How To Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles In Your Home

Carpet beetles are often overlooked when they get inside. There are a lot of beetles in the world, and most of them don't damage your property. But this is one beetle you don't want to mistake for a harmless beetle. Today, we're discussing the three most important things you need to know about carpet beetles.

Common types of carpet beetles

Carpet beetles are insects that can cause a great deal of damage to your home. There are multiple varieties of carpet beetle in the Beaumont area. Four of the most common carpet beetle species include:

• Common Carpet Beetles: These beetles are oval and pretty much all black with distinct scale patterns. Their chests have white scales except for a large midline. The elytra (wings) can have orange to red scales down the midline with some patches of white scales. Adults are around 2.5 to 3.8 mm in length.
• Furniture Carpet Beetles: These oval-shaped beetles are black with a yellow/white mottling of scales on the back and thick yellow scales on the legs. Their scales are different from the carpet beetle in that they are round or oval. Adults are around 2 to 3.5 mm in length.
• Varied Carpet Beetles: Similar to furniture carpet beetles, these beetles also have a black body with mottled colors. Adults are around 3 to 5 mm in length.
• Black Carpet Beetles: Shiny black and dark brown with brownish legs these oval-shaped beetles grow to be around 3 to 5 mm in length.

Carpet beetles have some commonalities with other pests in the Beaumont area. Insects often confused with carpet beetles include clothes moths which create similar damage to property and bed bugs that can cause a bumpy rash.

Stages of life of a carpet beetle

Carpet beetles are small insects that are known for the damage they cause. Carpet beetles feed on keratin, a fibrous food found in animal hair, and some blended fabrics. They can infest a wide variety of areas in a home, causing damage to a swath of different household items. They look quite different depending on what stage of development they are in. Here’s what to look for:

• Eggs: Carpet beetle eggs are milky, yellow, or off-white sacs that aren’t usually seen with the naked eye. They are tiny, but they are also usually well-hidden in folds or the undersides of materials that will provide ample food. 
• Larvae: It’s the hungry and growing larvae that actually cause the damage, not the adults. Unlike adult beetles, these guys don’t have developed wings and their hairy pupa-like bodies easily cling to hair and fibers.
• Adults: Fully mature carpet beetles are small, usually only a couple millimeters in diameter. Their round, hard-shelled bodies are gray and brown speckled. They can both crawl and fly.

Where do carpet beetles lay eggs?

Adult beetles are most at home outdoors; they enjoy vegetation in nearby gardens. While they love their nectar, their main job is to lay eggs for the next generation. Adults lay eggs on the following:

To get access to lay these eggs, adults can enter homes through open windows, doors, cut flowers, or stored furniture. After the carpet beetles have laid their eggs, it is the larvae they produce that destroy property. Upon hatching, they will travel from room to room and feed.

What damage do carpet beetles cause?

While some people know that a carpet beetle infestation can be a big problem, most don’t realize that it’s the carpet beetle offspring, their hungry larvae, that actually do the damage to household materials. Adult carpet beetles feed on pollen and are just as likely to be seen outside as indoors. Their eggs and ravenous larvae, however, are placed by adult bugs near (or on) a food source so as to be a short crawl away. They are good at hiding in the shadows and waiting in out-of-reach folds until it’s time to feed. Carpet beetle larvae can chew through carpeting, furniture, bedding, curtains, and even garments or clothing items. Improper action can worsen the problem as a small population quickly grows into a large invasion.

How to prevent a carpet beetle infestation

Carpet beetles are a bugger to get out of a home. They find food in weird places and spread out all over your home. Because the adults lay the eggs and the larvae cause the damage, trying to eradicate multiple life stages can be problematic. Another issue is recognizing you have a problem. By the time you positively identify a carpet beetle infestation, it will most likely be wildly out of control. Some things to look out for are:

• Cracked sealing: Small bugs can fit through impossibly small cracks or holes in walls and floors. Regularly checking the exterior of your home and making repairs where they’re needed, can help reduce entry points.
• Windows & doors: Carpet beetles can fly, meaning they can easily be swept inside when a door or window opens and closes. Not only should you install proper screens and door sweeps, but you also need to regularly check and maintain them. 
• Inspections & treatments: Rather than sweat all this stuff on your own, trust local experts to do the dirty work with peace-of-mind inspections and preventative treatments.

What Everybody Ought To Know About Bill Clark Pest Control

The easiest and most effective way to handle a carpet beetle infestation is with professional assistance from Bill Clark Pest Control. We have licensed and trained pest professionals that will use EPA-approved products combined with industry-leading methods to eradicate carpet beetle infestations. Call Bill Clark Pest Control today to receive a no-obligation inspection.