Carpet beetles are small bugs that are commonly found in Central Illinois. These little creatures are now known to bite or harm humans; however, they can quickly become problematic if they come into your home. At Quick Kill Pest Eliminators, we can help solve your carpet beetle problem. Our Bettendorf pest control technicians have decades of experience and can help you find and eliminate these annoying bugs from your home.
How To Identify A Carpet Beetle Infestation
Carpet beetles are unique-looking bugs that can measure around 1/16 to 1/8 inches long. They have round, segmented bodies that can be solid black or a combination of white and black or tan and brown. They have a pair of wings that lie flat against their backs that they use to fly around light fixtures and other areas of your home.
If you see these small bugs crawling around your home, it is a good indication that you have a carpet beetle infestation. You may also notice holes or bare spots in your carpet, rugs, and clothing.
Carpet Beetles Will Chew On More Than Just Carpet
As you can imagine, the only thing that most people know about carpet beetles is that they like to nibble and snack on the carpet in your home. However, they have a much more diverse diet.
Typically, only the larvae and baby carpet beetles will eat the carpet. They like to eat a variety of fabrics, which can include cotton, wool, and furs. Nowadays, a lot of the carpet in most homes is made out of synthetic material. Carpet beetles in Bettendorf prefer to snack on organic and all-natural materials. But they can sometimes be enticed to eat synthetic carpet if it is "seasoned" with sweat, dirt, and other organic materials. Female carpet beetles will usually lay their eggs in carpets, rugs, or clothing so that there is plenty of food for the larva to eat when they hatch.
Once a carpet beetle reaches adulthood, carpet and other fabrics aren't on the menu as much. Instead, they like to eat pollen and nectar from plants. When they are inside your home, they will eat certain pantry foods, like rice, oats, and flour.
Four Simple Ways To Prevent Carpet Beetles In your Home
If you want to keep carpet beetles out of your home, some preventive methods you can try include:
- Vacuums your carpets, drapes, and rugs regularly
- Store your unused clothing and blankets in a sealable plastic container
- Thoroughly inspect second-hand furniture and clothing for carpet beetles before bringing the items into your home
- Make sure to keep the fabrics in your home as clean as possible
Carpet beetles can crawl and fly fast. They commonly find their way into homes by flying through open doors or crawling through holes and gaps in the screens of your doors and windows. If you want to keep carpet beetles out, you will need to make sure that they can't come in. Check around your home and seal any cracks you see around the exterior walls. Also, make sure to thoroughly inspect your doors and windows to ensure that there are no gaps around the perimeter.
The Best Way To Completely Get Rid Of A Carpet Beetle Infestation
Carpet beetles have a high reproduction rate. Once a couple of adult carpet beetles find their way into your home, it won't take long to develop into a full-blown infestation.
If you have a carpet beetle infestation in your Bettendorf home, call the home pest control professionals at Quick Kill Pest Exterminators. We can quickly and effectively get rid of the carpet beetles in your home and ensure they don't ever come back.