.

Plus, and I know this will probably make me sound like an un-neighborly recluse, but it will stop my neighbor from letting herself into my backyard and peeking in my back door every time she wants something. Part of me thinks that I should feel fine with her doing that because it hearkens back to the era of Lucy & Ethyl or Laura & Millie - apologies to anyone who didn't grow up watching I Love Lucy or The Dick VanDyke Show.


But honestly, it just really feels like an invasion of privacy to me, and somehow knowing that she can't just suddenly appear out of nowhere is very comforting to me.


And finally... I've decided that it's time to get rid of the hideous avocado green shag carpeting once and for all! I mean not only is the stuff ugly as sin, and full of god knows what kind of dirt (and carpet beetle larvae) it's also completely falling apart.



It won't be a simple project because god knows what sort of shape the oak floor is in underneath there, but I'm resolved that I'm gonna get it done before the end of the summer. The other complicating factor is that the house was remodeled somewhere along the line and a wall was taken out, so I'm pretty sure there's a gap in the hardwood where the wall used to be. I won't know what the gap looks like until I get the carpet up, but hopefully I'll be able to come up with some sort of a fix. I sort of like the idea of just having hardwood floors with a nice rug in the living room, but depending on how it looks, I may end up just having new carpet installed. Stay tuned...

Anyhow, I was gonna show you some pictures of the garden too, but this post is already too long, so I'll save that for next time.

Oooooo!!! But I do have one last photo for you. While I was writing this my new trash can arrived!


Not only does it actually fit into that small space, it's pretty nifty too. The bottom section is for trash, and it tilts out when you step on the little grey goomer. The top bin is for recycling, and it easily lifts out so you can take out the recycling without having to haul the whole can out to the alley.

It's sorta crazy how happy this thing makes me, but hey... it's the little things, right? (Made by Rubbermaid, $35 ordered online from Home Depot in case anyone is curious.)

Anyhoo... that's the news from the funny farm. Hope you're all enjoying the beginnings of summer (or winter for you southern hemisphere dwellers!)


40 comments :

  1. You poor thing...being sick is bad enough but dealing with bugs is an extra heap of crud on top of crud.

    I have never heard of carpet beetles. They look and sound absolutely disgusting. AND WOW, the amount of work you are doing...I am tired just considering all that you are doing.

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    1. I had never heard of them either, before all of this. Apparently they used to be much more of a common pest back in the days when most carpets were made of wool. I think that's how they got their name. And yes... I'm good and tired. But there is something a bit empowering about it too.

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  2. Oh my gosh, this post is so long I'm going to have to save it and savor it to use a bunch of your good ideas. But I'm in the middle of my study abroad Spanish classes (not quite abroad yet, but still busy), so it will be a while.

    Meanwhile, can you tell us more about that roller blind in the kitchen? I like the idea of a sleek, sun-blocking thing that's easy to open.

    I'm very sorry about your bugs and sweater, but glad that you have finally solved that mystery! And I sure hope you feel better soon!

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    1. I really shouldn't take such long breaks from blogging when I get whelmed, because it leads to posts like this! :-)

      Anyhow, I think that "roller shade" is just a new name for a device that's been around for ages. They're just simple spring loaded vinyl blinds like you used to see in school classrooms. Mine are made by Bali, and I bought them at Home Depot for about $8 each. They also make them from fabric, but I went with vinyl to make them easy to sponge clean in the kitchen.

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    2. Yes, I fantasize about those for my windows, but my windows are a weird width, but supposedly those can be made to work anyway somehow.

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    3. They cut them to any size you want. This is a mixed blessing because the cut edge was a bit ragged - so it may be better to buy them in the store rather than online so you can make sure they do a decent job with the cutting!

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    4. Good to know. I thought I'd have to cut it myself. I think I know how to cut fabric (but, straight might be difficult), but not the rod at the top (maybe that part's adjustable somehow).

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    5. At the store they had this giant chopper thing, so they just put the rolled up shade in it and chop it all to the correct width. Maybe the chopper blade at the online ordering place wasn't very sharp? Not sure...

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    6. Ah, so the key is to get the store to do it! Good to know!

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  3. I have also never heard of carpet bugs, and I hope I never see one! I'm not a fan of indoor insects (I don't like a lot of the outdoor ones, either, but they do have a purpose!). I hope you feel better and survive your de-bugging.

    I wouldn't care for a neighbor being persistently at my back door, either. That can be a touchy situation but hopefully you will get it worked out and your new gate-latching system will prove to make you safer as well.

