How To Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles

Before you employ some of the methods to get carpet beetles, you need to assess the infestation and identify the bugs. You should not go about blindly when dealing with the infestation.

If you do not know what pest you are dealing with and the severity of the infection, your strategies might render useless. Do a little research. Ask yourself these questions:

• Where are the carpet beetles located, and why are they there?
• Are the carpet beetles larvae or adults?
• Where are the carpet beetles feeding and reproducing?

Once you know what you are dealing with, you can start eradicating the carpet beetles. One way is to use diatomaceous earth, which is a natural desiccant that dehydrates larvae.

Sprinkle some around your home, focusing on areas where carpet beetles are likely to hide, like near rugs and in the nooks and crannies around your house. Remember to wear a mask while doing so, and purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth, which is safe for your family and pets.

Boric acid is toxic to insects and can be found as a powder in pharmacies and grocery stores, usually in the laundry section. Sprinkle it around your home, especially in dark, hidden areas and places with natural fibers.

Leave it for a few hours, then vacuum thoroughly. You can also mix a tablespoon of boric acid with two cups of hot water to create a spray. Pour this solution into a spray bottle and apply it to your furniture, fabrics, and any cracks or enclosed spaces.

If you need something more potent than boric acid and diatomaceous earth, you can use an insecticide. Look for one that contains deltamethrin, tetramethrin, bifenthrin, or cyfluthrin. These chemicals are effective against carpet beetles.

Before spraying, test in an inconspicuous area to ensure your carpet will not be damaged or stained. Also, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully before using it. Do note that an insecticide should be your last resort. The chemicals in insecticides are toxic to humans and pets.

Spray bottle insecticides can only reach places where you spray it. It might leave hard-to-reach places untouched. For such places, you can use a flying insect fogger. Foggers release a fog of insecticide into the air and kill insects that come into contact with it.

The mist spreads throughout the room, reaching areas that are hard to treat. A fogger is useful for killing adult female carpet beetles flying around the house. These female bugs must be killed as they lay eggs and restart the infestation even after you have dealt with it.

A vinegar solution is ideal for people who want an eco-friendly and non-chemical solution. Both white and apple cider vinegar are effective against carpet beetles. The vinegar dehydrates the carpet bugs and kills them.

Pour any one of the vinegar into an empty spray bottle and use it as is, or you can dilute it with water. You can mist the solution on furniture, carpets, and clothing. If you find signs of a carpet beetle infestation in a closet, consider washing the clothes in a vinegar-water solution.

The best method for killing carpet bugs in carpet is vacuuming. Regular vacuuming is an easy way to get rid of these pesky insects. Use the vacuum cleaner to clean all carpets and rugs, under all your furniture, and hard-to-reach nooks.

Vacuuming not only gets rid of these insects, but it also removes the dust, lint, and pet hair they feed on. Removing their food sources makes your home less hospitable.

After vacuuming, you should steam clean as well as an added measure. Steam cleaning can help suck up any eggs or larvae that were otherwise missed during vacuuming. The heat from steam cleaning can help loosen extra stubborn eggs and larvae and help exterminate them in the process.

Move thoroughly over all infested or suspected areas. Use a steam cleaner with a temperature setting of at least 160-200°F for effective beetle elimination. Once you finish cleaning, let everything dry to prevent mold. 

If you have pets at home, you should also clean the areas they sleep, eat, and hang around. Start by cleaning their bed area. Remove and wash pet bed covers or blankets. Vacuum the bed’s surface and underneath to remove hair and debris. 

Wash their toys with warm, soapy water, replace worn-out ones, and disinfect fabric toys. Clean pet food and water bowls daily with hot, soapy water and wipe surfaces where their bowls are.

Apart from regularly vacuuming and steam cleaning, you should wash clothing, bedding, and curtains in hot water and dry them in high heat to kill any beetle larvae or eggs. You should dust or vacuum closets and drawers where clothing and linens are stored to remove dust and debris.

You should also dust and wipe down surfaces, including shelves and baseboards, where beetles can hide using a damp cloth and a mild cleaner. As you clean, be on the lookout for signs of carpet beetles and address any issues promptly. 

If you love the fragrance of fresh flowers in your home and use them often, ensure they are free of adult carpet beetles. These beetles could be hiding inside the flowers. Gently shake your flowers out before bringing them inside. 

Before you put the flowers in the vase, inspect the roots. If they are rotten, trim them immediately, as they might encourage mold, which attracts carpet beetles. As flowers wilt, petals and leaves will fall and become a food source for carpet beetles, so clean up promptly.

Add screens on windows and doors to reduce the carpet beetle’s ability to enter your home. Screens act as a physical barrier, preventing adult carpet beetles from flying into your home through open windows and doors.

Properly installed screens cover gaps and openings that carpet beetles might otherwise use to enter your home. Regularly inspect screens for holes or tears and repair or replace them as needed. 

Other than windows and doors, carpet beetles can enter your home from small cracks in walls or baseboards, openings in vents and ducts, or other exterior openings, and cracks or gaps in the foundation or siding of the home. 

To prevent the beetles from entering through these points, use caulk or weatherstripping to seal cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and other entry points. Inspect and seal any gaps around vents and ducts. Additionally, repair any cracks in the foundation or siding of your home.

Storing dry food like noodles and flour in airtight containers helps keep carpet beetles away from your home. This practice will prevent the beetles and their larvae from accessing and infesting the food. It also stops them from laying eggs and feeding on the food.

