Fur beetle plague in boarding school: Discover students larvae under mattresses!

In the Administrative Academy in Bordesholm, an insect infestation was found to take care of the students and staff. The brown fur beetle (Attagenus Smirnovi) is affected, whose larvae life lives under the planks of the old guest house. Students report on the discovery of the larvae under their mattresses, which makes the infestation particularly uncomfortable.

The problem was first recognized in 2023. In autumn 2024 the topic was discussed in the municipal council. In the event of a discovery of larvae or beetles, the affected room is cleared and deeply cleaned. The students are accommodated in other rooms during the cleaning work. After several days of observation, the room is released.

renovation measures planned

Jens Kowalski, the head of the training center, describes the situation as uncomfortable, but not harmful to health. According to the report, the fur beetle with chemistry is not possible. The planned solution is to renovate the old guest house, including the removal of the floorboards. Further modernization measures are also planned. The start of the renovation work in the old guest house is planned for early 2026, and tenders for the renovation measure are currently underway. The cost of the renovation is expected to be in the seven -digit range.

It is important to mention that other buildings of the academy, such as the new building from 2019, are not affected. The fur beetle usually gets into the building via bird's testers on the house walls. During the renovation work, the guest house will occur, but the operation is not fully stopped.

The fight against the fur beetle is a challenge because it often gets into households via natural materials such as wool and feathers. Precautionary measures against an infestation contain regular checks of carpets and furniture from natural materials as well as thorough cleaning in quiet areas of the house, such as behind furniture or under carpets, to effectively counter the threats from this pest of materials, such as the Federal Environment Agency reported.