Carpet beetles, sometimes called skin beetles, are small oval pests that go after more than just carpet. They feed on wool, fur, felt, silk, feathers, leather, and other animal materials. The adults mostly hang around outside eating flower pollen, but they fly inside and leave larvae behind to wreak havoc on your rugs, carpets, and anything with keratin in it. Some kinds will even get into seeds, cereals, and pet food. They turn up just about anywhere, which is what makes them a pain to clear out.
How to know you've got them
- Hairy, worm-like larvae on the floor, in the carpet, or around the kitchen
- Holes in natural-fiber items, sweaters, scarves, blankets, rugs, down pillows, upholstery, even taxidermy mounts
- Adult beetles collecting around your windows in spring
What draws them in
- Light, especially at night
- Open, screenless doors and windows
- Dead insects piling up in the garage or behind furniture
- Easy access to natural fibers
- Fresh flowers
- Food sources in carpet and rugs, pet and human hair, seeds, grains, flour
- Dirty laundry and old furniture
Getting rid of them
Prevention first. Dry-clean or launder anything vulnerable before you store it away for a while, cleaning kills any larvae and removes the perspiration odors that attract beetles in the first place. Store those items in tight plastic bags or containers. Mothballs, flakes, or crystals help too, but read the directions carefully and never scatter them where kids or pets can reach. Cold-storage vaults at some department stores and furriers protect valuable garments. Buying synthetic rugs and furniture cuts down the food supply. Keep an eye out for bird nests around the house and attic, and vacuum regularly, hitting windowsills, carpet edges, baseboards, under furniture, and inside closets and vents.
If they're already here:
- Find the infested items. Carpet beetles hide in dark, undisturbed spots, clothing seams and folds, lower carpet edges, inside and under upholstered furniture, and floor vents with pet hair or lint. Launder, dry-clean, or toss what's infested. Bag heavily infested pieces before disposal so you don't spread them, and vacuum every affected spot to kill larvae.
- Use insecticides carefully. Sprays labeled for flea control or fabric insects work well on rugs and carpets. Focus on carpet edges and wall-floor junctions, and treat under furniture and at closet bottoms. Never spray insecticide on bedding or clothing.
If it feels like too much, a pest control company that does Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can pinpoint and troubleshoot the problem and offer multiple solutions.
Carpet beetles are small, but they cause real damage to clothes, carpets, and rugs when they're left alone. The right mix of prevention, cleaning, and treatment stops them. When the job feels overwhelming, let us handle the deep cleaning side, our carpet cleaning and area rug cleaning services help protect your carpets, rugs, and upholstery from these invaders.
Call Safe-Dry of Murfreesboro at 615-455-5869 or book online. Questions first? Reach out here.