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When we talk about beetles, we are considering more than 25% of the lifeforms on Earth. This abundance makes us encounter multiple beetle species throughout the year.
The carpet beetle is a common beetle species from the family of Dermestidae. The adult carpet beetles feed on flowers, nectar, and leaves but not on the carpet. So why do they get the name Carpet Beetle?
Why is the name carpet beetle?
The name carpet beetle is not scientific but rather a generalized term. The scientific names for three different carpet beetles are:
- Anthrenus verbasci (varied carpet beetle),
- Anthrenus flavipes (furniture carpet beetle),
- Attagenus unicolor (black carpet beetle).
The credit for the name carpet beetle is due to its larvae. Yes, beetles undergo metamorphosis, and these beetles are no different. These larvae feed on the keratin that is available in silk, rugs, feathers, skins, carpets, wool, fur, clothes, fabrics, dead insects, and other animal products such as leather. That is how the beetle got its name, the carpet beetle.
How do you recognize carpet beetles?
The three species of carpet beetles can infest your house, and they look very similar. Only minor variations are in size and color. All adults are oval-shaped, with lengths ranging from 1.7 to 5 millimeters.
The adult varied carpet beetle is about 0.1 inches long (2.54 millimeters) with irregular color patterns on its wings. These patterns consist of white, brown, and orange-yellowish colors. They lay eggs near rugs, wool carpets, or animal skins. With a lot of hair, the varied carpet beetle larvae are broader at the rear part.
Adult furniture carpet beetles are a little larger and rounder than varied carpet beetles. They can be confused with black carpet beetles sometimes. The furniture carpet beetle larvae are white and darken with growth.
Adult dark carpet beetles are shiny black and have brown legs that distinguish them from the other two variants. Their larvae are longest and dark with short and stiff hairs. Black carpet beetles are considered the most dangerous infestation among the three.
Do carpet beetles shed their skin?
Yes, carpet beetles shed skins. As the larvae grow, they shed skins to transform into adult carpet beetles. If you encounter any skin near your carpet corners or wood cracks, it addresses the carpet beetle infestation, so check if there is already damage created. This phenomenon takes place around the feeding area of the larva.
What is Carpet beetle infestation?
A pest infestation, in general, is the invasion by insects, parasites, animals, or microorganisms into one's living environment. Carpet beetle infestation is the presence of the beetle and its larva inside your home. These carpet beetle can damage the products in your home for long periods if not controlled.
How do you get carpet beetles inside the home?
The story starts when female adult beetles get to fly inside their home to lay eggs in places with an abundance of food for the larvae. The places they generally use are cracks in the woods, unused closets, stored clothes, and mattresses.
Once the larvae get out of the eggs, some unwanted troubles await your discovery. However, it can also start with people bringing infested items (such as flowers, and furniture) inside their homes.
What time of the year do carpet beetles hatch?
The carpet beetle is found year-round. However, the hatching period is often the spring and summer months. They reproduce about four generations a year. They lay eggs where the larvae get an abundance of food sources, such as closets, rugs, and furniture cracks.
The larvae live up to 630 days, and adults live up to 8 weeks (varies among the three species).
Should you be worried about carpet beetles?
Adult carpet beetles are not much of a concern. However, if you find adults flying near your window and doors, it hints at the presence of their larvae in the house. Unfortunately, it is a concern.
Among the various food alternatives, you can find carpet beetle larvae in and around the carpet. The infested items can be found with severe damage by these carpet beetle pests. While controlling them with DIY can be challenging, professional services will take care of your house from any pest infestations.
Why is carpet in danger?
Carpets in our homes are often infested with moths, carpet beetles, and other pests. It is because they are a good source of a variety of fabrics. Also, it is a place to hide underneath unnoticed.
The bigger danger is, you may be cleaning your house regularly but still getting the pest. It is because the nearby floor cracks serve as an escape during the cleaning process. It makes it more difficult to find them in the initial stage.
Synthetic carpets may sound like a solution to stop infestations. But the underlying problem being wool is a softening fabric in them. While the larvae eat your carpet fabrics, they will create holes and tears and damage the carpet.
Are carpet beetles harmful?
Adults usually do not cause many problems. But the larvae of these carpet beetle can bring real damage to materials such as clothes, fabrics, rugs, and other products. We discussed above that larvae eat fabric, skin, furs, feathers, wool, hairs, animal products, and dead insects.
