Left unchecked, carpet beetles in your Denton home can damage clothing and other fabrics, but it can be difficult to detect these tiny insects. Here's what you need to know about identifying carpet beetles, as well as how to prevent and eliminate them and ways that pest control in Denton can help.
How To Identify Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles can be hard to spot. Even fully grown adult carpet beetles only get to be about 1/16 of an inch. These tiny insects have a round shape, six legs, and two antennae. They are primarily black with white, brown, and yellow irregular patches on their backs.
Adult carpet beetles are actually not a threat to your materials since they feed on flower pollen. However, they will lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time near vulnerable materials. These eggs hatch into larvae which are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long and tan to brown in color. They are slow moving and covered with hair and will graze along susceptible materials leaving threadbare spots and irregular holes.
These insects can be hard to spot. Sometimes the way to identify carpet beetles is from the damage they leave behind.
How To Eliminate Carpet Beetles
If you already have a carpet beetle infestation in your home, there are steps you can take to eliminate these pests before their population has a chance to spread. First, you'll need to locate all infested items by doing a thorough inspection and checking the seams, folds, and creases of any cloth materials carefully. Carpet beetles can live inside upholstered furniture, inside floor vents and ducts, or (as their name implies) inside carpets or rugs.
Once you locate all of the infested items, they will need to be laundered, dry cleaned, or discarded to eliminate the carpet beetles. Vacuum floors, carpets, and the inside of vents to remove larvae as well as the hair and lint they are choosing to eat.
Pay special attention to the edges of carpets, along baseboards, under furniture and stored items, and inside closets and other quiet areas in your home. Insecticides can also be helpful when used correctly.
How To Deter Carpet Beetles
To avoid carpet beetle eggs in your furniture, it's important to take steps to deter these beetles. Carpet beetles feed on dead insects, fur, hides, feathers, silk, upholstery, and carpets. To prevent them, try the following steps:
- Store clothing in plastic containers.
- Dry clean items before putting them into storage.
- Seal gaps and cracks in the exterior of your home that carpet beetles and other pests might use to come inside.
- Be mindful of plants and other items coming in from the yard, and check them for insects before bringing them inside.
- Change outdoor lighting to yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lamps to attract fewer insects.
These steps can help minimize the chances of carpet beetles settling in your home, but they may not be enough to eliminate an existing population.
Professional Carpet Beetle Removal Services
Texas carpet beetles may not be as menacing as some of the other pests in the Lonestar state, but they are no laughing matter. You can get rid of carpet beetles for good with the help of the professionals at Adams Exterminating Company. Our expert pest control technicians can locate the carpet beetles causing issues in your home and help you come up with a plan to remove the existing infestation and ensure that carpet beetles do not return to your Denton home in the future. Call today to find out more or schedule your first service.