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Carpet Beetle


Those darn kids! It's not the adult carpet beetle that causes the problem; it is the larval stage in the carpet beetle's life that causes damage to carpets and other fabrics inside the home.  The larvae of carpet beetle are about a ΒΌ inch long and look like a brown caterpillar covered with short bristles. They prefer dark, secluded places like closets, attics or the spaces behind walls and under floors.

The adult beetle is about the same size but enjoys sunlight and feeds on pollen and nectar. But, because the adults are more open about their

carpet.jpg
Larvae

presence, they get blamed for everything. Adult carpet beetles shiny black or brightly colored depending on the species. Finding adult carpet beetles indoors on window sills may indicate a larval infestation somewhere in the house.

The larvae of carpet beetles move around from room to room, so the source of an infestation can be difficult to locate and treat. The best way to treat for carpet beetles is to keep areas clean of animal hair, dust, old spider webs or soiled fabrics. Carpet beetle larvae really like that stuff. Vacuum frequently with a beater-bar vacuum cleaner to eliminate eggs lying in the carpets. Eliminating food sources is the best way of preventing carpet beetles, but identifying where they are coming from is the first step in getting rid of an

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Carpet Beetle damage

existing infestation.

Carpet beetles originate from an old bird's nest or dead animal hidden behind a wall. Old cereal in boxes or other grains can be good food sources for carpet beetles, too. Adult carpet beetles can be brought into the house on cut flowers. Finding molted shed skins that look like the larva of the beetle, but crusty and brittle, can help you to locate where the beetles are feeding.

If you discover carpet beetle damage on clothing you will need to do a thorough house cleaning including emptying, vacuuming and treating dressers, closets or other storage areas with prescribed pesticides. You need to kill the eggs, larva, and adult forms of the insect to get control. Roughly brush the clothing to kill eggs. Avoid spraying pesticides on clothing, of course. When storing fabrics, seal them in air tight containers and add moth balls or resin strips to keep beetles out and to kill larvae. Resin strips must be used in airtight places so the pesticide can build up in the air, if there is a leak the larvae can survive and keep on feeding. A negative about using mothballs is that everyone within a hundred feet of you will know you are coming before you get there. Same problem with putting clothing in cedar closets. The smell announces your entrance .

If you aren't sure that it is carpet beetles damaging your belongings you can

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purchase carpet beetle traps from various on-line web sites. Placing traps around the house will help you determine where the carpet beetles are coming from.

Carpet beetle feeding patterns are similar to clothes moths, but carpet beetles generally feed on one large area rather than leaving many small holes. Sometimes carpet beetles will eat objects you wouldn't expect like the felt and hammer inside a piano. The beetles also will eat stuffed animals or the horns of mounted animals. Museums with animals on display often have this problem.

If you want to eliminate carpet beetles but don't want to fumigate or use pesticides then you can freeze infested objects for two weeks or heat the object for thirty minutes at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously, these solutions will only work on smaller objects. If it's your carpet that is infested you have little choice, but to treat yourself or call in a professional pest control company to do the work.





Comments

Donna
06 Feb 2010, 19:01
I found larva on my boxsprings and have bites on my legs and arm. I looked through various pics of larva and found a pic that looks like them. They are oval shaped, tiny larva and are dark on each end and light in the middle. The pics that look the most like it are carpet beetles. How do I get rid of them?
sandy
27 Feb 2010, 11:09
We have had tons of insect problems since building a new house.
Four different times the university has identified carpet beetle larvea and I could not even see these with the naked eye. I had a small miscroscope and had abeen looking for wood boring insects and these were just in with samples.
Last fall when I brought out winter clothes I found them and now I have holes in clothings and I will feel things crawling inside if I don't keep clothes in totes and wash in real hot water. It this uncommon to feel like there is something crawling inside of your clothes?
I will find small lint like balls that dont look like anything inside them, but after I either pull off this fuzzy ball then it stops.
Sometimes there will be to many and now in towels and comfortors that threads are breaking when I try to steam them these same fuzzy balls will come out.
sandy
02 Apr 2010, 22:32
We have sent samples off that were to small to see with the naked eye.
My concern was I was looking for wood boring insects along the carpet beetle larvea were just along with the insect samples sent.
We have seen all varietys inside the house including where the air exchange is and this is a big opening.
Now we have all the hardwood flooring up due to the lactid boring insects.
With all the pesticide companies that have been out and sprayed it has not helped with the carpet beetles because my clothes will get holes and I never had this before.
The carpet beetle larvea have multiplied for about two years so would that make it be a big infestation?
We are trying to avoid fumigation.
Sandy
Alan Phung
04 Jun 2010, 15:26
Hi,

Ive been doing a lot of research and have found CARPET BEETLES and Larvae. Ive been bitten all over my arms and legs. Can Carpet Beetles bite? if so, can they can get serious? and What's the best way to get rid of these suckers.

Ive been cleaning my house every day, and Im starting to feel paranoid, like theres something crawling on my skin..
Ask the Exterminator
04 Jun 2010, 17:00
Carpet beetles do not bite or sting.
Pete
10 Jun 2010, 08:17
I've been working on a pheromone for the black carpet beetle. Would anyone like to try some pheromone traps for this issue? It would catch the adults.
Cindy
07 Jul 2010, 18:06
Hello,
I recently found about 4-5 live carpet beetle larvae under my bed most likely feeding on dust bunnies (which is why I was vacuuming under the bed) should I be concerned that there are alot more in the house?

