Carpet Beetle Control & Treatments

Knowing how to identify a beetle is your first step to controlling it.

About Carpet Beetles

In nature, carpet beetles are master recyclers, devouring various types of dried-out animal refuse. They mostly dine on animal products and wool fabric – which also makes homes the perfect spot for them to flourish. They are rather small, so they can fly inside homes from small tears in screens and love the welcome of an open door. They will lay their eggs on rugs, clothing, or furniture, but they can also hitchhike in on those items as well. Thoroughly cleaning secondhand clothing and furniture is a huge step in preventing these pests from making your home, their home.

Adult beetles feed on pollen from flowers, while the larvae can feed on anything from silk to fur to even leather leaving holes behind. The larvae can even irritate your skin with their bristly hair. The adult carpet beetles don’t feed on your fabric, but if you have adults, the eggs and larvae are probably somewhere in your house, too. One of their favorite foods is dead insects. Wasps and flies that get into attics and die before escaping are potential carpet beetle food sources. In the late summer and fall, numerous types of insects or spiders will look for gaps in siding, window frames, and soffits to find a place to sleep for the winter. If they don’t survive the winter, adult carpet beetles are very likely to enter the same openings in the spring, seeking the dead insects and spiders for food. They also thrive under baseboards and moldings where pet and human hair accumulate. Read on for more information about carpet beetles .

  • Will leave holes in your fabrics, carpets, and furniture
  • Can irritate skin and cause itching
  • Adults can be a sign of a larger, hidden infestation
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How to Detect Carpet Beetles

Since the damage will be mostly to your fabrics and the holes can be small, you may not notice them for quite a while – allowing them to rack up a good amount of costly damage. You may often see adult carpet beetles crawling around windows or flying around your lights. You could find the shed skin that the larvae leave behind as well. If you find dead insects in attics or windows, with very fine powder near them, carpet beetle larvae were probably there. Because they are small, it’s best to have a professional come in and use their trained eye to locate them.

How to Prevent Carpet Beetles

The best way to prevent carpet beetles is to make sure they can’t get in. Sealing around windows and doors and making sure screens are repaired are both good ways to keep out many pests – including carpet beetles. Also, make sure to vacuum large, upholstered items and clean your fabrics regularly. Don’t forget about the cat or dog bed! Also, make sure to check and thoroughly clean any second hand items you bring in.
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