What Are Carpet Beetles?
“Carpet beetles” are exactly what their name suggests––they’re beetles that live, nest, and lay eggs in your carpet. But they’re not just inhabiting your carpet, they’re also making a snack out of it––causing permanent and expensive carpet damage. If you’re like most homeowners, you probably didn’t know what a carpet beetle was until you found one. Now, you’re researching every method of extermination to make sure you never see one in your home again.
Don’t worry, the experts are here to help––we know the ins and outs of carpet beetle identification, as well as how to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back.
How to Spot and Identify Carpet Beetles
Generically speaking, “carpet beetle” is a catch-all term used to describe bugs that like to eat your clothes and carpet. They’re part of a variety of species such as the varied carpet beetle, the black carpet beetle, the common carpet beetles, and the occasional moth.
Since they are part of a varied species, here’s a breakdown of how to identify carpet beetles:
Black Carpet Beetle––These beetles are dark brown or black, oval-shaped beetles with black or brown antennae.
Varied Carpet Beetle––Similar in size and appearance to black carpet beetles, varied carpet beetles have a distinctive wing cover, which features spots of white, brown, and yellow.
Common Carpet Beetle––These beetles are oval-shaped with black and white patterned wing covers and thoraxes. They also have a distinctive yellow-orange stripe running down the center of the thorax.
Where Do Carpet Beetles Hide?
A typical tell-tale sign that you have carpet beetles is the discovery of cast skin shells from molted larvae, as well as stumbling upon live larvae or adult carpet beetles.
They’ll generally hide in furniture stuffing, bristles of old paint brushes, air ducts, and behind baseboards. There are other places you may find carpet beetles, including:
- Clothes closets
- Stored foods and cereals
- Dog food
- Attics
- Piano felts
- Woolens
How to Get Rid of These Unwanted Pests
Carpet beetles won’t hurt you, but just because they’re not harmful doesn’t mean you should allow them to disturb your peace. Keeping a tidy and clean house is the best line of defense, but you can also “bring out the big guns,” if necessary.
Here is a list of products you can use to reclaim your space from carpet beetles:
- Drione Dust
- Suspend SC
- Gentrol IGR Concentrate
Before you go spray crazy with insecticides, make sure you vacuum your entire house––tag curtains, carpets, furniture, and rugs. After you finish vacuuming, toss your bag outside ASAP.
Likely, your insecticides will wipe out mature carpet beetles, but usually their orphaned eggs will be left behind to hatch––this is why vacuuming multiple times throughout the week is crucial to decimating the carpet beetle population in your home.
If you have a carpet beetle infestation, you can generally take care of it yourself by following these tips and tricks. But, we’ll always be around if you need an extra hand! Call Vulcan Termite & Pest Control, and we’ll get rid of whatever pests are keeping you up at night.