You are asking this question because you more than likely found beetles deep in the carpet in your Chandler home. The carpet beetle definitely gets its name from its propensity to dwell in carpeting, but that’s not all it does. prefers not to be disturbed, and usually makes its home in quiet, low trafficked areas.
What Is A Carpet Beetle?
They are a beetle but act like a cloth moth. While young, their diet consists of natural fibers, such as wool, fur, felt, silk, feathers, skins, and leather. These materials contain keratin, a fibrous animal protein which the larvae can digest. Cotton and synthetic fabrics such as polyester and rayon are rarely attacked unless blended with wool, or heavily soiled with food stains or body oils. can develop undetected, causing harm to vulnerable items. The adults are small (1/16 to 1/8-inch), oval-shaped, varying in color from black to various modeled patterns of white, brown, yellow, and orange. Unlike , the adult beetles feed on flower pollen. In springtime, they often appear on windowsills, suggesting an infestation may be present inside the home. Female beetles lay about 50-100 eggs on or near an edible textile. Some breeding sites may be obvious (wool rug stored in a closet), others can be subtle—for example, accumulations of pet hair associated with baseboards, or air vents.
How Did They Get Into My Home?
The female carpet beetle will gain entry by through an open door or window. They will search out a good source of animal-based fibers, and then lay their eggs in a secluded spot. Another way they can come to your home is by the homeowner unknowingly bringing an infested item into the home. Items purchased from a second-hand store are a good example, but in reality, the item doesn’t have to be second-hand to be infested. Items that may attract a carpet beetle are:
- Any furniture with an animal-based fabric covering.
- Wool carpets, particularly if they are stored in a closet or an unused room.
- Wool and leather coats, fur coats or stoles, and silk blouses.
- Wool blankets and silk sheets.
- Taxidermy animal trophies.
This list only contains examples. The carpet beetle has a diverse diet, which is why they can thrive virtually anywhere, including in your attic feeding on the corpse of a dead mouse. Don’t underestimate these guys.
Carpet Beetle Prevention Tips
Since you can’t control when a female beetle will visit you, prevention really isn’t the word we should use. It’s very unlikely that you are going to be willing to give up your favorite chair or coat to prevent the possibility of an infestation. So, sadly it’s more about managing the infestation. Here are some ways to control the problem:
- Ensure that you have operational screens on all windows that are free of tears or holes.
- Vacuum carpets and furniture regularly.
- Store infrequently used high-risk items in sealed plastic bags or cold vaults.
- If you find an infested item, launder, dry clean, discard, or wrap it in heavy plastic and put it in the freezer for 72 hours.
Cedar chests are not recommended, because the seal is insufficient to maintain lethal or repellent concentrations of the volatile oil of cedar.
Don’t Wait To Contact The Professionals
While you try to deal with this problem on your own, the carpet beetles continue to munch on Great Aunt Sophie’s wool rug that she brought home from her expedition to Turkey. They are no respecter of your heritage or that you paid thousands of dollars for that antique chair. Call the folks at Green Home Pest Control for a free estimate today, and while you’re at it, check out our awards. The Best of HomeAdvisor 2019 designation, and we have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Contact us to learn more about our .
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Founder and Owner of Green Home Pest Control
13 year resident of Arizona
