Carpet Beetles Are Quite Destructive
The professionals here at Witt Pest Management want to provide you with some information about carpet beetles; and while this may not seem like the most interesting subject, it is an important subject and if you give it a chance, you may find it to be a pretty interesting subject! We'd like to give you the 411 on carpet beetles themselves, what damages they can cause, what dangers they pose, and what exactly to do if you notice these small pests taking over your western Pennsylvania home!
When talking about carpet beetles it is necessary to talk about both the larvae and adults. First up the adults; despite their name, adult carpet beetles actually feed on the pollen of flowers and are often introduced into homes on plants that are brought inside from the outside. Adults are active during the day and at night are attracted to lights in homes and may get into homes through small cracks and crevices. Adult carpet beetles tend to get into homes most often in the fall when they are looking for a place to overwinter.
Once inside of your home adult carpet beetles lay their eggs near a food source that the larvae can feed upon once they hatch. Places like carpets, blankets, upholstered furniture, and clothing can all be potential egg-laying sites. Adults may also lay their eggs in food sources such as dry animal food, flour, grains, and seeds. Once the eggs hatch the larvae tend to stay close to that food source and feed on it, thereby contaminating it and damaging it- pretty interesting, right?
As you may have already guessed the larval stage, while small in size (1/4 of an inch in length), is actually the most destructive stage of development. Carpet beetle larvae can take up to a year to develop into adults and if they are not stopped during that time they will continuously feed on and damage fabric items, including carpets in your home.
These small pests are not only damaging pests, they can also be considered dangerous pests as well. Carpet beetle larvae have the habit of crawling on furniture and beds as people are sleeping because they are attracted to oils in human hair and when their bristly hair-covered body comes into contact with a person’s skin it often leaves a rash behind. This rash is commonly confused with bed bug bites which can lead to homeowners incorrectly identifying the pest that is invading their home. Another interesting fact is that their larval hairs shed from their bodies and in the cases of large infestations can be inhaled leading to pulmonary irritation in some people.
If you spot adult carpet beetles flying in your home, larvae crawling along windows, floors, and other surfaces, or you find large holes in furniture, carpets, clothing, or other natural fabric items, or awake with a mysterious rash, then it’s time to call in the professionals. Here at Witt Pest Management, our professionals have the experience, patience, and pest management skills required to find all the carpet beetles that are hiding throughout your home and safely treat them. We can also provide year-round prevention services to stop future problems with these small, but very invasive and troublesome pests which keep your future carpet beetle free!
Contact the carpet beetle control experts at Witt today for more information about our TopCare® home pest control plans and how they can quickly, safely, and effectively get rid of carpet beetles from your Pennsylvania home!