What Causes Carpet Beetles and How to Get Rid of Them

What Causes Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles tend to feed on pollen and nectar for their upbringing. They even breed outdoors however, they might get attached to your ride and come inside your home. They are attracted to light, and due to their small size, they can quickly fly in through small cracks in doors and windows. They might also come in from various plumbing entrances, electrical outlets, vents and chimneys. This is how your sweet home get infested by carpet bugs and not to mention the carpet beetles.

Carpet beetles cause significant damage to carpets, linen and other household items . The adult carpet beetles are small in size and come in colors varying from black to dark brown. But these notorious insects are mostly dangerous in their larvae stage. Varied carpet beetle, furniture carpet beetle and black carpet beetle are the types of carpet beetles that pose the most damage.  All of these beetles have similar appearances and infest the same material more or less. 

First, we need to check for a carpet beetle infestation in your home. If you see any shed skin flakes or faecal pellets, you will become sure that there is an infestation present. The carpet beetles are usually oval-shaped, and their larvae have long hairs on their body. If you see a carpet beetle, you can try poking them, and they would act as if they are dead! 

Where Do Carpet Beetles Hide

Now you must wonder where do carpet beetles hide. Usually, carpet beetles can be found in dark places. These insects are not familiar with fabric places and tend to hind in flower pots, dog food, etc.  

They are mostly found in stained fabric. They are mainly attracted to food remains and oil on synthetic material.  If these are not cleaned immediately, then the material would get infested by the carpet beetles, acting a feeding ground. 

Other places where carpet beetles can be found are in dirty areas. If your air vents are not cleared once in a while, it will cause the infestation of carpet beetles. 

If you are not storing animal-based products properly, such as leather, fur or milk, it will cause carpet beetles to feed on them. These products should be stored in airtight containers to avoid the infestation, and over time you can try getting rid of the scent of these products. Dry cleaning is an effective method. You can also try to wash these items in hot water. 

Carpet beetles are much attracted to dark places. A house which doesn’t have much illumination would serve as a habitat for these tedious carpet beetles. It is subsequently necessary to open your windows and curtains during the daytime to avoid carpet beetle infestation. During the evening, keep your house well lit to prevent this infestation. 

How Do Carpet Beetles Breed

If a carpet beetle mates inside your home, the females can lay 35 to 100 eggs at a time. This is when the problem arises. Since the larvae are young and tend to feed many times a day, they crawl from one room to another, feeding on your carpets. You cannot notice them quickly since they are hard to spot and can only be seen once there is a visible damage caused by these problematic creatures! 

Furniture carpet beetles are the most dangerous ones since they can digest keratin and infest your upholstery. Of course, you would want your precious leather chair to be eaten by these beetles now, will you? 

Carpet beetles can also eat dry food or grains, so ensure that you keep them in tight containers. 

How To Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles

If you are looking for the best ways to know how to get rid of carpet beetles, then we have the solution for you. In the years we’vebeen providing professional carpet cleaning for residents and businesses throughout Long Island, we’ve learned a thing or two.

Following the mentioned step by step guide accordingly to get rid of carpet beetles from your home:

Step 1

Start by vacuuming the upholsteries in your house along with the non-washable items.

Step 2

If the carpet beetles have already destroyed anything, get rid of it. Also, throw away any of the stuff that might be next in line. This will significantly help you to get rid of carpet beetles in the near future. 

Step 3

Steam clean your carpet and upholstery. 

Step 4

If there are any washable items, make sure to wash them thoroughly in hot soapy water to kill the carpet beetles.

Step 5

If you have any detergent that kills pests, make sure to apply the hot water mixture. 

Step 6

If there are any linens which you do not use daily, seal them away! This would prevent the carpet beetles from damaging the good linens in your home. 

Step 7

Treat the insides of your home with pesticides. You can apply the same to the outside of your home too for maximum safety. 

Step 8

You can apply glue traps around you home to keep the carpet beetles away. 

As mentioned above, the steps need to be followed every week to stop the carpet beetle infestation in your home. 

Important points to consider knowing how to get rid of carpet beetles

• Vacuum the insides of your home frequently. 
• Change the air filters in your vents.
• Let the sunlight in your rooms since carpet beetles hate light. 
• Place all of your dirty linen in a separate basket. 
• Place food in airtight containers.
• Store animal-based products in sealed bags or zippers. 
• DO NOT spray insecticides on carpets. Instead, spread it all around the house to keep the carpet beetles at bay. 
• Apply insecticides outside your home on windows, doorways and foundations. 
• Check plants thoroughly before bringing any inside your home. 

Calling A Professional

Professional carpet cleaning comes with its perks. You don’t need to get pest control services to get get rid of carpet bugs. Our warm water cleansing makes sure your carpet remains clean and doesn’t have any pest infestation.

Our trained professionals ensure that they will make sure to get rid of carpet beetles in your home within a few days despite your busy schedule. We are here to assist you with such problems. Make sure to get in touch with us if you face any such situation in your home and call us when you require a carpet cleaning service in Long Island.

Conclusion On What Causes Carpet Beetles

We will end our blog here since now you must have a clear idea on what causes carpet beetles and how to get rid of carpet beetles.  We, at Clean ‘n’ Fresh provide best quality results for any kind of floor care and cleaning in Long Island. Feel to reach out us with any queries or questions, you can call us at 516-669-2510.

Ensure that you maintain proper cleaning habits, maintain your fabric properly and keep food items and other animal-based products sealed away. These will keep the carpet beetles out from your home since they are not a huge fan of “sealed items”. Also, try to keep your home lighted. Sunlight is a significant advantage.

The key to keeping these notorious insects out of your home is to act smart against them. Carpet beetles tend to spread a lot quickly than any other insects. It is nearly impossible to stop them once they have fully bred and the larvae start to take over your home.  So take proper precaution before anything significant occurs.