Why Are There Carpet Beetles In My Hartford Home?

Are you seeing disturbing little beetles invading your home? Have you been finding black, white and yellow bugs of a mottled nature crawling all over the place? If so, you may be wondering why they have invaded and how to get rid of them. Well, you have come to the right place.

What Are Carpet Beetles?

These little mottled creatures of black, white and yellow coloring are called carpet beetles, and they measure up to 3.5 centimeters long. Females can hide up to 100 eggs at a time inside crevices and cracks in a home, and these eggs only take one week to hatch. Because of this, their populations can grow quite rapidly. And if the larvae get into your pantry foods or other areas, you could be in for a surprise.

Problems Caused By Carpet Beetles

Carpet Beetle larvae feed on a wide variety of substances. Crumbs, lint, felt, soiled clothing, pet food, milled products, hides and dead insects to name a few.
These larvae love to feed on natural fabrics. Because of this, many things in your home are in danger of being damaged if you have a carpet beetle problem. Clothing, carpets, ornaments, and blankets are just a few of the items you may begin to see holes in. If you are seeing holes and want to determine if you have moths or carpet beetles, be aware that carpet beetles tend to eat in one big section.

Carpet beetle larvae like to nibble on essential oils in hair. Because of this, they like to crawl in bed and nibble on a person's hair while they sleep. Like this isn't disturbing enough, they also can crawl across the body and, for some people, this will leave an irritating rash. Because of this rash, some people confuse carpet beetle larvae rashes for bed bug bites. And it doesn't help that carpet beetle rashes have raised bumps and are extremely itchy--just like bed bug bites.

So Why Are These Beetles Getting Into Your Home?

There are many reasons why carpet beetles would want to get into your home. If they gained entry recently, it is probably due to the approach of winter. Like all cold-blooded creatures, carpet beetles must hide from the bitter wind and freezing temperatures in order to survive. In nature, they hide under the bark of trees, beneath layers of leaves, in logs, and other hiding places, but it is just as natural for them to hide under the siding on your home. And, when they did this, they probably found an entry point.

Carpet beetles don't need winter as a reason to exploit holes, gaps, and crack in your exterior walls. They can find their way inside your home any time of the year. So, one of the biggest reasons you have carpet beetles is you have some entry points that need to be filled.

Beyond their need to overwinter, carpet beetles can come into a home for the same reasons other household pests do. Our homes provide many food sources for these bugs and their offspring, and they have no problem establishing themselves in human dwellings.

Carpet Beetle Prevention

If you are seeing carpet beetles, know that there are some steps you can take to deter them:

• Dry clean clothes, or put them in your dryer on the hottest temperature. This will kill carpet beetles on clothes.
• Vacuum all your carpets, and thoroughly dust and vacuum all furniture and pantry shelves on a regular basis. This will reduce carpet beetle populations.
• Keep things well lit. Carpet beetles love dark places.
• Carefully check all plants and flowers before bringing them inside.
• Seal all food items in the fridge or inside sealable plastic containers. If adult beetles can't find a meal, they are more likely to look for another place to live.

Year-Round Service

If you would rather not have these beetles or other household pests invading this fall, or any time of the year, reach out to us here at American Pest Solutions and learn about year-round pest control service. Life is simply better when you are pest-free. Call or click today for assistance. We also offer year round green pest solutions for your home or business, ask us about it when you call!