Carpet beetles, as their name implies, sometimes infest carpets. Similar to clothes moths, the pests also feed on many other items composed of wool, fur, felt, silk, feathers, skins, and leather. Such materials contain keratin, a fibrous animal protein which the larvae are able to digest. Cotton and synthetic fabrics such as polyester and rayon are rarely attacked unless blended with wool, or heavily soiled with food stains or body oils. Infestations of carpet beetles can develop undetected, causing harm to vulnerable items.
How to get rid of carpet beetles
Finding holes in your carpet, clothes and general upholstery in and around your home is the number one sign of carpet beetles. Although the name suggests they live within your carpet, they will also feast upon all sorts of fabric, clothing, furs, stuffed specimens – the damage is done by the larvae as opposed to the adults – as they are not fussy or scared when it comes to variety. If you have bugs in your carpet and suspect carpet beetles, your next step is knowing how to get rid of them.
What Will Kill Carpet Beetle Larvae?
As carpet beetles won’t lay their eggs around alcohol, you should use rubbing alcohol to clean counters, windowsills, cupboards, shelves, and drawers. In addition to killing the eggs and larvae on contact, a cleaning solution consisting of one part bleach and three parts water can also be used.
Do Carpet Beetle Larvae Die In Winter?
Creatures like these are cold blooded. Blood is as cold as the temperature in the air around it when it is cold. A freeze kills them instantly. The insects are motivated to leave the cold because of this.
Monitoring and record-keeping
Adult carpet beetles lay eggs on the larval food source, such as furs and woolen fabric or carpets, or other natural, non-synthetic fibers. They prefer dark, secluded places, occasionally feeding on stored products such as certain spices and grains. The carpet beetle larvae leave brown, shell-like, bristly looking cast skins when they molt, and fecal pellets that are about the size of a grain of salt.
