Carpet Beetles

Ever wondered why your carpets suddenly now has holes and wears? It is hard for us to see what is causing this catastrophe with our naked eye. And yes! you’ve guessed it – because they are so small.

They are commonly referred to as carpet beetles. They are given such name because they are capable to cause damage to your carpets. These so called pests will attack on anything, beside carpets that is. Carpet beetles may attack on anything that is made of silk, wool, fur, leather, and felt. So in a simpler sense, aside from carpets, they also feed on our clothing, beddings, and the like. Items that are normally infested are sweaters, blankets, pillows, and furniture. So, you really sometimes aren’t aware of what underneath it.

Carpet beetles are small. They are oval in shape and are merely 1/8 of an inch long. Although there are countless kinds of their species, one of the most famous is the black carpet beetles. Other popular species are vibrantly colored with various patterns. These creatures favor to feed in darker areas in the home where they are undisturbed. Common places where they usually feast are the closets, under the bed, attics, underneath furniture, and carpets. However, aside from fabrics, these beetles also feed on pet foods, seeds, or cereal products.

These pesky insects are hardly noticeable. It is really hard to tell that they are already munching on your most favorite garment and other textile in your home. So the point is we won’t be able to tell until it’s too late. Mother and father beetle do not do much of the damage, it is their larva that does most of the harm. Because as they are laid on the fabric, they eat their way out through the fabric until they mature. Mother beetle lay their eggs on clothing especially carpets where it is full of hair-like fur that holds their eggs in tact. As these babies hatch they need to feed in order to grow.

A lot of people may ask on how to get rid of carpet beetles, although there might be an accurate answer on this query, a better approach is prevention. Clothing that is desired to be stored in the closets for longer periods of time should be dry-cleaned prior to storing it. Laundering the clothing will not only remove the oils and perspiration where they desire to thrive on but will also kill eggs that may have been present. Remember that insecticides are not meant to treat clothing.

For carpets, regular vacuuming will help eliminate carpet beetles as well as larva and eggs present. Pay greater attention areas frequented by your pets and quiet areas where you suspect they thrive. For severe cases you can try spraying carpet beetles with a high-formulated insecticide. But be sure to vacate the areas to be treated. All animals especially children should be out of the house for several hours or until the formula completely dry out.

Insecticides applications are often used as an alternative to good housekeeping. However, due to the emergence of various types and kinds, choosing the right one might be quite a challenge. The rule of the thumb is mainly just to read and follow labels carefully.

Control of carpet beetles will really require patience. You have to manually inspect all the possible areas where they thrive and infest. To completely get rid of carpet beetles might be such a Herculean task. We could may be take baby steps and start with something greatly obtainable. Although these may sound a cliché but prevention is really better than cure.