If you are searching for how to get rid of carpet beetles, you might have an infestation at the moment. Looking at your carpet and finding small beetles and their larvae can feel alarming. After all, no one wants bugs in your carpet, which makes your home feel unclean and even unsafe. You may even have small children, where you are worried that the carpet beetles will get inside their mouth.
These are all very justified reasons as to why you want to get rid of carpet beetles. But, how do you get rid of carpet beetles in the first place?
To answer this question, we must first reverse engineer the process. Let’s discuss what carpet beetles are and how they may infest your carpet in the first place.
What are Carpet Beetles?
The carpet beetle’s name is no coincidence. Just like moths will eat through clothes on your carpet, the carpet beetle gravitates to carpet.
Carpet beetles are attracted to different types of materials, including wool, feathers, leather, silk, and even skin. This is because these materials are easy to digest for a carpet beetle, giving the larvae a source of nearly endless food from carpet fibers.
Keep in mind that cotton and synthetic fabrics are rarely attacked by carpet beetles. This is because it is not easily digested by the beetle or the larvae. The only time that they will typically attack your carpet is when it contains wool.
However, there are other things that draw carpet beetles to your carpet. If the carpet is heavily saturated with body oil, food stains or drink spills, carpet beetles will gravitate to this.
What do Carpet Beetles Look Like?
Now that you know what brings carpet beetles to your home, you might be wondering what they look like. Carpet beetles are very small and oval in shape. You can expect them to be about 1/8th-inch long. They also vary in color, but typically stay in the same color family of black, brown, and blended colors of black/brown/white. They may also display colors including orange and yellow.
When Do You Typically See Carpet Beetles?
If not indoors, carpet beetles typically feast on flower pollen. In fact, it is typically not the adult carpet beetles that damage walls and other fabrics. You will find adult carpet beetles on window sills during the springtime. If you find carpet beetles on your windowsill, this is a primary sign that you might be dealing with the infestation.
When carpet beetles lay their eggs, they will typically lay between 50 and 100 at a time. They mainly eggs in carpet that is ruled up and stored in a closet. However, they can certainly lay eggs inside of the carpet fibers that you use on a daily basis as well.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that carpet beetles can lay eggs in other areas of your home. Carpet beetles are known to lay eggs in clusters of pet hair found by air vents as well. They can even lay eggs and materials found near baseboards or air ducts.
The Life Cycle of the Carpet Beetle: Beware of the Larvae
After a few weeks, the carpet beetle eggs will hatch in your carpet or any other area where the carpet beetles may lay eggs. The larvae are the fabric-consuming, carpet-destroying creatures that you need to worry about.
Carpet beetle larvae range from 1/4th inch to 1/8th inch in length. They are tan or brown and color and also covered in tiny hairs that appear similar to bristles. They graze along your carpet, leaving irregular holes and even bare spots in the carpet.
You will also want to keep an eye out for the edges of your carpets and rugs. This is a very vulnerable area where the larvae like to chew.
Carpet beetle larvae can live for a surprising amount of time. In fact, they live approximately for 220 to 630 days before pupating. This depends on the species, of course, with the Varied Carpet Beetle remaining in the larvae stage for the longest amount of time. The black carpet beetle also stays in the larvae stage for 166 to 330 days.
As far as the adults, female carpet beetles live 4 to 6 weeks, while male carpet beetles live 2 to 4 weeks. Keep in mind that adult female carpet beetles can fly, which might alarm you if you weren’t aware of this fact. They won’t hurt you but they are certainly a nuisance.
Signs of Carpet Beetles
If you are nervous that you may have carpet beetles and larvae by working in your carpet fibers, you might be wondering about the common signs. The following are the most common signs that you will detect if you in fact have carpet beetles dwelling in your home:
- You have thin and bare areas on your wool carpet or will when rugs. The larvae like to feed in hidden and dark areas that are usually not seen much by humans. They also like to eat the splits in the wool rugs, which I found along the edges. You can typically find the carpet beetle larvae on the underside of the rug, carpet, or hidden within the fibers.
- You discover holes in your carpet, blankets, and other items. The larvae can eat almost the entire way through the wool.
- You find adult carpet beetles climbing the walls or dead on the windowsills. When this happens, the larvae have grown into adults and they are attempting to get outside so they can mate.
If you do find carpet beetles, know that they are quite common. While they can seem alarming, the good news is that you can get rid of them. We will show you how to get rid of carpet beetles in the most effective process possible.
Start Vacuuming
The first stop you will want to take is digging out your trusty vacuum. You will want to begin vacuuming and all of the areas that you find carpet beetles, and be sure to vacuum thoroughly. You also want to go over the areas with a steam cleaner for the best results, as the heat can help kill the larvae.
In fact, the vacuum is an underrated pool that can parsley help get rid of carpet beetles. This is especially true before the larvae have much of a chance to grow. This way, you will get rid of the carpet beetles quite quickly before they have time to do much damage.
Consider Natural Repellents
Before you turn to pesticides, consider using natural repellents to begin with. For example, carpet beetles do not like the smell of vinegar. This can drive the larvae away if you apply it to your carpet. Another good Park about using vinegar is it can and also help clean your carpet as well.
Meanwhile, Some essential oils such as peppermint are also believed to help repel carpet beetles and larvae.
Diatomaceous Earth Is yet another natural product that can help repel carpet beetles and larvae. Be sure that you buy a food grade quality option that is safe for you and your family.
Contact a Professional Exterminator
If you feel in over your head with carpet beetles, one of the best things you can do is contact a professional exterminator. While vacuuming and steam cleaning the carpets can be extremely helpful, sometimes you cannot get to every single larva in your house. Remember that if you see one more by or carpet beetle, there is a very good chance that there are more hiding somewhere in your home.
Preventing Future Infestation
Whether you just got rid of carpet beetles or you want to prevent a future infestation, you must be sure to take action.
Taking care of your carpet is a big consideration for preventing carpet beetle infestations. This means that you should opt for routine cleaning of your carpet, especially if it is warm. We are able to clean your wool carpet delicately, ensuring that they remain beautiful, clean, and free of carpet beetles and other bugs.
Our carpet cleaning technology also uses steam and heat, which will further help kill off any carpet beetle larvae. This will give you peace of mind that the infestation is wiped out.
However, a serious infestation should also include a professional exterminator. After the infestation is cleared out, we can come in and clean your carpets, making sure that all of the larvae and potential adult beetles are out of your home.
Do you want all, always make sure that you stay on top of any stains, spills, and food that drops on the carpet. Keeping the carpet clean is a big factor in preventing carpet beetle infestations.
Are you having problems with carpet beetles? Please contact us for assistance and an evaluation, so we can determine the best course of action for you.