Carpet Beetles

Does the name Carpet Beetles ring any bells in your mind? Yes, it does! These beetles are found in your home or your favourite museum. They are found especially in museums and carpets.

Carpet Beetles are found in almost, every part of the world, however, they are basically European based. They love to eat away the material that carpets are made out of, i.e. wool. Carpet Beetles can actually eat any animal product that comes into its contact. For example, fur, feathers, wool, silk, leather, and bed.

If they are not controlled, Carpet Beetles will grow in number over the time and significantly damage everything that comes in front of them. This includes your bedding, clothing, floor coverings, as well as other articles.

Size and Appearance

Several types of carpet beetles are found in the United Kingdom. The most prevalent and popular one is, however, the carpet beetle. The carpet beetle is referred to as the Anthrenus Verbasci that grows from 1.7 mm to a maximum of 3.5 mm.

They have a round, spherical body. If observed under a microscope, you will find that a carpet beetle has fine, colored scales on its body. This forms a pattern of irregular colors on its back. The colors are mostly a combination of yellow, brown, and white patterns.

Carpet Beetles consists of antennae that are segmented. There are eleven of them with a combination of three segments.

The larvae of carpet beetles are referred to as woolly bears. It grows up to 5 mm in length. They have an elongated body, which is covered in hair or large setae. The hair is organized in a way that it forms a combination of dark and light patches. The larva of the carpet beetle is covered in visible thick brown stripes.

Carpet Beetles have a body that is wider towards the end. Hair is found on the rear portion of the abdomen; this helps them to keep predators away.

The Behavior of Carpet Beetles

They are not of any significant threat to humans; however, they can be the reason behind the loss of furniture, and other properties. It is always advised to keep the attack of carpet beetles under control. If you find signs of carpet beetles infesting your home, then take the necessary steps to keep them under control.

The Life cycle of a Carpet Beetle

You might think that a carpet beetle has a very similar life like that of the other insects, then you are wrong. It develops from its own larvae by taking as many as three years. This totally depends on the environmental conditions they are growing up in. Larvae hatch from their eggs in the early months of summer or during spring. The female carpet beetles lay their eggs in nests that have been woven by a sparrow or a house swift. They can even find other suitable places that have fabrics stored up in a bundle.

The adult carpet beetle emerges somewhere between the months of May and August. They feed on dead insects, feathers, and animal hair. It happens to be the source of their food throughout their growing season. They, then go through a diapause or dormancy period before this happens before the pupation stage begins. Dormancy period also depends on favorable environmental conditions. The better the weather condition, the faster a carpet beetle will grow.

Are Carpet Beetles of any Threat to Humans?

The larvae of the carpet beetle feed itself on a variety of substances that have Keratin as their main ingredient. You can find them in wool, feather, leather, and everything that comes from an animal’s body. They will not hesitate to damage your blankets, furniture, carpets, and fur. They can even be found in musical instruments, which haven’t been used in a very long time.

An adult carpet beetle never bites neither does it consume the fabrics of your carpet. Carpet beetle larvae however will. The adults are drawn towards the pollen and love the nectar that is present outside your home. Because they don’t have any teeth, they are not capable of biting you.

The excessive hair on a larva can cause allergic reactions on your skin. This might cause an allergic reaction or skin irritation. People often confuse this with a bite from a bed bug.

The larva can also feed on hair, lint, dead insects, and food crumbs. If you face any allergic reaction from the larva of a carpet beetle, apply a cold compress to the region. This will reduce the inflammation and instantly give relief. Several antiseptic creams are sold to reduce the swelling on your skin.

Signs of a Carpet Beetle Infestation

There is a lot of difference between a moth and a carpet beetle. A carpet beetle has the potential of ruining more things than a moth can. They are not just limited to ruining your carpets. Carpet Beetles are found in almost every region of the world. In order to prevent the damage they cause, you have to identify the signs of their infestation. Here, is how you will know.

Near your windows

Their larva is the main reason behind any kind of infestation. They are the root cause of the problems, but they are too small to spot. The adult carpet beetles would want to go outside as soon as the weather changes and its spring. You can, therefore, spot them on your windows. If you find a beetle that matches the description, then be sure that you have a carpet beetle infestation.

The underside of your rugs

Carpet Beetles enjoy the hidden, dark places in your home. That is why you can rarely see them. Check for signs on your rugs. Do you see tiny holes in them? That means they are currently in them.

Several holes

When you find that your clothes, carpets, rugs, or bedding has several holes in them and is not eaten through just one spot, then understand it is the work of a carpet beetle.

Their skin can be spotted everywhere

These beetles are capable of shedding their skin. This happens continuously throughout their lifespan. The skin is empty and light brown in color. Check places like blankets, clothing, corners, and other areas that are feeding grounds for a carpet beetle.

Do you see their feces?

A carpet beetle is a small insect; its feces are going to be even smaller. If you see grains of rectangular brown pellets in your wardrobe, then be sure they are in your home.

How can you get rid of the Carpet beetles?

Keep in mind that a carpet beetle is a persistent pest, it will stay in your home and ruin things unless you deal with it. They are a common nuisance and challenging to get rid of. After recognizing the signs of an infestation, you have to act fast and deal with the problem in hand. Remember the quicker you act, the more things you will be able to save.

1. Start washing

If you see any holes in your clothes, start washing them. Use a strong detergent and hot water to conduct this procedure. This will kill all the larva that are living in it. You can even steam your clothes for better results.

2. Use of alcohol

You can clean the areas of infestation by cleaning it with alcohol. Spray the areas with alcohol. The strong smell will be enough to shoo them away.

3. Try freezing

Take the materials that are infested by carpet beetles and place them in your freezer. Leave it there for a minimum of two days. This will kill the eggs, larvae, and the carpet beetles. After doing this wash your clothes, and other things with detergent and hot water.

4. Vacuum the place

When you start vacuuming your carpets, rugs, curtains, and other places you will surely kill the carpet beetles living in these regions. You have to vacuum your home after every few days. This will obviously depend on the type of infestation. Any furniture that is covered with animal material, needs to be vacuumed. You can even steam clean them.

5. Cedar Oil

Cedar Oil is the perfect way of repelling any insect including the annoying carpet beetles. The vapour from the oil is enough to kill all the carpet beetles. This holds true for the larva as well. Carpet beetle will not lay eggs in the different corners of your home if they smell cedar oil.

Pictures

Here are some more pictures of Carpet Beetles:

Interesting Facts about Carpet Beetles

Here are certain things about carpet beetles you didn’t know.

1. There are three types of carpet beetles – the varied carpet beetles, the black carpet beetles, and the furniture carpet beetle.
2. The carpet beetles never bite or destroy anything, it is their young ones you should blame.
3. As the carpet beetle grows its diet changes, it starts consuming pollen and nectar from plants.

A carpet beetle is a dangerous pest that can cause tremendous damage to your property. Before that happens, start cleaning!