What Causes You To Get Carpet Beetles And How To Get Rid Of Them

Have you ever noticed tiny little beetles crawling around your floors or around your window sills? Or maybe you’ve noticed a different type of insect that looks more like furry larvae of some type. If you’ve noticed either of these then what you are seeing is actually called a carpet beetle. A carpet beetle undergoes five different life stages before it becomes an adult which resembles a beetle with a harder exterior shell.

Do Carpet Beetles Only Live In Carpet

Yes and no. Once carpet beetles have made their way into your home they will lay eggs in your carpet which is where the eggs will stay until the larvae have hatched. Once the larvae hatch they will start to roam around different areas of your home. Since carpet beetles feed on carpet, furniture, bedding, and clothing they can be found within any of these areas. At times they can even be found amongst dry food products. What you will typically find when carpet beetles are present is the larvae themselves. During this stage, they feed the most and in turn are the most destructive.

What Causes You To Get Carpet Beetles

Adult carpet beetles feed on the pollen and nectar of plants. This is why they are often noticed during the spring months. When plants or flowers are brought inside this is one way they can enter a home. They can also find their way in through small cracks and crevices around doors, windows, plumbing, ductwork, vents, or chimneys. Other reasons they are drawn into homes are because females look for areas to lay eggs that will provide plenty of food sources for their larvae. Carpet beetles are also attracted to light which can provoke them to enter.

Signs You Have Carpet Beetles

Dead Or Live Beetles- If you have carpet beetles you may spot dead or live beetles around your window sills, especially during the springtime. You may even notice some beetles in your crumb pile when sweeping your kitchen or other hardwood flooring spaces.

Sheddings- Larvae sheds their exterior multiple times within the different stages of becoming an adult beetle. These can be found on blankets, clothing, along baseboards and corners of rooms where dust collects, underneath rugs and dark spaces of furniture.

Holes In Fabrics- Larvae love to eat on animal-based fabrics so things like cotton and wool are huge attractants at this stage of their life. If they are in your home it is likely you will notice very small holes within sweaters, blankets, and other bedding and clothing materials.

How Do You Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles

The first thing you will want to do is give your home a good vacuum. Vacuuming on a regular basis will help eliminate eggs and beetles that are hiding in your carpets. A steam cleaning can also be done to ensure you are getting any that are left behind.

Second, you can wipe down all window sills with a half and half vinegar and water mixture. If you notice signs of carpet beetles anywhere else around your home this solution is safe to use there as well. Laundering items where there are signs of larvae or beetles will kill them as they are sensitive to extreme temps.

Lastly, calling a professional pest control technician to come out may be the best option as they have a keep eye for these pesky pests and will be able to sight them not only in your home but also where they are coming from around the outside of your home.

Carpet beetles are more of a nuisance when it comes to being a pest but they can cause a lot of damage to expensive household items in your closet or around your home. Dealing with them as soon as you sight them is in your best interest whether you try to treat the problem yourself or call your local carpet beetle pest control company.