Carpet beetles belong to the family of scavenging beetles known as dermestids. They are a common household pest that preys on carpets, furniture, and clothing. Adult carpet beetles are commonly found outdoors, feeding on plants and flowers. Still, they can sometimes fly into our home through open windows or can get inside accidentally with groceries or cut flowers. Once they get into your home, they will lay eggs on fibrous materials, an excellent food source.
If you think you have carpet beetles in your home, visit https://www.stridepestcontrol.com/georgetown-pest-control/ to know more about getting rid of them or call professionals to remove them.
Five signs that indicate that you have carpet beetles
1. Suspect damages in fibrous materials
When carpet beetle infestation occurs in your home, there are several places and materials that the larvae might feed on. They are commonly known for being dangerous beetles to carpeting. The larvae will consume fibrous materials for keratin like wool, silk, felt, fur, and leather materials.
When they start consuming the carpets and rugs, they graze on the underside and across the top and leave behind fraying or bald patches.
2. Holes in clothing
If you are unlucky, you will find carpet beetles feeding on your clothing, as well. When they find their way to your closets, the larvae will chew clothes like coats, blankets, sweaters, and scarves.
They cause damage like holes in large clusters or grouping. On the other hand, cloth moths tend to graze along with the fabric’s structure, creating small, sporadic holes. Carpet beetles prefer dark, isolated areas. They like to feed on clothing and materials kept away or never touched for long periods.
3. Skin shedding
When the carpet beetles grow, they often undergo a molting process and shed their skin. The shed skins of the carpet are typical with a brown or yellow hue. The hollow and special cells do look like sunflower seeds. The range depends upon the molting stage and type of species.
The shredded skin of a carpet beetle looks similar to the shredded skin of a bed bug. One way you can differentiate is by looking at the body shape. The shells of carpet beetle are more extended, while the bed bugs’ shells are rounder.
You can find the shredded skin of carpet beetle in areas where they can feed—for example, under rugs, between piles of clothes or blankets, or in furniture seams.
