CARPET
BEETLES

PREVENTION TIPS

Trimming back trees and shrubs away from home is always a good idea to help prevent insect infestations to your home. Also, vacuuming your carpet once a week will help prevent carpet beetle infestations to your home. You may also want to treat exterior home with an approved insecticide labeled for Carpet Beetles at areas such as but not limited to: Window frames, door frames, utility penetrations and exterior vents these areas can be potential point of entry for Carpet Beetles.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Carpet beetles are varied in color, generally being black or brownish and often speckled.
• Carpet beetles have complete life cycles, and may take up to three years to complete a life cycle.
• Their eggs hatch in 17 to 18 days.
• The adults live short lives from 14 to 40 days.
• The larvae hatch and emerge in the Spring and will usually be found where the carpet meets the walls, and on the walls and ceilings.
• They may infest odd areas such as wall or ceiling voids, attics, rodent baits, wasp and hornet nests, and animal trophies.

FEEDING HABITS

• The larvae alone are responsible for damage to commodities.
• Larvae feed on a wide variety of materials including; hair, fur, feathers, hides, horns, carcasses, dead insects, cereal, stored grain, nuts, seeds, cayenne peppers, and flour.
• They love your clothes, will eat your drapes and make a mess out of your carpet. They hide in the wall and you won’t find them until its too late!
• Varied carpet beetles will feed on the food products in pantries.
• The adults feed largely on pollen and nectar and are commonly carried into homes on flowers. A number of carpet beetles require pollen for successful production of eggs.

DAMAGE THEY DO

• On furs they will cut the hairs at the base and leave the hide undamaged giving a bare appearance.
• On fabrics they mostly graze on the surface but can also make irregular shaped holes. They may burrow through packaging when seeking food.

CONTROL

Often the Pest-A-Way Barrier is all that is really needed to control adult carpet beetles on the outside of a home. And by preventing them on the outside, the probability of an interior infestation is greatly reduced. In the case of an interior infestation an inspection/treatment will be necessary.