How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles?

No, we are not talking about some twisted insect rocking to the beats of The Beatles on your carpet.

We are talking about that four-wing creature, which stiffens its front wings into wing-cases to protect its not-so-strong flying wings that are folded beneath.

Also, this 4 – 6 cm long beast likes to devour things that you care about. 

For instance, woodworm beetles consume our trees, and leaf-eating beetles feed on our plants.

Would you like to know what carpet beetles like to eat?

Everything, my beautiful reader!

From carpets, furniture, garments, blankets lint, and hair to pet food, dead insects, animal nests, and leather. Such materials carry keratin—a fibrous protein that the beetle can digest. Alternatively, cotton, as well as synthetic fabrics like rayon and polyester, are hardly mauled unless laced with wool or extensively soiled with body oils or food stains.

On a lighter note, the easiest way to identify a beetle is by stepping on it. If it crunches—you’ve met your beetle. But, let’s not do that playground stuff.

So, let’s talk about evacuating carpet beetles for good because they are really devastating—particularly if you do not take any action quickly.

SO, LET’S GET STARTED !!!

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Detecting Carpet Beetles

There are mainly three species of a carpet beetle. Following are their visual representations:

Carpet Beetle (Black)

The black kind is also known as the “Attagenus unicolor.” It’s the largest—about 0.3 – 1cm in length—among the three carpet beetles. Also, compared to the other two, you can spot a black carpet beetle more easily since it doesn’t grow a round shape like the others. Lastly, its shells are either shiny black or solid brown.

Carpet Beetle (Varied)

The varied type is also known as the “Anthrenus verbasci.” It’s the smallest—about 0.25cm in length— among the three carpet beetles. Its shell is marginally rounded and is typically brown/black in color with shades of white on its back.  They have a somewhat oval-shaped shell and are typically black or brown in color with white flecks on their backs.

Carpet Beetle (Furniture)

The furniture type is also called the “Anthrenus flavipes”. Its size is about 0.3 – 0.5cm and appears to have a slightly oval brownish shell with specks of white and black on its back.

Top Carpet Beetle Control Method

1. Identify the Source

Of course, identifying the source of these carpet invaders must be your first move. You should look out for the larva’s shed skin and fecal pellets, besides closely observing holes in your fabric.

Remember, carpet beetles thrive in secluded, dark areas such as closets, drawers, attics, storage boxes, basements, and in between your recently painted walls and insulation. Therefore, you might need to thoroughly scrutinize your rugs, pick up couches, furniture pieces, and, of course, your much-loved carpet.

2. Vacuum

More often than not, your first method to clean off a carpet beetle invasion should be to remove them with a vacuum. Always, ensure to get their beetle babies as well to avoid any covert reproduction. They resemble a little hairy caterpillar.

Moreover, the larva stage of a carpet beetle is its most destructive one to your fabrics. Therefore, give your vacuum a thorough grind on the carpet to suck up the entire beetle tribe.

3. Dust with Boric Acid

If vacuuming turned out to be a temporary solution, try dusting some quality boric acid on your carpet.

You know why boric acid is fantastic? Because it destroys any and every insect that it touches, yet it is totally harmless to your hands. It’s an organically occurring compound that is chiefly mined in the Southwestern United States.

This is your go-to method to clean off carpet beetles if you are not a fan of chemically-infused products. You must avoid over-powdering your carpet as this may end up bleaching your beloved rug. Always remember that the boric acid powder makes white, whiter!

Getting my drift?

4. Thoroughly Wash Your Fabrics

You need to wash all your affected fabrics in steaming, soapy water to ensure you’re eliminating the carpet beetles, their eggs as well as their larvae. It’s because, like many other pests who eat animal remains, the eggs of a carpet beetle is extremely resilient.

Remember to use a pre-wash to assure getting all the different variants of this monster.

5. Use Carpet Treatments

Carpet treatments carrying bendiocarbs, chlorpyrifos, and allethrin are mighty effective to clear off these nasty carpet beetles. You can easily choose from a number of quality options available in the market.

However, you should make sure that the spray you are getting is exclusively made to eliminate the carpet beetles. If you trust our intuition, we advise using the Rentokil Carpet Beetle Killer powder.

6. Professional Carpet Beetle Removal

If all the methods detailed above, fail to deliver your desired results, or you are running against time to prepare for the holidays, but are lagging behind due to these pests—call professional carpet beetle removal services.

It’s because these pests are so tenacious—particularly their eggs that you need professional help to cleanse your home for good. Otherwise, sooner rather than later, you’d start noticing them crawling on your window sills, or strolling in your kitchen.

These professional companies typically know what they are doing, yet it’s feasible to look around a bit. Also, it is admissible to Google, the company you are interested in to ensure you’re not getting into more trouble by contracting shady service.

Therefore, get everything documented before proceeding with the procedure.

More: DIY Carpet Remnant Projects

Stopping Carpet Beetle Outbreaks

1. Store Your Clothes in Plastic Bags

Store your clothes in plastic to minimize a carpet beetle invasion by making them dust-proof, moisture-proof, and moth-proof. Now, don’t stack all your wearable in these multipurpose bags. If you keep your clothing in a rather open closet to ensure a bit of sunlight, stop doing it—because such garments should be kept relatively untouched.

Remember, these carpet monsters feed in the dark.

2. Opt For Synthetic Materials

If you’re under a constant beetle-attack or live in a region with a high propensity for such creatures, then let go of organic fixtures, and instead opt for synthetics when purchasing carpets, furniture, and interior fabrics. It’s because, carpet beetles feast on organic fibers, and aren’t interested in the synthetic ones.

This is a straightforward method that doesn’t require regular inspections and carpet treatments. Trust us when we say that these synthetic rugs are worth a lay.

3. Adopt A Cleaning Schedule

Maintaining regular cleanliness will go leaps and bounds to prevent your carpets from getting beetle infested. These tiny monsters love to devour human/animal hair and other remains on your floor.

Thus, steam cleaning and vacuuming your carpets often will not only limit carpet beetles a great deal but will also curb other similar pests. 

Remember, The world of 2019 gives you an app for almost everything. Therefore, pick a housecleaning app that resonates with your living situation and start using it. The app will do most of the work if you’re willing to put in the work.

Keep Other Pests At A Leash

You should know that the problem doesn’t end with ending your carpet beetle infestation, as other pests also exist (surprise, surprise!).

The reason you are still noticing these invaders sneaking around is due to the fact that you may well have other pests such as rodents on your property.

Therefore, set up snap or live traps to do clean riddance. Remember, not to use poison since it is extremely difficult to find a poisoned dead mouse. Though, it is not hard to find the dead beetles.

Conclusion

Carpet beetles are 4 – 6 cm long four-wing creatures, who devour things that you care about. From carpets, garments, and hair to pet food, dead insects, and leather. Such materials carry keratin—a fibrous protein that the beetle can digest.

There are mainly three species of a carpet beetle— black, varied, and furniture. Here is how you can get rid of carpet beetles:

• Firstly, identify the source
• Vacuum
• Dust with Boric Acid
• Thoroughly Wash Your Fabrics
• Use Carpet Treatments
• Call professional carpet beetle removal services

Here is how you can stop future carpet beetle outbreaks:

• Store your clothes in plastic bags
• Opt for synthetic materials
• Adopt a cleaning schedule
• Keep other pests at a leash

Lastly, maintaining regular cleanliness will go leaps and bounds to prevent your carpets from getting beetle-infested in the future. Remember, The world of 2019 gives you an app for almost everything. Therefore, pick a house cleaning app that gels with your living situation and start using it.

The app will do almost all the work if you are willing to put in the work.