Carpet beetles are annoying and destructive pests. The good thing is you don’t need to be a science or biology expert to deal with these creatures. If you know what caused them in your house, you can address this pest issue smartly. We want to help you with this process. This post will brief you about the potential causes of carpet beetles in your house.
Carpet beetles infest millions of house every year because of multiple reasons that include: house openings they can fly through, natural fibers, carpets with food remnants, lack of cleanliness, and many more. If you are proactive and careful, you will be able to get rid of these pests – permanently.
How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles. Everything You Need to Know!
Do you think you might have Carpet Beetles? Act quickly! This ultimate guide will teach you about the different carpet beetles types, how to remove them and how to make sure they never infestate your carpet!
8 causes of carpet beetles in house
Carpet beetle infestation is a recurrent problem in many houses. Every infestation is unique in terms of the cause and severity. However, one thing is common in all of them. They are extremely unpleasant to face.
The first step in solving a problem is knowing its cause. So, let’s discuss the causes of carpet beetles in detail.
Cause 1: Openings
Adult carpet beetles feed on nectar and pollen. That is why they are found in gardens and plantations. How do they come to your house? Can they fly? A not very comforting answer is YES, they can.
Carpet beetles will see an open window, a door, or crack as a welcome sign. They will fly straight in. That is when the nusiance starts
Cause 2: Cozy spots
Once carpet beetles come to your house, they mate near light sources. The females lay eggs in warm sites where food is in abundance.
This poses a real threat to your carpets, furniture, and pantries. The larvae hatch and feed in such dark and cozy spots.
In short, your house provides an ideal habitat to carpet beetles.
Cause 3: Natural fibers
Carpet beetles feed on animal-based products. This includes wool, leather, silk, animal fur, and human hair.
Ask yourself. Aren’t pretty much all these materials present in your house? I am sure the answer to this is YES.
This means your wool rugs and wool toys are carpet beetles’ natural feed. Sweaters made of wool are also their favorites.
The availability of these fabrics makes your house suitable breeding and feeding ground for the six-legged invaders.
Carpet beetles can infest synthetic materials as well. They aren’t included in their natural feed, but the oil stains and food remains on such items can attract carpet beetles.
Cause 4: Curtains
Do you know what else can fancy carpet beetles? Window curtains.
When carpet beetles fly in through your windows, their first hiding spot is probably the curtains.
They can lay eggs and stay safe there. If you touched the curtains with oily hands, they could absorb the oil. That’s how carpet beetles can also feed on them.
Cause 5: Carpets
You might have heard that if you don’t buy carpets made of wool, there will be no carpet beetle infestation. I hate to be the one to break it to you but, even synthetic carpets can be infested.
Let me explain it to you. So, you often eat snacks in your living room. Kids run around, munching on crispy chips. What happens is that the crumbs fall around and go unnoticed.
That’s exactly what carpet beetles notice. The larvae are so tiny. They easily hide in your carpets and nibble on them. Hence, synthetic carpets can be edible for them if they contain food remnants.
Cause 6: Dirty clothes
Are you habitual of doing laundry more than once a week? If yes, that’s cool. If no, umm, I would suggest you make this habit.
I agree that washing clothes is not an easy task. However, carpet beetles will ruin stained clothes if they are piled up for some time.
They will chew on them since the dirty laundry will probably contain animal protein like oil, human hair, or animal fur.
To safeguard your clothing items, keep them clean.
Cause 7: Lack of cleaning
As much as uncleanliness is unpleasant for humans, it is pretty attractive for pests
Carpet beetles love dust and dirt. If you don’t vacuum regularly, it’s about time you start doing it. That will also help in cleaning the carpets since larvae reside in them.
Pay attention to hidden spots like carpet edges and under the furniture. Carpet beetles look for undisturbed spots. You have to make sure those are thoroughly cleaned.
Cause 8: No pest control
Don’t rely on DIY methods if you have a serious carpet beetle infestation. Take professional help when it comes to that.
Carpet beetles won’t be removed for good if you don’t let the pros handle the situation. They will breed again and keep you on your toes.
How to get rid of carpet beetles?
Are you thinking, “Gosh! there are so many causes of carpet beetles. How can we possibly avoid all of them? How can we get rid of carpet beetles permanently?”
Don’t panic. It sounds rough but it is doable. Take the appropriate measures.
Clean regularly. Don’t let dirty clothes pile up. Keep doors and windows closed most of the time. These are just basic precautions to help you say no to carpet beetles.
However, if you have an infestation, I suggest you give the following post a read.
How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles in 4 Easy Steps!
It is annoying to deal with a floor covering infested with carpet beetles. Read this comprehensive post to learn how to get rid of these pesky pests for good!
5 top sprays to eliminate carpet beetles
If you have a minor carpet beetle problem, you can take methods in your own hands before you call a professional.
There are certain products engineered specifically to kill pests. We have listed 5 of the top sprays used for this purpose. Let’s see what those are.
BE CAREFUL
Take appropriate precautions when spraying insecticide.
1. Make sure the area is ventilated.
2. Don’t mix these products together unless advised.
3. Avoid contact with skin, eyes and mouth.
4. Wash hands properly after using the spray.
5. Store these sprays away from the reach of children and pests.
Spray 1: D-Fence-SC
D-Fence SC is one of the best chemicals to defend your house from carpet beetles. Its effect lasts for about a month and doesn’t have any smell.
It contains deltamethrin. This is a key ingredient for pest control. It’s a pyrethroid insecticide that kills insects. This can be done in contact or through digestion.
Mix D-Fence SC with water and put it in a spray bottle. That’s how you use it.
Spray 2: Bedlam plus
Bedlam Plus is a formulation that features a dual-mode of action. That means it will kill the pests and their eggs as well. It provides resistance from pests for at least two weeks.
Bedlam doesn’t cause odor. That’s another bonus point.
This spray is ideal for places where fluids can’t be used. These include carpets, furniture, curtains, etc.
Spray 3: EcoSmart Organic Home Pest Control Spray
EcoSmart is an organic insecticide made by plant oils. It is non-toxic and non-staining. So, you don’t have to worry about using it indoors.
It can be sprayed along the foundation, around window frames and doors. It can also be used around vents and any points that can provide entry to pests.
Spray 4: Eco Defense Organic Home Pest Control Spray
Eco Defence is an organic product. Non-toxic and natural. Using this spray is a fast and effective way to kill pests.
It is durable too. Some have even compared its stellar results to the traditional chemical sprays. That’s how good this is.
Spray 5: Reefer-Galler SLA Cedar Scented Spray
SLA Cedar Scented Spray kills a wide range of pests. It quickly shows results and is stain-free.
This spray uses a water-based formula and is cedar-scented. Thus, the odor is pleasant even though it will dissipate quickly.
If you’re frustrated by the carpet beetle problem, our blog post, How to get rid of carpet beetles? is bound to help you.
Conclusion
I think that’s a wrap. You must be more confident that you WILL be able to avoid carpet beetles.
You know your house more than anyone. Hence, you are the only one who can figure which of the above-discussed reasons might be attracting carpet beetles in your house. Is it open windows, dirty laundry or anything else?
Just take relevant measures and you are good to go.