As a homeowner in Peoria you know that pests can get inside your home in spite of your best efforts. One of the reasons this happens is due to not fully understanding the pest in question, because all pests aren't instantly familiar like the common housefly.
One pest that isn't well recognized is the carpet beetle. Carpet beetles are between 1/8 inches and 3/16 inches and shaped like an oval. They also possess black, yellow, and white patterned coloring, have six legs and sport antennas.
How They Get Inside
Carpet beetles are prone to get inside just like other pests. However, they also possess another quality that makes them especially inclined to be drawn to the inside of your home. Their diet consists of fabric and animal products. As such, your clothing, curtains, and furniture are fair game. Holes in such items are common and can make for an expensive replacement if the infestation isn't addressed quickly enough. They will also feast on dead insects, which means if there are other pests inside, you can count on carpet beetles to follow suit.
Once inside, they will begin to reproduce. It can take 249-354 days to three years for carpet beetles to grow from an egg to an adult. It's vital to practice prevention when it comes to this pest because you may not see the eggs that need to be eliminated from where they are laid.
Carpet Beetle Prevention
Prevention is relatively easy to get going. However, these tips need to be followed strictly to be relatively effective.
The best tips include the following:
- Vacuum/clean carpets regularly: At least once a week, the carpets should be vacuumed to ensure population control. We also recommend having an annual steam clean treatment performed to make sure any larvae can't grow into adulthood.
- Store clothing in plastic containers: As with moths, carpet beetles will get into clothing that is not in use. Store any clothing not in use in plastic containers. Also, thoroughly dry clean clothing prior to storing.
- Clean the storage areas: This pest will hide where they can't be noticed. As such, dark spaces and storage areas are their friend. That is unless you clean them regularly to consistently rid places of any in hiding.
- Wash the clothes: Cleaning your clothes regularly will keep the carpet beetles from being as interested. No one likes to have any of their clothing damaged by pests.
- Remove dead bugs: Since they will feed on dead insects, it's important that you remove carcasses to minimize how attractive your home is to carpet beetles. Vacuuming works wonders in doing this.
- Perimeter check: Whether it's damaged window screens or open vents, if there's an opening, it's a means of getting inside. Correct these trouble spots to ensure they can't get inside the house so easily.
Eliminate The Carpet Beetles With Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators
Pests can be such a disturbing and troublesome nuisance. This is especially true when they are prone to damaging your belongings. At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, our team has used its 85 years of experience gained to develop a complete pest solution that provides the most comprehensive protection against common household pests, including carpet beetles.
Every situation is unique, which is why we always take the time to consider your unique situation before recommending a course of action for unmatched results.