Thank you!
Ask the Exterminator
08 Jul 2010, 07:40
Yes, you should. Put out monitoring traps. I suggest tented traps. You can find them at http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/cockroach/trapper-monitor-insect-traps.h tml.
Jay
25 Jul 2010, 05:47
I recently found many carpet beetle larvae during a power outage, they were in my carpets under my bed, under my desk, and under my sons crib. I promptly removed my carpet and used some RAID product to fumigate the room. I have only found two live ones since and plan on reusing this product in a week or so. I do find the fuzzy balls Sandy speaks of and I have no idea what the cause is. However I have read a lot about carpet beetles now and it seems the issues Alan could be having are not actual "bites or stings" but rather an allergic reaction some people have to the hairs on the larvae that looks like bites rather than a rash.
sharon
05 Aug 2010, 13:44
I think we might have carpet beetles. We Just moved into a new place within the last 2 weeks, there is no carpet anywhere in the space there is laminate floor however. I have been finding quite a few beetles however and from the pictures they look to be the black carpet beetles. I have found 4 in one room over the last week and 2 in another over the last 2 weeks and just yesterday found 3 in a different room. and also one larger looking one in the laundry room crawling on a blanket I had placed there earlier in the day. I have never seen these before in our old place or anywhere and am completely freaked out. I sweep and mop every day or everyother day...
What should I do about this?
Ask the Exterminator
05 Aug 2010, 14:33
Maybe it isn't carpet beetles, at all. Maybe it is larder beetles or cigarette beetles or drugstore beetles or flour beetles. Get the picture? If you don't know for sure, you need to collect a couple and get them properly identified.
sharon
05 Aug 2010, 15:16
I will collect a few and take some pictures... can I send them to you?
Ask the Exterminator
05 Aug 2010, 16:01
I require a very clear picture. High resolution, if possible. You are going to have to contact me via the "Ask a Question" button at the top of the page in order to email me a photo.
sharon
06 Aug 2010, 11:23
I was cleaning last night and found the worm type behind one of the beds where there was small amout of dust. I thought it was a piece of dirt but then ended up squishing it... I picked it up and it was a hairy worm type with a hairy fluffy tail. Looks to be the black carpet beetle and I collected beetle skins and more beetles that I killed. I am not sure how to find the source. I found more in one room but then again I did find it most of the rooms. There is no carpet but it was torn up and replaced right before we moved in. I think they did a quick job and might have just covered up some of the carpet as some places you can see there was carpet. Should I go and seal the floor with the baseboards to prevent them from getting in. I also found that the baseboard heaters were full of what seems to be dog hair, I don't even think vacuuming can get it all out. Do you think I should call in a professional?> Do you think that my landlord should pay for that since we JUST moved in and is obviously not from us?
Ask the Exterminator
06 Aug 2010, 11:51
The pet hair is definitely a food source for carpet beetle. It needs to go...in total. Cleaning up is always step one. Seems to me that should be handled by the landlord. Best of luck with that one. After that has been achieved you should think about treating all the baseboards with a pesticide dust like Tempo 1%. The dust can be purchased at my website (http://shop.asktheexterminator.com). It is not difficult to apply. But, if you are worried about handing pesticides, call a pro.
Eva
10 Aug 2010, 14:30
I did the "ask an exterminator" page, but maybe my question is simple enough to just ask here. I'm wondering how hardy the beetles/eggs/larva are. Will eggs or larva survive a move to a new house, and then start a new infestation? (When I say "move", I mean putting all possessions into cardboard boxes, driving to another state, unpacking all possessions.)

I found some beetle larva and casings, and happen to be moving. I don't know if just washing and sealing all the cloth things is enough, or if I need to throw out or carefully examine every object I'm bringing, for example: folders of papers on a shelf near my clothes. (My fear is that an egg or larva will be hiding somewhere, that I'll bring it along, and that it will start a new population.)
Pia
12 Aug 2010, 20:59
I probably have cigarette or drugstore beetles...these larva are not hairy, they almost look like moth larva but move silverfish like. The beetles are oval and have a golden an dark brown hard shell. First I didn't pay to much attention and I though that they are fruit flies or something like that but then I discovered these larva in my laundry and blankets and now I realize that I have a real pest going on here!I also discovered them on and in the fabric of my mattress. Does that mean I have to get rid of my mattress ? I can't imagine to spray a mattress without poisoning myself ?
Ask the Exterminator
13 Aug 2010, 09:42
These insects don't normally infest a mattress or box spring. Do a thorough job of vacuuming the mattress and box spring and it should do the trick without any pesticides.
Sharon
02 Sep 2010, 18:49
Thank you for you column and page.

I have a problem with carpet beatles and it's near a stuffed pheasant that my grandfather shot many, many year's ago. After reading your page, I'm guessing that this is it. I plan to take the bird outside to check.

If it's not obvious, should I just throw the stuffed bird away or have it looked at by a professional?

Thank you.

Sharon
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