% of people told us that this article helped them. With carpet, evidence can appear as a shorter nap or irregular open spaces in the weave. Their healthy diet comprises of dry foods like oats, grains, cereals, and dry pet food. A well-rounded pest control program needs to address each pest according to its biology, and if you don't know what pest you're dealing with, that can be difficult. After that, deep clean the carpets and furniture with a steam cleaner that reaches temperatures of at least 140F to kill any remaining larvae and eggs. Here are a few ways to prevent future carpet beetle infestations: Vacuum and steam clean your carpets regularly, removing food sources like lint and hair. A lax attitude toward dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming can make a home more hospitable to carpet beetles, so an infestation may be more likely to occur in an unkempt space. If this is the case, call a piano technician for assistance. This should be one of the most popular natural ways to get rid of carpet beetles. Generously sprinkle boric acid on your rugs, carpets, furniture, and vacuum them after two or three hours. After being certain about the infestations nature, they formulate a plan of action. You may be concerned about the professional costs. You can spread the sticky traps of hormone-based glue in your home to catch beetles. When you see signs of an infestation, including larvae, shed skins, and fecal pellets, taking fast action with the right tools and practices will help you eliminate the carpet beetles in your home and prevent them from coming back. Are the carpet beetles I'm finding larvae or adults? We again advise you to increase the level of humidity in the infested areas. Find it in powder form at pharmacies or in the laundry aisle of supermarkets. Hormone- or pheromone-based traps are specific to the kind of carpet beetle species you have. Solved! Damaged papers, photos, book covers, and other such materials. Unlike wood beetles that only eat wood, carpet beetles are notoriously known to feed on anything including cotton, wool, fibers, foods, and animal products. Sanitation and cleaning are always the best methods of control when it comes to carpet beetles. Larvae have alternating light and dark stripes and are covered with tiny hairs that can be 'puffed up . The term "carpet beetle" dates back to the days when wool was commonly used to make rugs. Regardless of what treatment method you decide on, it is very important to make sure you eliminate all carpet beetle larvae along with the mature carpet beetles. Also keep your windows and doors closed unless they have screens, especially in the spring, summer, and fall months, when carpet beetle adults are most likely to try and fly inside. Another natural product, diatomaceous earth (available via agricultural-feed stores and various online retailers) is a desiccant that quickly kills by dehydrating larvae. Mix water and vinegar in a tub with a quantity of 3/7 and mop all your floor with this mixture. How to get rid of carpet beetles. If you are having an ongoing carpet beetle issue, you could be bringing them in without knowing it or they could be feeding and reproducing somewhere nearby. Luckily, regardless of what type of beetle you're dealing with, control methods are generally the same, because it is the larvae that cause inside damage, not the adult beetles. If you have any questions regarding pest control, leave them below. She is a board-certified entomologist and volunteers for USAIDs Farmer to Farmer program. New York, Sterling Pub. Once you have found the carpet beetle damages on your clothing, blankets, and other similar items, do yourself a favor and throw them away. Continue vacuuming your home at least once a day for a week. This will kill the beetle. If you spot even one carpet beetle, its very likely entire infestation is underway, as they can reproduce very quickly (four times a year). {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8e\/Get-Rid-of-Carpet-Beetles-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-Rid-of-Carpet-Beetles-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8e\/Get-Rid-of-Carpet-Beetles-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid2573826-v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Carpet-Beetles-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"