Do I Have a Carpet Beetle Infestation?

Think you might have a carpet beetle infestation? These insidious pests, which can literally eat you out of house and home, may initially be difficult to detect because they do their damage under the surface. By the time you notice that you have an infestation, you may already be dealing with significant damage to fabric surfaces like bedding, clothes, upholstered furniture and, of course, carpets!

Early Signs of a Carpet Beetle Infestation

There are some things to watch for to try to catch a carpet beetle infestation early. Look around windows and lights; carpet beetles, like many other insects, are drawn to light. You will be looking for relatively small bugs; adults are from 1 to 4mm in length. They will be oval-shaped. They are not a uniform colour, but have some combination of black, white, yellow, and sometimes orange pattern colouration.

You can also look for larvae. The larvae may be crawling on surfaces. They are actually larger than adult carpet beetles, around 2.5 cm in length. They are brown to black, covered in hair, and have three golden hairs on their abdomens. You may not see the larvae itself, but instead, notice damage from them. They chew holes in items and sometimes shed their skins.

If you notice any carpet beetles, whether adults or larvae, you should assume the presence of plenty of others. That is because this species of pest can frequently remain hidden. You also want to act fast. Left unchecked, carpet beetles are well suited to living in your home because they eat natural fibre items such as silk, wool, feathers, leather, and even the bodies of dead insects.

While carpet beetles can live both indoors and outdoors, like most animals they prefer to live where their food source is abundant. Since they eat natural fibres, and most homes are full of natural fibres, this makes your home a very inviting place for carpet beetles to lay their eggs. They enter homes either by flying in through open spaces or by hitchhiking on items brought into the home. Once they lay their eggs, you are set up for a cycle of carpet beetles, and they will just keep breeding and cycling until you are able to successfully eradicate them.

Suspect you might have carpet beetles? Flick can help. Give us a call and schedule an inspection and we let you know if you have a carpet beetle infestation or other pest problem, and custom-tailor an extermination plan for your home.