How to Identify Carpet Beetles
A carpet beetle behaves a little bit like a moth, feeding on clothing and fabric. Follow these steps to identify a carpet beetle. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Check your clothing for irregular holes that go through the fabric. If you find these holes, you might have carpet beetles. The same is true if you find holes at the edges of your carpet or on your furniture.
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Determine what is causing the fabric holes. If you notice larvae feeding, expect them to be between 1/8 and 1/4-inch long and to look bristled because they are covered by hairs.
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Be sure to look for the larvae of the carpet beetle in areas other than closets. During this stage, the beetles will also eat cereals and pet foods.
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Be on the lookout for the mature, adult carpet beetle. Though there are many species of carpet beetles, all tend to be small, shaped like an oval and about 1/8 inch to 1-inch long. The most common carpet beetle is common is shiny and black, but there other varieties that are various shades of brown, orange, white and yellow.
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If the adult carpet beetles are present in your home, it is an indication that the larvae are there too. Conduct a thorough cleaning to solve the problem.
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Tips & Warnings
If you identify carpet beetles in your home, the best thing to do is to clean thoroughly: vacuum carpets and out of the way places like under the bed and in the corners of closets, even in heating vents.
Washing clothing in hot water or dry-cleaning wool and other dry clean only fabrics will kill carpet beetles regardless of which life stage they are in.
Pet hair is a great feeding source for carpet beetles; if you have pets, make an extra effort to vacuum up the fur that they shed.
Controlling carpet beetles is a lot like controlling moths.
If you choose to use a spray pesticide to get rid of carpet beetles, be sure to spray only corners, cracks and infested areas: never spray on clothing or affected fabrics.
