Carpet Beetle: How To Get Rid Of It In 4 Steps

Insects often appear in private houses or apartments for a variety of reasons. Some of them are unpleasant, and some can be dangerous. One pest that you should pay attention to and kill is carpet beetles. When you see a carpet beetle, it is hard to believe that something so small could cause such big problems. But these little creatures can be a nuisance, feeding on fabric and other materials in your home. What to do in such a case? Kill them, of course, as soon as possible! But how to get rid of carpet beetle?

Cleaning and treatment will be the most effective processes to eliminate annoying bugs. And here’s how to do everything correctly so that the bugs don’t bother you anymore; read further in our article. We will tell you how to get rid of them in a few steps. Keep reading to learn more about carpet beetles and their treatment.

Methods of Treatment

The best times to kill carpet beetles are October-November and May. When they do not have a dense chitin cover after molting, perform the following actions to get a good result.

• Step 1: Make preparations.

Close doors, windows, and vents tightly. Remove people and pets from the room. Wear protective clothing, gloves, and a respirator.

• Step 2: Prepare a working solution, if necessary. 

Suppose you use an aerosol or emulsion in the form of a spray. It is easiest when you don’t have to do this.

• Step 3: Perform treatment of all surfaces from carpet beetles. 

On the walls, we spray the drug from top to bottom. The working height is 150 cm; it is not necessary to go higher. We apply the mixture in this sequence. We start from the walls up to the baseboards, then behind the baseboards. After that, we spray doors, windows, and skylights. Next, we treat upholstered furniture and all the hairy surfaces, such as carpets, braided rugs, and cabinets.

• Step 4: Wait for the insecticide to work. 

The exact time is necessarily specified on the package. Therefore, the treatment is repeated after some time. After that, the house is ventilated and cleaned. Unfortunately, a single treatment will not be enough. Adults will be destroyed, but the question remains how to exterminate the eggs and larvae of carpet beetles in the house? They can survive, and the bugs will appear again. 

Carpet beetles are not easy to remove, and the damage to property and premises is significant. It is necessary to know precisely what it looks like and where it can hide. Then, if the threat of parasites appears, you can quickly take adequate measures. 

Species Characteristics of Carpet Beetle

These are relatively large, up to 1.2 cm long, bugs. Coloration varies, more often in brown tones. The body is covered with a rigid chitin shell with small stripes, speckles, etc. Twice a year, the insect has a molt in October-November and in May. During this time, the chitinous cover is soft and toxic substances pass through it more easily. These months are considered the most favorable to fight the bugs.

Beetles are very tenacious, which means killing carpet beetles is not easy. They can live for up to four years under unfavorable conditions while still being fecund. As soon as it becomes possible, the insects immediately begin to reproduce. The female is capable of laying four or five clutches of eggs during the year. They develop into larvae and actively grow, causing considerable property damage. During this period, the worms easily gnaw holes up to 10 cm long inside items of leather, wood, etc. They are especially attracted to items made of natural materials: wood, leather, wool, cotton, etc. 

Where Do They Come From

It is difficult to say where they come from, but exterminating carpet beetles is possible. Parasites are brought into the house with infected things; sometimes, the beetles get into it from the street. Most often, adult insects and larvae are found where they feed.

As soon as dermestid carpet beetles are found in the apartment, you must kill them immediately. Regardless of the species, they cause significant damage to property and premises, as well as harm to human health. The pests bite, and very painfully. They do not drink blood, but their skin smell is lovely.

Bite sites remain swollen and painful for a long time. Sometimes an allergic reaction develops. Together with saliva, the beetle can transmit a dangerous infection. In addition, excrement and particles of chitinous cover, which are especially abundant during the molting period, cause allergy attacks in sensitive people. Often the disease first manifests itself when the pests appear.  

How to Exterminate Carpet Beetles in Your Home

More often than not, beetles are accidentally found during cleaning. It becomes an unpleasant surprise. Small, dark brown or black specimens gather under wooden baseboards, in the folds of upholstered furniture, inside window sills, in flower pots, etc. They do not tolerate bright light, hiding in secluded, darkened corners. 

They move relatively slowly, however, almost constantly moving in search of new territories. For this reason, even if only one individual has been spotted, starting treatment for carpet beetles is necessary. Here are a few ways to deal with pests in the home. 

Cleaning

It is the first place to start in any case. Vacuuming all corners of the room, cabinets, shelves, etc. Be sure to look into the most hard-to-reach corners. It is desirable to take a vacuum cleaner with a water filter for treatment. If there is only a bag device, the cloth bag is replaced by a single-use paper bag and taken out of the house immediately after cleaning. After vacuuming, all surfaces are rinsed with water and vinegar.

Such treatment of the house from carpet beetles is carried out daily for a week. And surfaces with piles in which beetles can lurk are recommended to be vacuumed two to three times a day. If insect-infested items or objects are found during cleaning, you should discard them immediately. 

Temperature Effects

These parasites are sensitive to low and high temperatures. Therefore, freezing and heating are used as effective folk remedies. However, this is not always possible, given the habitat of dermestid bugs. 

It is necessary to freeze infected things for not less than 4 hours at a temperature below -10°C, and it is better to freeze them longer. Small items are put in the freezer and then washed. 

High temperatures are also excellent for exterminating carpet beetles. They die at 50°C or higher. But it’s hard to provide that kind of exposure. A steam generator can help, but it is only suitable for textiles and those surfaces that are not afraid of scalding. 

Insecticides

It is the best way of killing carpet beetles. There is always a wide range of insecticides for universal and narrowly targeted action. They come in different forms, which determines the method of their application. 

Powders

Their action begins after the powder comes into contact with the pest’s skin. The action depends on the primary substance. Most often, it is permethrin or boric acid. The powder is scattered in a thin layer in areas where there is a threat of infestation or diluted with water and sprinkled there. They are harmless to humans but deadly to carpet beetles during treatment. 

Liquids

The active ingredient of narrowly targeted means is safe for people. Using liquid preparations, especially aerosols, is most convenient at home. They are already fully ready for use; all that remains is to spray the composition. 

Fumigation

Fumigators are suitable for small spaces or even closets because they have a limited range. Electric devices are also effective in the extermination of carpet beetles. They heat plates or liquid insecticide. The poisonous vapors spread throughout the room, killing beetles and larvae. At the same time, these products are safe for people. 

Folk Remedies

Anyone looking for how to get rid of beetles in the house with folk remedies is news to you; there are treatments for carpet beetles. Most often, vinegar is recommended. Its aqueous solution is used to wash surfaces, which repels bugs. Some herbs containing pyrethroid permethrin work quite well. These are chrysanthemum, tansy, and dogmata chamomile. When dried or fresh, they repel insects.

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