An Amazon customer (@queenerinthe1st) found small bugs in her package, according to her TikTok from Jan. 4. The video has 96,000 views.
“I’m freaking out,” Erin says at the start of the video.
She explains how she found the bugs. After finding and squishing one, she inspected the box and found several other “little critters.”
“Check your boxes before you start dispersing these things throughout your home because if I had not saw that bug … the box would have still been in my home,” Erin says. “Those bugs would have gotten out.”
Amazon drivers have issued similar warnings.
“This is a mess,” Erin says. “Amazon, I need answers because why are y’all sending packages out that are infested with crawling things?”
How do you avoid infestation from package bugs?
Prevention is the best measure, according to B.O.G. Pest Control. So, check reviews for any insect complaints, and don’t let your packages sit on your front porch for too long.
Also, open packages outside, inspect items closely, and throw away boxes as soon as possible.
If all else fails, hire an exterminator.
How often are there bugs in Amazon packages?
While there are not any specific statistics, there are several instances of Amazon customers finding insects in their packages.
On the entomology Reddit page, user @tinawww said they found “hundreds of tiny bugs” in their Amazon package.
“This just happened to us,” someone commented on the post from four years ago. “My exterminator told us that this isn’t the first time he’s heard of this happening. They’re fungus gnats, and they reproduce EXTREMELY FAST. Overnight after having a box by my front door entryway, there were hundreds in my entry way the next morning.”
The public’s response
It is unclear what type of bugs were in Erin’s package. In the comments of her TikTok, several viewers tried to guess: bedbugs, baby spiders, potato bugs, weevils.
People most commonly find roaches, moths, beetles, spiders, and bedbugs in their packages, according to Heritage Pest Control.
“That’s why I never sit mail on my bed,” one viewer advised.
“This happened to me and I couldn’t get rid of em for almost 2 years sis.. I tried everything,” another viewer wrote.
@queenerinthe1st Check your Amazon packages!!! 📦
♬ original sound – QueenErin The1st
Why do people find bugs in their packages?
Sturdy, well-insulated boxes are ideal hiding and breeding spots for bugs, according to Heritage Pest Control.
“Warehouses and trucks do have ants/bugs, but also boxes are made from wood,” another viewer commented on Erin’s video. “Bugs hide in all kinds of areas in the boxes.”
Other viewers thanked Erin for her warning.
“THANK YOU! OPENING OUTSIDE FROM NOW ON!” one viewer wrote.
“I will be checking moving forward because I order a lot from Amazon,” another commented.
“Naw, you need a refund,” another viewer wrote. “You didn’t order a box of silverfish.”
Erin and Amazon did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s inquiries, so it is unclear whether she received a refund.
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