In this article, we will cover the solutions to get rid of carpet beetles. You have just seen carpet beetles in your home, then don’t give them time to cause damage to your fabrics. Immediate action is necessary to control their infestation and get rid of them completely. They are not harmful to us as they don’t cause any health risk, but they are capable of doing plenty of damage to our fabrics and furniture. You need to have patience as they are not going to disappear immediately after the application.
Types of Carpet Beetles:
1.) The Varied Carpet Beetles:
They like stuffed animals, carpet, and other animal products. Their habitat is in fur and silk. Their body appears brownish instead of speckled.
2.) The Furniture Carpet Beetles:
As the name suggests their infestation spot is furniture, but they also love other spots too. Fabrics made of cotton and rayon are also attracting some species of this kind.
3.) The Common Carpet Beetles:
They can be found in various places across the United States, fabrics made from animals are their main habitat or source. The common places of their infestation are wool, silk, and fur.
Remedies to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles:
Contents
1.) Vacuum Cleaner to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
The first and immediate step you should take to remove carpet beetles from your home is to, suck the suckers with the help of a vacuum cleaner. Do not forget to get their babies too, as they will ruin your furniture in the future. The appearance of carpet beetles is like the hairy little caterpillar. They eat organic material so switching to synthetic fabrics is a good option to avoid beetles. According to studies done by carpet beetles they do not eat synthetic fiber, the organic materials are the main source of their food so eliminating the organic fabrics is the best way to get rid of carpet beetles.
2.) Wash Fabrics to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles Infestation
To get rid of carpet beetles it is a good idea to wash the targeted fabrics in hot or soapy water. They will not survive in hot as well as soapy water. Carpet beetles are very resilient like the pests that feed on animal remains. Wash whatever fabric you think has been infested by the carpet beetles. For carpet you need to purchase a steam cleaner from the local hardware shop, you can also get help from professional for the treatment.
3.) Borax (Boric Acid) to Prevent Carpet Beetles
Boric acid has a great property to kill any insect that only comes in contact with it. Despite it is so dangerous for insects, it has no harmful effects on human and this fact has not required proving. You can not take boric acid as a harmful chemical instead it is a natural remedy to kill carpet beetles. Before using the boric acid for carpet beetles, you should clean the fabrics to remove any potential beetles. Spread boric acid on the fabric, this will kill the living larvae and eliminate the chance of new infestation.
4.) Use Insecticide to Control Carpet Beetles
Make sure the insecticides you are using to kill carpet beetles should contain, allethrin, bendiocarb, and chlorpyrifos as these chemicals are very effective to get rid of carpet beetles. They hide in the cracks and crevices so using the insecticide in these areas is much better than broad carpet treatment. Use an insect growth limiter with the insecticide during the process, it will control the birth of carpet beetles and prevent them from reproducing. It is recommended to take all the precaution before using the insecticide, wear gloves and leave the area after using the insecticide as it has property to diffuse in the air.
5.) Caught Them on Larvae Stage to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
At the larvae stage they look very different, the question is what they eat and where they find their food. The answer is they crawl all over the house and eat your organic fabrics, wool, and leather. They do not like synthetic material and cedar, now you got an idea how you control their infestation. Use synthetic fiber or keep the fabrics in the chest of cedar. The female beetle can lay 100 eggs in two weeks, so their infestation is very important to control, the vacuum will pick up a large number of larvae so it can also be used. Keep in mind that getting carpet beetles at the larvae stage is the best way to control them.
6.) Find the Source to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
A large concentration of carpet beetles around any region is a good indication that a certain location is their source of the infestation. Don’t forget to check your clothing, upholstered furniture, and items made of fur or feathers. Usually, fabrics attract the carpet beetles so it may be the primary source of carpet beetles infestations specifically the carpet placed in the dark location. A synthetic or non-fabric item that attracts them is dog food, food cabinet, paint brushes and fresh flower.
7.) Cleaning to Prevent Carpet Beetles Infestation
Keep your house clean as it is the best way to prevent carpet beetles infestation. The most common sources of carpet beetles are human hair and diet of animals. If your house remains clean then chances of beetles infestation reduce significantly. If they have already infested then first kill them and then clean entire house. Routine cleaning will control their growth and prevent carpet beetle infestation. Do not leave any food items on the floor as they also feed on the dust bunnies.
8.) Use Synthetic Material to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles only eat organic materials and hate synthetic materials. This characteristic of carpet beetles gives a clear view of preventing them from destroying valuable materials. Use synthetic material if you have a room that you would like to protect, fill it with furniture, interior fabrics, rugs, and carpets made out of synthetic fabrics and materials. You should use only synthetic material if there is a large infestation of carpet beetles in your home. Use of synthetic fibers is one of the best remedies for carpet beetles.
9.) Plastics to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
The best way to prevent carpet beetles infestation is by eliminating the favorable condition. Beetles generally get attracted towards fabric. Store off-season clothing in a plastic containers or bags. Open your dresser drawers for a few hours each day and put them under sunlight. Do not allow the carpet beetles to reach to your fabrics by storing them in the plastics. They will not be attracted towards plastics and your fabrics will be isolated from the infestation of carpet beetles.
10) Spray Organic Insect Spray to Control Carpet Beetles
There are many sprays available in the market specialized for carpet beetles, that do not cause any harm to pets and human. Use a spray that is specifically labeled for use against carpet beetles. You should follow all the instructions on the label to effectively apply the insecticide to your carpet. carpet treatment insecticides that contain bendiocarb, allethrin and chlorpyrifos are the most effective against carpet beetles. Organic insect spray is 100% effective to eliminate carpet beetles infestation. Just spray it around the house to get rid of beetles.