Facts About Carpet Beetles
Carpet Beetles are small (1/16” – 1/8”) oval-shaped pest that look almost like a ‘dull-colored’ lady bug with undefined or ‘smeared’ spots of white and brown with hints of yellow and orange. Adult carpet beetles emerge between late May and again in early August to feed on pollen and nectar from flowering plants and typically have a life span of 1-3 years.
Females lay around 50-100 eggs on food sources – such as woolen fabrics, fur, silk, leather, feathers, and carpets – and within a few weeks, hatch into fabric-eating larvae. Larvae hatch in the spring and early summer are roughly 1/8”-1/4” long, have tannish brown in color, and have thick hair-like bristles. The larvae will typically feed within fabric seams and folds (such as collars, coat lapels, hems, etc.), in closets and chests where feeding-fabric items are stored and idle for long periods of time, and undersides of rugs that are not in high traffic areas.
Some signs that you have a carpet beetle infestation are:
- The shed skins left behind by larvae
- Dead carpet beetles on windowsills
- Threadbare spots worn through clothing, blankets or carpets
- Irregular holes in woolen clothing, blankets or rugs
Because of the fabric damage caused by carpet beetles, they are often mistaken for clothes moths. Carpet beetles can thrive on lint, hair, and debris collected in and around vents and ducts, chimneys, basements, and more. And because of their diet and nesting behavior, it makes them challenging to control and manage because they can infest any area of your home!
CARPET BEETLE TREATMENT PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
Initial Treatment requires special “preparations” below, and further access indoors for periodic services as determined by technician.
- Children and pets must vacate for two hours after meeting with technician and completing the paperwork for 2 hours.
- House prep. – must be done before technician arrives!
- Clean out all closets (floors, shelves and hanging items) and under beds.
- Pull out clothes drawers, emptying those with woolens, and stack the drawers facing the same direction.
- Help make baseboards accessible—move small items, toys, etc. (not required to move large furniture.)
- Kitchen—if carpet beetles are in kitchen: Empty cupboards and store items on kitchen table in boxes on the floor, leaving the counter tops clear. Check each food item removed for carpet beetle larvae as you go as the source of infestation must be found.
- Bathroom: prepare as kitchen.
- Vacuum all carpets and baseboard areas (paying particular attention to carefully cleaning any shed pet hair that may be present).
- Homeowners can help avoid re-infestation by cleaning lint from laundry areas and from inside heat ducts at registers; and by storing unused woolens in garment bags, plastic “garbage bags”, or in trunks—with moth balls.
- The more thorough the preparation, the more precise we can inspect and treat!
- Suggested: Dry cleaning and washing of clothing in closets (and stored in chests).
Questions? Call 888-989-8979 for immediate service!
© 2020 Cascade Pest Control.