What are Carpet Beetles?
These beetles are small, oval-shaped insects that may look harmless, but in reality, they can cause significant damage to your bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture and favourite clothes, if left unattended. Let’s fly straight into some details how to prevent these nasty beetle pests.
The larvae from these beetles, commonly known as “woolly bears” have replaced the clothes moths as the major British textile pest.
Appearance
As adults they can grow up to approximately 4 mm in length.
They have oval-shaped bodies with a striped shell of black, white, and yellow or orange.
Eggs and Larvae
These beetles lay eggs that are white or cream in colour and are less than 1 mm long.
Adult carpet beetles lay more than 100 eggs at once, which take between 10 days to a month to hatch. The larvae aka ‘woolly bears’ are small (about 4mm long), covered in brown hairs, and tend to roll up when disturbed.
As the larvae grow, they moult, leaving the old cast-off skins. Like most insects, the adults typically emerge in warmer months, during the spring or early summer. Indoors, you’ll frequently spot them near windows.
Habitat
Female carpet beetles will actively seek spider webs, bees, wasps, and bird nests to deposit their eggs. These nests and webs hold deceased insects, beeswax, pollen, feathers, and other debris that can nourish the carpet beetle larvae.
Young carpet beetles and larvae feed on natural fibres like wool, silk, and leather, as well as animal products including pet hair. Adult carpet beetles, on the other hand, feed on pollen, plants, and flowers, and will also feast on dead insects.
Carpet beetles often go unnoticed in homes. If small numbers are present, they can actually serve a purpose to your home, given they effectively decompose decaying organic material and act as a kind of insect hoover.
How do They Enter Homes?
Carpet beetles can enter homes through an open door, window or on an item that is already infested when brought inside. Items like furniture, plants, and fur can harbour these pests. Taxidermy animals are also a hotspot for carpet beetles. Adult carpet beetles, attracted to fabric and animal products, can fly in through open windows and lay larvae on furniture, clothes, rugs, or carpets. Abandoned birds nests and old wasps nests in the attic are also a source of attraction for carpet beetles.
How to Prevent a Full Invasion
If there are still relatively small numbers of carpet beetles, (signs of woolly bears), a good starting point would be the loft and eaves areas. Look for any signs for old birds or wasps nests and remove them. Dead wasps from an expired nest make for a suitable cuisine for carpet beetles.
Next step is pulling out beds, wardrobes, and chest of drawers, to really expose those dusty areas. Take a vacuum and clean all fluff and debris from airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards, carpets and upholstery. Lift carpets and underlay and clean the floor and carpet thoroughly. Don’t leave any area undisturbed.
From Nuisance to Pest.
Carpet beetles in larger numbers can usually mean signs of an established infestation in the home. Carpet beetle larvae can cause damage to natural fibres, leaving holes in blankets and clothes. While they are not harmful to humans, they can wreak havoc on bedding, carpets, and furniture.
Signs of Infestation Include:
- Seeing adult carpet beetles around bulbs and windows (they are attracted to light).
- Damage and holes in fabric items, usually well defined round holes.
- Thin or bare areas on wool rugs.
- Shed larval skins in hidden areas.
Irritating Woolly Bears
Although carpet beetles and their larvae pose little risk to people, when in close contact the bristly hairs found on carpet beetle larvae can cause skin irritation. When they moult, their dead skin can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis. At times, these skin reactions can be mistaken as bites from bed bugs or fleas.
Time for a Helping Hand?
If after all your hard work, and despite all your best efforts, you still continue to see carpet beetles, it is time to call in professional help. Contact us at Sparta Pest Control, we can help to stop the carpet beatles from rubbing you up the wrong way in your North London home.
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