Carpet Beetles are extremely common in our area. 

Most people who have damage to feathers, leather, wool, or items made from hair, such as wool carpets, horse hair blankets, wool sweaters or coats, etc... have Carpet Beetles.

Carpet Beetles can be a real problem. Many people who have Carpet Beetles think they have Clothing Moths. Clothing Moths are actually very rare here.  Clothing Moths can be imported and occaisonally need treatment but do not typically survive in our area.

Getting rid of Carpet Beetles: Understanding Your Pest.

Adult Carpet Beetles do not do any damage. They are pollinators.  When it comes time for the female to lay her eggs she develops an aversion to light. She seeks a dark area near or on the larvae's preferred food sources to lay her eggs.

In the wild this is typically an animal carcass, shed animal skin or hair, or a quantity of insect material.

Inside the living area of your home they target areas under and behind baseboards, clothing driers, and the inside of heat ducts. These are the areas where human hair and pet hair tend to accumulate.

The also lay eggs inside dressers, back behind the shelf in your closets, and anywhere you store woolens. It could also be directly on a woolen item stored away in an area of very little light.

They love furniture stuffed with horse hair - the eggs will be laid in crevices or underneath where the larvae can burrow inside.  The undersides of wool rugs are also areas of big concern.

When she is done laying the eggs she becomes attracted to the light which is one reason you often find dead Carpet Beetles on window sills.

Getting rid of Carpet Beetles: Heavy Infestations.

If your home has lots of Carpet Beetles, there may be another pest problem in your home.  Carpet Beetles will lay eggs on bird and rodent carcases and inside the nests of yellow jackets and other insects.

If you have lots of carpet beetles, you need to have your attic and sub areas inspected for rodents, birds, and other pests.

If problems are noted in these areas, they may need to be addressed to get control of your infestation.

Getting rid of Carpet Beetles: Inside Your Food.

Carpet Beetles are an occasional food pest.  They will sometimes infest food sources wich are high in protein, including dog and cat food, some types of seasonings, powdered milk, and some types of sauces.

If you have these pests in your kitchen you will need to clear out the infested drawers or cupboards, toss any infested foods, and have us treat the these areas.  Contact us for more details and a copy of our prep guide.

Safeguard Gets Rid of Carpet Beetles

Getting rid of Carpet Beetles: Carpet Beetle Control

On the inside of your home, Carpet Beetle control focuses on the areas where carpet beetles will lay their eggs and areas that they will have to cross to get to food.

This involves treating the base of your walls throughout your home. Under and behind your baseboards if you have them, Anywhere you store clothing or items of wool, wool rugs, any area which could accumulate pet or human hair, and laundry rooms.

Carpet Beetle control may include the following if indicated:

Food storage areas if the pests have been noted in those areas.

Attic or sub area crawlspaces, if the home has experienced previous birds, rodent, or insect activity.

The entire surface of wool carpeting - especially the perimeter and below any furniture that normally sits on the carpet.

We may recommend that furniture stuffed with horsehair be fumigated and we can discuss each situation on a case by case basis.