Carpet beetles are small insects, usually 3-4 mm in length, that can cause significant damage to the clothing, blankets, carpets, and upholstered furniture in your home. These pests normally live outdoors but can enter your home through open windows or via plants, groceries, pet fur, or used furniture.
Adult carpet beetles are oval-shaped with a mottled shell of black, white, and yellowish-orange colors. When they come indoors, the insects often lay over 100 eggs at a time, which typically hatch within 10 to 30 days. Adult carpet beetles feed on flowers, plants, and pollen, but larvae feed on natural fibers and textiles like silk, cotton, wool, leather, and even pet hair and paper.
Despite their small size, carpet beetles can cause a significant amount of damage if an infestation is not addressed. It’s important to take action swiftly to protect the textiles in your home.
Signs You May Have a Carpet Beetle Infestation in Your Home
Carpet beetles tend to stay hidden, so even if you have an infestation in your home you may not see the insects themselves. However, there are some telltale signs to keep an eye out for that indicate there may be a problem.
- Damage to textiles. Unlike moths, which damage fibers in scattered patches, carpet beetles can damage one large, single area of a blanket, clothing item, or other textile. When larvae are eating a fibrous material, the pattern often results in fraying or bald patches.
- Holes in clothing. This is one of the most obvious signs. Carpet beetle larvae will chew through items such as shirts, sweaters, and other clothing, especially if they’ve been left untouched in a dark area for a period of time.
- Shed skin. Carpet beetle adults and larvae shed their skin several times throughout their lives. What’s left behind is a slightly yellowish or beige shell that’s translucent, dry, and hollow, often in the shape of a sunflower seed. These shells will be found in the areas where they eat, so check around clothing, rugs, blankets, and upholstered furniture.
- Fecal pellets. Carpet beetles and larvae often leave behind small brown or black fecal pellets roughly the size of table salt as a clear indication of an infestation. Like the molted skin, these pellets will be found in the areas where carpet beetle larvae have been feeding.
- Allergies and irritation. Although carpet beetles are not considered dangerous and don’t bite humans, they can cause skin irritation known as “carpet beetle dermatitis.” This presents as skin irritation, rashes, or welts with discoloration and uncomfortable itchiness.
How Nature’s Balance Can Help
If a carpet beetle infestation is left unchecked, the damage to wool, silk, leather, and other materials commonly used in blankets and clothing will continue to spread. Carpet beetles can also cause health concerns by contaminating food with harmful bacteria.
Nature’s Balance provides comprehensive pest control services that can remove carpet beetles and their larvae from your home for good. Our technicians have the expertise and experience to safely and effectively remove these pests from your property, and can also advise on preventative steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of encountering additional pests in the future. We specialize in using eco-friendly methods that are safe for kids, pets, and the environment.
Eco-Friendly Pest Control Services in Northern Utah
If you suspect that you may have a carpet beetle infestation in your home, don’t hesitate to give Nature’s Balance Pest Control a call. In addition to carpet beetles, we’re experts in treating a wide variety of insects, rodents, and other pests. We have locations in Park City and Heber City and serve northern Utah customers throughout Salt Lake, Utah, Wasatch, and Summit counties. Our treatments are effective, eco-friendly, and long-lasting. Contact us today to learn more or request a free quote.