Carpet beetles and their larvae may be small, but they sure can do a lot of damage to your carpets. These pests don’t only attack carpets, they also love to feast on natural fibers and even inside your food packaging. They can become a nuisance, which is why you need to take immediate action when you see initial signs of infestation.
What Are the Main Signs of Carpet Beetles?
Identifying carpet beetles is your first step toward treating them. This step can be tricky, as these insects typically resemble bed bugs due to their dark, ovular shape and tendency to hang out in clothing, sheets, and mattresses.
Carpet beetle eggs are minuscule, so the easiest way to pinpoint a carpet beetle problem is by looking for the key signs of carpet beetle damage:
- Bald spots on carpeting
- Large holes in fabrics and furniture upholstery
- Shed skins in rugs, carpeting, and other infested materials. Source: Angi
Remove the Sources of a Carpet Beetle Problem
If you are having an ongoing carpet beetle issue, you could be bringing them in without knowing it or they could be feeding and reproducing nearby. Adult carpet beetles live outside but will lay their eggs inside where there is ample food when the eggs hatch.
- Fresh-cut flowers: If you enjoy fresh-cut flowers in your home, gently shake your flowers out before bringing them in to make sure carpet beetles aren’t hiding inside feeding on pollen.
- Screenless windows: Keep your screenless windows and doors closed, especially in the spring, summer, and fall months, when carpet beetle adults are most likely to fly inside.
- Food: Larvae will be more destructive than adult carpet beetles because the hatchlings are incredibly voracious eaters. Perhaps starting with one of these best carpet rakes, remove food sources, such as pet and human hair, books, seeds, grains, and flour.
- Soiled laundry: Clothing made of silk, wool, feathers, leather, felt, and furs can also be a food source, especially when dirty. Cotton is not a preferred food source for carpet beetles unless it is heavily soiled with sweat or food stains. Keep clothes clean and run laundry regularly to ensure that your dirty clothes aren’t contributing to a carpet beetle problem.
- Old furniture: Be prepared to let your natural fiber, silk, or wool chair or rug go if you have a serious problem. Older pieces might be stuffed with animal hair which carpet beetle larvae will happily infest. Source: The Spruce
Carpet Beetle Prevention Tips
- Regularly vacuum all carpeted rooms, especially around the perimeter and under heavy furniture.
- Regularly move cupboards and heavy furniture in carpeted rooms. Inspect the carpet for signs of damage and insect activity.
- At the end of each season, wash and store clothes in a sealed bag / suitcase.
- Check incoming flowers for adult beetles
- If you have a lot of flowers near your home, adult beetles can regularly fly in – insects screens will help. Source: Pest Xpert
We hope that you will be able to address your carpet beetle problems with the help of this article. If ever it’s too severe and you need a professional to take care it, then we’d be happy to assist you – just give us a call and our team will be there as soon as possible!