The containment also prevents existing pests from moving out of the food and infesting other areas. Additionally, proper storage helps keep food fresh and free from moisture, which can otherwise attract pests like the beetle.

Dirty clothes made of silk, wool, feathers, leather, felt, and furs can also attract carpet beetles. Clothes heavily soiled with sweat or food stains contain organic material that the beetles will find appealing as it is a food source for larvae.

The odors from soiled clothes can also attract the beetles. Therefore, it is crucial to do your laundry regularly to reduce dirty clothes lying around in your laundry room. Store clean clothes in sealed containers to prevent beetle access.

Over time, old furniture can accumulate dust, pet dander, food residue, and other organic debris. This will attract carpet beetles as they feed on these materials. The worn-out fabrics on old furniture can develop tears or loose threads.

These damaged areas can harbor carpet beetle larvae and eggs. If you can salvage the furniture, then you can keep it. But if it is beyond saving, it is better to get rid of it before the infestation spreads. 

If you suspect any items in your home are infested with carpet beetle, isolate them in the garage or basement. Doing so will eliminate food sources for the beetles and their larvae. It will make your home less inviting. 

Additionally, infested items, such as carpets, upholstery, and clothing, may harbor eggs and larvae. Removing these items disrupts the beetles' life cycle and prevents further reproduction. This method will also contain the spread and leave other parts of the house untouched.

Sticky traps are tools that reduce pests like carpet beetles in your homes. These tools have a sticky adhesive surface that captures adult carpet beetles when they land on it. By reducing the number of adults, the traps help limit their ability to reproduce and spread.

Sticky traps can help identify areas where the infestation is severe and how severe it is. Unlike pesticides and other chemicals, these traps are a non-toxic pest control method, making them safe to use around children and pets.

Carpet beetles thrive in high-humidity environments with mold and mildew. Therefore, keeping humidity in check is effective in deterring carpet beetles. To maintain humidity, dehumidifiers should be placed in high-humidity areas, such as basements and bathrooms, to help control moisture levels.

Ensure proper ventilation in areas like kitchens and bathrooms where moisture accumulates. Use exhaust fans or open windows to improve airflow. Address any leaks in pipes, roofs, or walls to prevent water from entering and increasing humidity levels.

If you have tried everything and nothing is working, you should seek professional help. It is one of the best solutions because they employ comprehensive treatments. They combine multiple strategies, including chemical treatments, physical removal, and habitat modification, for long-term control. 

They know how to follow safety protocols, which reduces the risk of exposure to harmful substances. Once the treatment is over, they will advise you on preventing future problems and provide follow-up inspections and treatments until the infestation is eradicated. 

Carpet beetles are bugs about the size of a grain of rice. They come in a wide range of colors Adult beetles are harmless and feed on flower pollen, but they enter homes and lay eggs near things like wool rugs, fur coats, or sweaty clothes. They lay 50 to 100 eggs at one time. 

The main culprits are the carpet beetle larvae. They look like furry worms and feed on organic materials like wool and feathers because they love the protein in these materials. They shed their skin, so if you see brown shell-like things, that is a sign of carpet beetles. You might also see bare patches on rugs or holes in furniture.

Damage Fibrous Material

Carpet beetles are a major threat to homes because their larvae eat natural fibers like wool, fur, silk, feathers, and leather. They often create bald patches or fraying in carpets and rugs. Modern synthetic carpets are less affected, as the larvae prefer natural fibers.

The larvae also damage upholstered furniture, leather book bindings, and other items made from natural materials. Early signs of an infestation include thin, bare areas or holes in these items. These damages will continue to spread if left unchecked. 

Holes in Clothing

Carpet beetle larvae are known for damaging clothing by chewing through sweaters, scarves, coats, and blankets, often creating large clusters of holes. This damage pattern differs from clothes moths, which leave smaller, scattered holes.

Clothes stored away or untouched for long periods are more likely to be infested by carpet beetles because the larvae prefer dark, undisturbed areas. Noticing several small holes in materials can indicate a carpet beetle problem, distinguishing it from a moth infestation. 

Shed Skin

Carpet beetles shed their skins multiple times as they grow. They are usually translucent, yellow or brown, dry, and hollow, resembling sunflower seeds. The size varies based on the beetle species and growth stage.

They may look like bed bug skins, but they are longer. These skins are found where larvae feed, like under rugs, clothes piles, and furniture seams. Discovering these skins, especially around wardrobes or under furniture, can be annoying and requires clean-up.

Fecal Pellets

Carpet beetle larvae leave behind tiny black or brown droppings that resemble salt grains. These pellets are found in areas like the base of wardrobes, floors, or under clothing. The color of the droppings can vary based on what the larvae have eaten.

These fecal pellets are a clear sign of a carpet beetle infestation. Regularly inspecting these common areas can help in early detection and management of an infestation, preventing further damage to fabrics and household items.

Skin Irritation

Carpet beetle larvae do not bite but can cause "carpet beetle dermatitis" due to an allergic reaction to their hair and body fluids. Symptoms include skin irritation, rashes, and welts. The larvae have hairy bodies, and as they grow, these hairs shed and remain in carpets, fabrics, and other surfaces.

Continuous exposure to these hairs can lead to allergic reactions in some people. These skin irritations could be a potential sign of a carpet beetle infestation in the home. Keeping areas clean can help manage and prevent these infestations.