Carpet Beetles
Many homeowners call me with concerns about small, furry bugs that they find crawling on their baseboards, bathroom floors, and other light colored, hard surfaces near to carpets. Though sometimes other insects match this description, often these little furry worms are in fact carpet beetle larvae. The larvae will eventually mature into hard shelled beetles that will multiple inside of your home.
Carpet beetles are small beetle that is around 3 millimeters long. They have a hard shell that is made up of a mixture of white, yellow, and brown color patterns. While the adult beetles primarily feed off of pollen, the larvae, also known as a wooly bear, feed off of animal furs and fibers. These larvae live for around 1-3 years before reaching adulthood. Often eggs are laid inside of bird nests or near a food source and will hatch and begin to feed. While they have few natural predators, the larvae are often attacked by wasps. The wasps will land on the larvae and attempt to sting and paralyze it. The only defense of the larvae is the ability to raise small, sharp hairs over its body. This is rarely sufficient to deter an attack and the wasps usually succeed in paralyzing the larvae. Once this is complete, the wasp will make a hole inside of the larvae and lay eggs within it. These eggs hatch and the young wasps consume their host, and emerge as adults. While wasps help to control the carpet beetle populations, infestations are a major issue. Many museums fear carpet beetle larvae due to their habit of eating animal fibers. The larvae will consume taxidermy and other valuable artifacts.
Carpet beetle larvae are a fairly common household pest. The beetles often lay eggs in areas like air vents and the larvae hatch out of them and spread around your home. They rarely damage any synthetic carpets or other materials, but will feed on any organic fibers. Persian rugs and other expensive textiles are a favorite snack of the carpet beetle larvae. Any organic fibers such as silk, wool, leather, or animal fur are all at risk for infestation from carpet beetle larvae. This makes the carpet beetle larvae a major problem to many homeowners. The main difficulty with dealing with carpet beetles is that they often will find out of the way places to begin to spread around any building they infest. They will enter into homes through openings or be carried in on plants that are brought into the house. Once inside the beetles will find a place with an abundant food supply and then lay eggs near to there. The larvae will hatch and will quickly multiply, infesting your home. Many museums fight a constant battle against the carpet beetle larvae. Natural history museums often contain valuable tapestries, preserved specimens, feathers, clothing, and other valuable artifacts that become meals for the larvae. Many curators fight a constant battle to protect the valuables that the museum has stored, and carpet beetles are among the worst offenders of any destructive insect. But it isn’t just museums that are at risk, your valuables can be easily damaged by the larvae.
Many homeowners find it difficult to deal with a carpet beetle infestation. One major reason for this is that carpet beetles rarely come into obvious parts of the home, preferring instead to stay in secluded areas with food sources. The most effective method of ridding yourself of carpet beetles is to eliminate the source. Remove any nests that the beetles could possibly infest, and make sure to correctly store all fibers that could be a potential food source for the larvae. If an article of clothing or furniture is infested by the larvae it is best to simply throw it away. Make sure to wash and clean all clothing, furniture, and mounted animal specimens to protect them from the beetles. Look on all baseboards adjacent to carpet and for signs of the beetles. Often there will be a specific area where they are clustered and you can find signs of their presence near to that location. If you fear that you have a carpet beetle infestation, vacuum your entire house and check all potential food sources in your home for the beetles. If the infestation is severe, professional assistance is often extremely helpful for dealing with the problem. At Canton Termite and Pest Control, we have years of experience dealing with carpet beetles and their larvae. Our technicians can deal with any infestation, no matter how severe. We offer the best and safest service at an affordable price that fits your budget. If you have a carpet beetle infestation, don’t wait until they damage your furniture or clothes!
Call us today at 770-479-1598 and let us handle the problem!
-Tim
