Have you ever noticed little insects crawling around the furniture, bedding, and other areas of your house? The thing that you saw could be Carpet Beetles.
So what causes Carpet Beetles? Are they harmful to you? Should you be worried about them?
In this guide, we tackle all the questions and doubts that you may have about Carpet Beetles and how to deal with them. So let us get started!
How Do Carpet Beetles Look Like?
Adult Carpet Beetles are 1 to 4 mm in length and have an oval body shape.
Ideally, they have yellow, black, and white coloration on their bodies, but some other species may also exhibit orange color.
Habitat
Carpet Beetles can live both inside and outside. However, females like to lay eggs inside because of the availability of abundant food for their larvae.
Reproduction
During spring, females can lay 25-100 eggs at once, which turn into larvae within two weeks.
These larvae can mature under a variety of temperatures and humidity levels. Based on the accessibility and availability of food, larvae might take a year to bloom into full adults.
Diet
Adult Carpet Beetles feed on plants, seeds, and flowers. However, larvae feed on animal and plant-based material, including:
- Animal hair
- Fur
- Felt
- Silk
- Leather
- Wool
How Do Carpet Beetle Eggs & Larvae Look Like?
Carpet Beetle eggs are 1mm long and cream and white in color. One other kind of larvae are also known as ‘woolly bear,’ and these are larger than adult beetle.
These are light brown in color and 2.5cm in length. They also have light brown hair and golden hair over their body.
What Causes Carpet Beetles?
Carpet Beetles may enter the home via an open window or door, chimneys, plumbing, etc. They make enter via already-infested items like fur, furniture, wood, etc.
Carpet Beetles love to feed on the nectar and pollen of plants and are often seen during spring seasons.
So they can also enter your house if you bring flowers or plants inside your house.
The reason why female Carpet Beetles especially are drawn to your house is that they find plenty of food and space to lay their eggs.
Where Can Carpet Beetles Be Found In Your House?
The most common places where Carpet Beetles like to hide include:
- carpet
- clothes
- curtains
- soft furnishings
- animal beds
- potpourri
- bird nests in the chimney or roof
- taxidermy
- furniture
- bedding
- pet biscuits
- plants and flowers
- flour and dried pasta
Should You Worry About Carpet Beetles?
Because Carpet Beetles also feed on fibers, dead skin cells, etc. They can cause holes in clothes, rugs, bedding, etc.
They can also damage the carpet fibers if not catered to. If the larva or adult Beetle attaches to your clothes, it might also cause skin irritation and redness.
Other than this, Carpet Beetles are not harmful to humans, but their hair bites- when their hair is brushed against yours, it can cause blisters that would last a week or two.
However, they shouldn’t be ignored and left to breed, as an increased number of pests are never good for your home, no matter how harmful they are.
How To Identify If Your Carpet Has Carpet Beetles?
If you see adult Beetles in your house, be it in your bedding, carpet, kitchen counter, etc., chances are they have laid eggs in your house.
Larvae, during their developing stage, also shed their skin multiple times. So you may encounter their shredded skin in blankets, corner of your furniture, clothing, baseboard, etc.
You can also find them underneath or inside your carpets and basically anywhere where dust accumulates.
How To Get Rid of Carpet Beetles?
Getting rid of Carpet Beetles is not that tough. Here’s how you can get rid of them and avoid them from entering your house:
Vacuum Regularly
As mentioned earlier, Carpet Beetles love to feed on dust, dirt, fibers, skin cells, hair, etc. Hence you should vacuum your house and your carpet regularly.
This will not only remove the larvae and adult Beetles but will also take away their food source, which is necessary for their survival.
Use Vinegar
To ensure your house is clean and free of any Beetles, ensure that you clean the various surfaces of your house with Vinegar.
For this, simply take one part of water and one part of white vinegar and clean the countertops, platforms, kitchen, etc., with this solution.
Wash Infested Items
If you think your house has been infested with Beetles, then wash away clothes, blankets, curtains, bedding, and other items in a washing machine.
The high pressure and heat will help in killing the Carpet Beetles.
Steam Carpet Cleaning
For a larger infestation, you can clean your carpets and flooring using a steam cleaning machine. Again, the steam cleaning machine’s power and heat will help get rid of the Beetles.
Check Houseplants
Houseplants are the biggest source by which Carpet Beetles enter your house.
So make sure you check your houseplants for Beetles regularly, especially during the spring season. And also, make sure to clean the leaves and stems using a wet cloth.
Keep Dry Food Sealed
Carpet Beetles also like to feed to dry food items such as pasta, flour, etc. So make sure you keep dry food items sealed in containers.
Use Pesticide
If the infestation of Beetles in your house is extreme, then you can use pesticides to get rid of them. Be careful while using a pesticide, though, as they are unsafe for your pets or your environment.
Seal any Gaps
Another place where Carpet Beetles can be found is around the nooks and crannies of your house.
They can easily enter your house from open cracks near windows, doors, chimneys, etc. So make sure you seal the gaps in your house to keep the Beetles out.
Call a Professional
If the situation gets so worse that none of the above methods is able to help you get rid of Carpet Beetles, then you should call a professional and get their help.
How To Prevent Carpet Beetles?
Here are some tips to prevent Carpet Beetles in your house:
- Clean up the debris: Ensure you clean your house regularly and do not allow dust, dirt, and debris to collect in your house.
- Keep your clothes clean: Dust and debris may collect in your clothes, blankets, bedding, curtains, etc. So make it a point to clean your clothing items clean from time to time.
- Throw away old items: If you have old or second-hand furniture in your house, then it might act as a constant source of food for the Carpet Beetles. So make sure you throw away really old furniture and other items.
Wrapping Up
Having pests of any kind in your house can be annoying. However, the good thing about Carpet Beetles is that they are not harmful to humans, do not lay too many eggs, and are even easier to get rid of than other pests.
In this article on what causes Carpet Beetles, we shared the causes, reasons, remedies, etc., to get rid of them. We hope this was useful.
FAQ
Can Carpet Beetles fly?
Carpet Beetles go through several stages of growth. It takes almost a year for the larvae to turn into a complete adults. And when they reach adulthood, they also grow wings and are then able to fly.
Is it okay to have Carpet Beetles?
Carpet Beetles are one of the most common pests that can be found in a house.
You are likely to find one or two here and there in your house. But ideally, they do not develop into large populations, which is a relief.
Which is the easiest and fastest way to get rid of Carpet Beetles?
Vacuuming your home daily, wiping away furniture and counters, etc. regularly can help you get rid of Carpet Beetles in the easiest and fastest way possible.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!