By the time you confirm the presence of any types of beetle bugs at your home, it might be a little late already. You will also observe damage to your clothes, upholstered furniture, etc. It may also make you suffer an allergic reaction.
Do carpet beetles get in your bed?
Carpet beetles are not seen on the bed usually, especially in adults. It is because it does not consume human blood. However, the larva can reach out to your bed in search of food items such as hair, mattress fabric, and other materials. Another pest to worry about is the bed bug. Their bites may trouble you in sleeping as infestations of bed bugs occur near your bed.
Can carpet beetles live in your hair?
These creatures do not come to human interaction often. But sometimes larvae may get on your hair as they feed on them. It may cause itching, irritation, or allergic reactions. If you experience any such activity, it is a reflection of the situation. Early pest control solutions are the need of the hour to stop further damage to the home.
Are carpet beetles and bed bugs the same?
People often confuse if their home is affected by beetles or bed bugs. Carpet beetles and bed bugs are very different. They differ in structure, habitat, and diet. While the former feed on fabric, bed bugs drink human blood.
What is a bed bug?
Notably, a bed bug is not a beetle. The bed bug does not have wings. Bed bugs also do not undergo metamorphosis. They grow in size from birth. Birth. The bed bug may cause mild to severe trouble to your skin as they bite. More significantly, bed bug usually bites you at night during sleep hours.
Bed bugs do not feed on fabric. Bed bugs preferred areas are your mattress, bedside drawers, or anything with a small crack where they can hide in day hours. Apart from cleaning and do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions, periodic visits by pest control experts are advised.
Are carpet beetle larvae harmful to humans?
There is not much evidence of the larvae spreading any disease to humans. However, many people may have an allergic reaction to their bristles, dead skin, and blood. Symptoms of this allergic reaction are a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, gastrointestinal issues, and itchy skin.
What do carpet beetle bites look like?
No, they do not bite humans. Instead, adult beetles do not feed on animal products. If you are experiencing bites, they may be bed bug bites or some other pests. However, an allergic reaction or allergic rash from a carpet beetle larvae may be more painful than a bite by a bed bug.
What is carpet beetle dermatitis?
Long-time exposure to infested homes may sensitize people to get mild to severe allergic reactions to larval hair and blood. This may result in skin rash and is called carpet beetle dermatitis.
It can be a painful experience affecting your quality of life. Consulting your healthcare experts is essential in a situation like this.
What does a carpet beetle rash look like?
A rash usually is red and itchy with bumps on the skin. People usually confuse rash with insect bites. You may observe random red dots spreading across the sensitive areas. Sometimes it may require you to consult your dermatologist. An expert can distinguish between rashes and bites to help you understand the pests in your house.
How do I get rid of carpet beetle larvae?
Getting rid of unwanted carpet beetle is very important, just like getting rid of boxelder bugs, to protect your household items from further harm and damage. Consistent cleaning is the very first step for prevention.
Warm wash clothes and vacuum clean your carpets. You can also use some chemical products or do-it-yourself (DIY) pest control methods. However, professionals from pest control services can solve the problem for long periods.
How do I know if I have carpet mites?
Carpet mites or dust mites, different from beetles, reside on your pillow, bedsheet, mattress, and other items of furniture. Feeding on human skin scales (dust), this species in abundance is not visible to the naked eye. They can affect your life with an allergy to their waste.
How do you get rid of carpet mites?
Getting completely rid of mites is not practical due to their invisible size. However, controlling their population is very crucial if you are facing issues related to them. Regular cleaning is the key to prevention. Consulting a pest control professional can help improve your quality of life.
Is there any permanent pest control solution to carpet beetle infestation?
As the insect flies in and around throughout the year and can produce up to four generations, a permanent solution is a little difficult. You can use various methods, including the use of some chemicals. If the situation does not improve, professional services provide better results for long periods.
Depending on areas and neighborhoods, your home can be under infestation of carpet beetles, drugstore beetles, bed bugs, cloth moths, or any other pests.
An all-rights reserved pest management company A.N.T. PEST CONTROL NEW LENOX assures your quality of life is not disturbed by these unwanted guests inside your home. A.N.T. PEST CONTROL NEW LENOX provides quality pest control services for households, businesses, and warehouses.