    We finally replaced our crazy-crooked blinds in our dining window--yesterday, in fact. We went with a cellular shade--cordless, but not plastic free (I didn't know they made plastic-free shades!), mostly because it was in stock, could be trimmed to size, and I wanted the cordless style (I had a gift card for Lowes which paid for all but about $9 of it). Last night was our first night using it--I can't give you a good review on it yet, but so far I love not having to dink around with cords. This blind is room-darkening and insulating. The room darkening feature works well--the insulating feature is a wait-and-see one. We replaced our windows a few years ago, which made a huge difference, but I think (unless maybe you go with a super high brand of window) that when the mercury dips (or gets super high), there will always be a little heat/cold loss.

    Good to hear from you again. We had a cat scare a few weeks ago--my cat had a snaggle tooth, so I took him in to have it removed and his teeth cleaned. The vet thought she found a tumor on his jaw so we had to wait a week for results on the biopsy, which thankfully was negative for cancer (he has a bone infection and is on antibiotics). He's only about 9 so I was hoping it was relatively minor, as we want many more years to enjoy him. He was hiding under the chair and not eating, which was NOT like him--as soon as we started antibiotics, he became his usual naughty self again, and I was pretty happy to have the "real" Max back. :)

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    1. First of all, I'm so sorry you've been in sick kitty land! Poor Max. I'm so, SO glad that it didn't end up being cancer though - oral cancers are not pretty. Hopefully he'll be good as new soon when the antibiotics kick in.

      Anyhow, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a plastic free cellular shade - that was just my wish list for the "perfect" window covering. We'll see how it does. My main concern with the cellular shades is that the cats might destroy them. The window in question is not one that's readily cat available though, so hopefully it will be OK. We shall see...

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  4. Count me as another who has never heard of carpet beetles. How miserable for you! I'm glad you're getting other stuff upgraded and taken care of in the process of getting the bugs out.

    I hope your migraines subside, and the cold goes away. Not a great way to begin summer, I'm sure!

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    1. It's certainly been one of those "the further I go, the behinder I get" sort of seasons! But I'm really hoping that I can get the carpet beetles dealt with without having to call an exterminator. I just hate to subject the cats to that sort of risk. But I'm trying to maintain a "making lemonade out of lemons" attitude about it all. We'll see how that goes as the summer progresses! :-)

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  5. I had heard of carpet beetles- there are several species, just for even more icky fun!

    Yey for the new bin and fixing some of the little annoyances- having stuff that works properly makes life so much smoother!

    I have the urge to de-crap the house and clean at the moment- though it is warm here at the moment and I've just been lazing about instead :D

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    1. I don't get the motivation to de-clutter very often, so I'm really trying to take advantage of it while I can. For me it's generally a problem of inertia - it just feels so overwhelming that it's easier to ignore it all.

      Anyhow, I say go for it while the mood persists, because if you're anything like me, it will be a fleeting urge! :-)

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  6. Those carpet beetles sound even worse than the beetles that invaded my house in some donated bags of open dog food. The larvae would spin webs in the dog towels and sheets that were stacked nearby. Luckily, they never went beyond that but it took a few washings and cleanings before they disappeared. And I don't take open bag dog food donations anymore. Not worth the trouble!

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    1. Yikes! That sounds yucky. I'm sure I could have contained the problem much more effectively if I'd realized what was happening... oh, say, 20 years ago! But yeah, I'm seriously re-thinking ever bringing used furniture into the house again - especially the upholstered variety!

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  7. Hope you are feeling better soon. Migraines are no fun, I used to get them a lot when I was younger. I used to have an elderly neighbour who used to hop the back fence and appear at the back door with veggies. It always startled me.

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    1. Thanks for the moral support. At the moment I'm headache-free, which is making the whole ordeal a bit more tolerable. And I'm thinking that your elderly neighbor must be much more physically fit than my elderly neighbor, because she can barely get down the stairs let alone hop a fence! (different neighbor than the one who comes into my yard... just a funny visual)

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  8. I've been dealing with carpet beetles too, also brought it on a chair from a resale shop! Like you said, they're more annoying than anything. Maybe you're already doing this and didn't mention it, but I recommend emptying / cleaning your vacuum cleaner bag each time you use it. It will suck up eggs as well as larvae and they'll hatch and eat what's in the bag. Don't worry, you'll get rid of them, it just takes time and a little patience. :)

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    1. I'm soooo sorry that you're dealing with this too. Perhaps we should form some sort of a carpet beetle support group! :-)

      You know, I've been going through a remarkable number of vacuum cleaner bags - just bought a fresh package in fact, because I've been changing them after each cleaning session. But... I also have a smaller cordless vacuum which is bagless, and while I've been ritualistic about dumping the canister and taking out the trash each time I use it, it never occurred to me to actually wash the canister. So thanks for the tip. I think I may also wash the brushes and attachments on the "big" vacuum too.

      I uncovered two more nests of larvae today, oy! Next project: washing every fabric item I own, and storing anything not in the current rotation in a space bag. That should both protect my stuff and make the cleaning easier.

