Are you wondering how to get rid of carpet beetles permanently from your home? Then you have come to the right place.
Contrary to their name, the carpet beetles feed on but are not limited to carpets. They eat anything that is made from organic fabrics and materials. These pests are destructive, and you really don’t need their nuisance in your life.
The good news is that they are surprisingly easy to eliminate on your own.
What Are Carpet Beetles?
There are three types of carpet beetles. They include; Varied, Furniture, and Black carpet beetles. The black carpet beetles are larger and the most common kind. They are also the most destructive of all.
An adult carpet beetle is about ¼ inch long and is either tan, white or black. Although the adult beetles are harmless, their larvae can cause havoc by feeding on natural fibres such as wool, hair, silk, leather, and fur. They measure up to 5mm and are covered in short bristles.
These worms prefer eating in quiet, dark areas, which makes them hard to notice. You are likely to find them in clothing, upholstery, beddings, and carpets.
Where Do They Come from?
The carpet beetles come from all kinds of sources. They can get in your home through flowers, fabrics, shopping, or stuffed specimens. Generally, these pests are just bad luck.
However, they thrive in dirty conditions. If you don’t regularly clean your floors, they can provide a breeding ground for these bugs. Besides, carpet beetles can fly. Meaning that they can come inside your home through open windows or doors.
Carpet Beetle Habitat
The adult beetle lays eggs on potential food like museum specimens or fabrics that provide abundant food. They lay more than 100 eggs at once, which takes approximately 10 to 30 days to hatch.
If the beetles get inside your home, you are likely to find them in cabinets, furniture, or under baseboards. You can also find them near food sources, walls and even around flowers.
Signs of Carpet Beetle Infestation
Sometimes, you only get to know the presence of the carpet beetles through the damages that they cause. You will notice bare spots in carpets, holes in clothing, leather, furnishing, and upholstery. They also cause damages to paintings, books, and photos.
Another sign of the carpet beetles is the skin shedding. Just like other insects, these beetles molt in different development stages. You are likely to find a pile of bristle skins of the growing larvae in their hiding areas. Besides, while looking for signs of infestation, you might sight alive larvae in action feeding on your favorite wool carpet.
You may also find excrements near the area of infestation. These wastes are usually hard to see because their color looks the same as their source of food. Furthermore, you might notice their tiny eggs using a magnifying glass. The eggs come in off-white hues.
Tips on How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles Permanently
Once you have confirmed the presence of carpet beetles’ infestation, it is best to take action to eliminate them fast. Depending on the level of infestation, you can use home remedies or call an exterminator to deal with the carpet beetles.
Cleaning thoroughly
Vacuuming the entire house: Vacuuming is the easy and fastest way to get rid of carpet beetles and larvae from your rugs and carpets. Identify and focus on the most affected areas. However, ensure that you vacuum your entire house so that you don’t miss any spots. Throw the plastic bag immediately after finishing it.
Maintain to vacuum your home every day for at least a week. If the infestation is heavy, you will need to vacuum several times a day for a few days. You can also vacuum any upholstery that cannot be cleaned in a washing machine.
Steaming cleaning your carpets and upholstery is the best option if you can afford it. You can also opt to have them professionally cleaned.
Throw infested clothing: Toss away any damaged fabrics in an outdoor trash bin. In case of heavy infestation, throw away every cloth or fabric even if you don’t see any larvae or beetle. Keeping contaminated fabrics will only make eliminating the problem difficult.
Wash all clothes:  Place all your clothing, including linens, blankets, curtains, towels, and other fabrics in the washing machine. Use a hot water cycle with detergent to kill the resilient eggs, larvae, and the carpet beetles. Remember to dry clean any fabric that can’t be washed.
Using special treatments
Spray insecticides: Get an insecticide that contains either bifenthrin, deltamethrin, or cyfluthrin from pest control stores. Apply it on the infested spots and fabrics by carefully following the instructions on its label. Avoid spraying your clothing and beddings if you can. Instead, spray cracks and crevices, closet walls, shelves, and carpet edges.
Boric acid: Are you finding it hard to reach other infested areas? Dusting boric acid in such areas is your solution. Sprinkle the boric acid on the wall voids and attics. You can also mix one tablespoon of boric acid with two cups of water to make larvae killing spray. Use a spray bottle to mist curtains, upholstery, and other potential habitats. Be careful when using boric acid because it can cause bleaching.
Sticky traps: Use pheromone-based traps to catch the carpet beetles and to prevent further infestation. Place the traps around entryways like doors and windows to get the flying beetles.
Preventing Carpet Beetle Infestation
After getting rid of the carpet beetles permanently, you have to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Here are a few measures you can use to deter carpet beetle infestation;
- Cleaning regularly
- Store the clothing that you are not using inside plastic bags.
- Choose synthetic material over natural fibers whenever possible.
- Be on the lookout for outside sources.
Final Thoughts
Carpet beetles are more than just a mere nuisance. Their fast reproduction and ability to cause extensive damage is highly alarming. If you spot a single one in your home, then probably an infestation is already underway. Being proactive is the most effective way to get rid of carpet beetles permanently.
