Concerned about a recent Carpet Beetle sighting? Learn how to identify carpet beetles and what to do about them.

Apart from wreaking havoc on your clothes as well as other fabrics in your home, carpet beetles have been known to cause dermatological problems including itching and papulovesicular eruptions. Simply put, you do not want these insects inside your home.

Most people mistake bed bugs for carpet beetles; this, in turn, results in the application of the wrong solution to get rid of these pests. Both of these insects can leave itchy, red blotches on the skin. Bed bugs cause these by biting on your skin. Carpet beetles, on the other hand, leave itchy welts on the skin which are the result of an allergic reaction to the hairs of the beetle larvae.

How do you identify carpet beetles?

There are several species of carpet beetles which can invade your home, including black carpet beetles, furniture carpet beetles, and common carpet beetles. Of these, the most widespread are the black carpet beetles which can cause serious damage to fabrics. These carpet beetles fed on wool, fur, hair, dead animal materials, and plant materials. The common carpet beetles are either black or yellow and their larvae eat carpets, fur, feathers, wool and silk.

These pests are usually found on furniture, feeding on the materials used to fabricate these. Other areas where you might find these include baseboards, under the edges of carpets, door casings, and under and inside upholstered furniture.

Outdoor carpet beetle problem

You might also notice these bugs flying around inside your home or around your garden. These insects are drawn to colored flowers in your home. And if your windows and doors are unscreened, these insects can move inside your home, enticed by the scents they pick up. Once inside your home, the population of these insects can grow exponentially. A single female carpet beetle can lay as much as 100 eggs.

Apart from these, there are other signs of infestation that you might want to look for. These include shed skin and fecal spots, carpet beetles lingering around windows and baseboards, and gaping holes on your carpet or rug.

What should you do if you find carpet beetles inside your home?

The first thing that you need to do is identify where these bugs and their larvae are hiding. Take note that carpet beetles and their larvae may not necessarily lurk in the same locations. Next, check for dead insects in your outdoor trash bins, pipes and fissures. Make sure that you wash the trash bins. Preventing an infestation requires good housekeeping. Make sure that clothes and other garments are stored in tight boxes. Regularly inspect the areas where you store clothes. If you notice that some of your clothes have been infested, throw these away. You can apply an insecticide spray on carpets and rugs. Finally, you need to seal off possible entry points using a spray liquid insecticide.

If you are not sure if you have a carpet beetle problem, AAI Pest Control can help. We are your Stockton pest control company and will help you diagnose and treat the problem.