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    2. My vacuum is bagless - that's how I realized I had a problem. I hate vacuuming and do it sporadically, but I only have carpet on the staircases and two area rugs. The rest of the place I sweep, but I admit pet hair is never fully under control. One day I found a few little dead bugs on my windowsill and didn't worry about it. I figured it was spring and they came inside and got trapped. (Except it wasn't spring.) Then I vacuumed the carpets without emptying the canister. Then a few days later I walked by the vacuum and realized I had larvae in there feasting happily on all the pet fur! ACK!!! Fortunately it's easy to take off and clean. Overall it's a bit of a battle though because they can live so long on just a little fur, or other dead insects, or many other things. They're leaving my clothes and linens alone, but keep appearing on little tufts of pet hair that roll around under furniture.

      I'm slowly winning the war, but I'm just not as energetic and motivated as you are!

      I have read that wrapping items in bags and freezing for a couple of weeks, or heating to 120 F in the oven, will kill all life stages of the bugs. I haven't tried it myself but thought I'd throw it out there in case there's something you really want to keep. :)

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    3. Eeeeeww, eeeeewww, eeeeeeeeewwww. I think I might have completely freaked out if I'd seen a vacuum canister crawling with larvae. Serious "ick factor" there. I hate vacuuming too (perhaps there's some karma at work here?) - but I hate it much less when I use my small cordless model. Seriously, the "big" vacuum is a canister model and I always feel like I'm wrestling an octopus with all those hoses and cords. The problem is that the cordless one isn't big & strong enough to suck everything up - and it doesn't have the accessories for getting into corners etc. But I read that Hoover has recently come out with a full size, full strength cordless model and I'm seriously tempted!

      My situation was much worse last spring when I (ahem) let the cat fur situation get out of hand. Apparently the larvae "pupate" into beetles each spring so that's when you notice the bugs. Anyhow, I've seen a lot fewer of them this year since I've been better about the cat fur, but obviously what I've done so far wasn't enough to get rid of them completely.

      That's a great tip about the freezer/oven thing. That might be the way to go for stuff that's hard to wash (books, boots, etc.) I've been laundering things in hot water and/or bleach and that will kill them at all stages. Surprisingly my Smartwool all survived being bleached and going through the drier set on "hot" without much discoloration or any shrinkage. And apparently my mothball plan is out because they won't work in closets - stuff has to be in an airtight container with the mothballs for at least 7 days to kill them. Hmmm... maybe I could get some plastic storage bins or something.

      Well anyhow, I suppose I just have to look at it as good motivation to push me toward further decluttering. Seriously, all those crazy things that I tend to keep "just in case" start to look WAAAAAAY less attractive when the price for keeping them is no longer just that the thing will occupy space. Now I have to weigh the importance of keeping the item vs. the pain in the rear of either beetle-proofing it or having to clean/sanitize it regularly until this little problem gets dealt with.

      BTW - not sure if your fur situation is from cats or dogs, but one of the worst culprits I've found in terms of things the larvae like to feed on is feather and fur cat toys - which tend to get put away in closets or the cats tend to bat them into dark corners behind and under furniture. So Smoky & Jasper are gonna have to content themselves with synthetic toys for the time being!

      Here's hoping we both make some progress fighting the little suckers! :-)

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  9. We have carpet beetle too but only in three upstairs rooms. We were blaming the cat for bringing them in in his fur (because my second son does not allow the cat in his room and he has no beetles either). However, I have since learned that carpet beetle do live outside and particularly like a shrub called Spirea. Guess what is in my garden right below the windows to those three rooms? Is the cat off the hook?!

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    1. Oh my goodness! We've got three Spirea bushes along the house. I wonder if that's contributing to the problem. Hmmm.... I see some Googling in my near future!

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  10. Wow, what a lot of work! Is it really bad that I looked at your kitchen and though, "I wonder if my kitchen will ever be that clean and tidy"? Also, drapes/curtains that are falling apart and that we kind of hate anyway - we have them. We also have some more in the loft that are less horrible, but need sewing before they'll fit, and probably have mice nesting in them by now.

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    1. Well, if it's any consolation, my kitchen didn't stay all neat and tidy for long. But with all the re-arranging and purging I did in there, it is at least easier to get it back into its clean state.

      I think the sun must just destroy curtains after a while... at least I don't have mice. Somehow seeing a mouse in the garden is cute, but seeing one in the house strikes fear into my heart!

      I meant to comment on your garden post but was feeling too overwhelmed when I was there. I fear I may be even more behind than you are. Sigh.

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  11. Oh, what a mess, but you have certainly made lemonade out of lemons. Like what you've done with your place. :)

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    1. Thanks June, I'm really hoping I can maintain the lemonade attitude, but we'll see how it goes. I have the feeling this is gonna be one of those long term battles.

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  12. Sorry to hear about your health and the bugs and the random passers-through, but glad you're keeping a good attitude through the whole thing. My wife and I just started on the cliche and requisite Kondo-cleanse, and we are already experiencing the Joy of Tidying. It's dumb, but we are really happy with it already, as I'm going to drop off seven full bags (of just clothes) to the goodwill today. Less stuff is awesome.

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    1. Getting rid of stuff feels great, doesn't it? I fear I'm no good at following other people's programs - too much of a rebel, but I've gotta say, bug infestations are a great motivator!

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  13. I used to have carpet beetles for years, I never really found out where the larvae lived, I just kept finding the beetles in my windowsill. I had seagrass floor tiles then, I thought they lived in those but now I find out they don't eat vegetable stuff. Or maybe they do? Anyway, after getting rid of the tiles, moving several times and getting rid of some old furniture they gradually disappeared. No helpful advice there, I'm sorry,
    But I think decluttering your house is always a good idea. I'm a big fan of Kondo, I love her ideas. Especially the spark of joy method.

    Rolien

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    1. Oy! Well, that's not exactly comforting, but it is good to know you finally got rid of them. I've read conflicting things about whether they eat plant matter or not, but the larvae certainly do seem to like hiding in things with lots of dust-collecting crevices.

      I'm thinking perhaps I should write my own book "The Life Altering Magic of a Carpet Beetle Infestation" - Instead of the "spark of joy" method, I'll call mine the "spark of larvae" method... or perhaps: "Is keeping this damn thing REALLY worth the hassle and expense of finding an air-tight, beetle-proof way to store it, and/or having to regularly deep clean it over and over and OVER again for the next god knows how many years?" Sorta catchy, dontcha think? :-)

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    2. I think "does this spark larvae" is hilarious!

      Rolien

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    3. I figured I'd never get around to writing a book about the subject, so I settled for a blog post. The battle continues... :-)

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  14. Hi Cat,
    We used to have these the carpet cleaner brought them.
    What a nice gift. We threw a lot of things away out of closets, Old furniture etc. We moved after that and we stored our things in my sisters game room. it was a redone out building. I did not put 2 and 2 together until know. There was no ac and temps were
    over 120 that must of got them. We did not have them
    that I noticed after that. They are every where. They are gross but do not hurt people or pets. We lost a kitty because of pesticide :( We did not know the room we put him in so he could get used to the new enviroment, had
    bad chemicals. he was a super shy Main Coney and liked a little extra time to settle in. We had just
    moved and were trying to be extra careful with him.
    Anyway we lost him it affected his liver. So I know what you mean about exterminators. The bugs are yucky but you will win. Hope you feel better soon.
    Your neighbor reminds me of Mrs Cravits on Bewitched.
    Now I want to go clean something. Blessings
    Patti

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    1. First of all, I am so so sorry about your cat. I'm just terrified of that sort of thing - in fact, after reading the package I changed my mind about the moth balls. (Actually, I'm using some in sealed containers out in the garage - which is a separate building - but I don't want them anywhere near my babies!)

      And maybe the heat did your beetles in! Now there's an idea - I could just wait for a really hot day and then crank up the furnace all the way (assuming the cats and I vacated the premises.) Actually, I wonder if that would work. I wonder how long they have to be exposed to the heat. Hmmm....

      Anyhow, the funny thing about my neighbor is that I actually like her - I just don't like her peering in my patio door! Maybe if the house was laid out differently or something it wouldn't feel like such an invasion. Anyhow, I have noticed that I feel much more peaceful just knowing that nobody will suddenly appear!

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    2. First of all, I am so so sorry about your cat. I'm just terrified of that sort of thing - in fact, after reading the package I changed my mind about the moth balls. (Actually, I'm using some in sealed containers out in the garage - which is a separate building - but I don't want them anywhere near my babies!)

      And maybe the heat did your beetles in! Now there's an idea - I could just wait for a really hot day and then crank up the furnace all the way (assuming the cats and I vacated the premises.) Actually, I wonder if that would work. I wonder how long they have to be exposed to the heat. Hmmm....

      Anyhow, the funny thing about my neighbor is that I actually like her - I just don't like her peering in my patio door! Maybe if the house was laid out differently or something it wouldn't feel like such an invasion. Anyhow, I have noticed that I feel much more peaceful just knowing that nobody will suddenly appear!

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  15. I love your book title:) The frying pan does not spark joy for me but I need it to fix food. Have a great day.
    Patti

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    1. I suppose it's sort of unfair of me to mock a book that I haven't actually read, but the whole concept just seems a bit naive to me. If you only keep the clothes that you truly love, what do you wear when you have to clear the sewer pipes? :-)

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