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Carpet beetles are not on the top of most people’s list of frightening insect invaders, but they are extremely destructive, hard to eradicate, and they reproduce quickly, making them a serious problem once they get a foothold in your home.
Once a carpet beetle infestation is underway, it can be nearly impossible to manage the problem on your own. Most people deal with carpet beetles by hiring a professional pest control service, but we’ve put together this guide to help you give it your best shot if you want to try and tackle the problem yourself. In this guide, you will learn:
The information in this article will give you the best opportunity to get rid of carpet beetles, but if you need a little extra help, we also include a section on the best pest control companies for getting rid of carpet beetles. Let’s begin!
Carpet beetles are small, airborne insects that wreak havoc on household fabrics like upholstery, clothing, and rugs. They typically enter homes by flying through open windows or hitching a ride on the family dog. Once inside, carpet beetles reproduce quickly and lay eggs in carpets or closets. A single adult carpet beetle can lay up to 100 eggs that hatch in as little as one week, meaning carpet beetle infestations can happen seemingly out of nowhere.
There are four main species of carpet beetle that homeowners need to be able to identify.
Despite their name, carpet beetles don’t just live in your home’s rugs. They’re also quick to make themselves cozy in closets, dressers, and furniture cushions, basically anywhere their larvae can find fabric to eat. Young carpet beetles are particularly fond of cotton, linen, silk, and wool, although they are also happy to devour common pantry goods like flour, pet food, and pasta.
Once you identify a carpet beetle infestation, you must act quickly to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. Unlike other common household pests, carpet beetles multiply extremely quickly and can overrun a house if you don’t eradicate them immediately.
Carpet beetle eggs are very small and hard to detect, meaning most people don’t discover an infestation until they hatch. Damaged carpets and fabrics are the easiest signs to detect, so pay attention to your clothes, furniture, and rugs if you suspect a carpet beetle infestation. Carpet beetles are especially drawn to wool, so look for patches in wool blankets and coats.
You should inspect any newly-formed bald spots in your rugs for signs of carpet beetle larvae since they can make quick work of carpet pile. If the damage is extensive enough for you to notice, you’ll probably be able to find signs of larvae in the surrounding area.
Seeing just one adult carpet beetle is often enough to signal a budding infestation, and you should take it as a sign to be on high alert. People sometimes confuse carpet beetles for other, less destructive insects, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the common species’ markings.
The best defense against carpet beetles is prevention. Battling a carpet beetle infestation can be a lengthy process if you don’t catch it initially, making it an excellent idea to take some simple precautions to protect your home from carpet beetles. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to make your home less attractive to carpet beetles.
If your fight against carpet beetles isn’t going well, consider calling in the cavalry and hiring a professional pest control company like Terminix. Having experienced exterminators take a look at your situation and devise a plan of attack can save you months of frustration trying to manage a carpet beetle infestation yourself. Carpet beetles are notoriously difficult to get rid of, so you might be better off letting professionals take over. Professional services will also make sure you won’t develop any future infestations.
Carpet beetles are formidable foes, so you want to hire the best pest control company you can find. Here are summaries of the two best exterminators that can help with carpet beetles.
Terminix is our pick for the best overall pest control service. The company handles most common household pests like ants, roaches, and bed bugs and is more than capable of ridding your home of less common pests like carpet beetles. The company offers an impressive array of reasonably-priced pest control plans, making it easy to get comprehensive pest control coverage or standalone treatments.
Terminix offers several pest control services and plans, ranging from mosquito control and termite protection to bed bug eradication and wildlife control. It also has annual pest control plans that help homeowners with recurring pest problems save money while getting access to all of the high-quality services the company provides.
Terminix has competitive prices, although specific costs depend on where you live, what kind of infestation you have, and how big your property is. In general, you can expect to pay the following prices for common services:
If you want to learn more about Terminix and how the company can help with carpet beetles and other household pests, check out our in-depth review.
If you need pest control service as quickly as possible, Orkin is the answer. The company is known for providing fast emergency visits, making it the best choice for surprise infestations. Carpet beetle infestations often crop up quickly, making Orkin one of the best pest control companies for dealing with these intruders.
Orkin has an annual plan that covers an astonishing number of common and not-so-common pests. The company offers treatments for ordinary insects like ants and roaches, rodent coverage, and services for less-common invaders like tiger beetles, amphipods, and Sahara desert ants. All of the company’s services come with a 30-day guarantee. If you see any pests between scheduled visits, Orkin will dispatch a technician to your home to handle it for free.
If you contact Orkin to schedule a visit or get a free quote, keep in mind that your price may vary from the estimates above. Orkin prices its services based on the severity of your situation, what kind of pest you’re dealing with, and your property size. Its prices are excellent, and its emergency services are extremely attractive, especially for fast-moving infestations like carpet beetles. You can read our Orkin review for more information about the company’s services.
Carpet beetles can enter your home through cracks or crevices in doors or open windows. They can also find their way in on pets or worm their way through exterior cracks in your siding, especially in regions around crawl spaces and attics. You should make sure your window screens are intact and repair any cracks in your doors to prevent carpet beetles from making their way into your house.
Permanently ridding your home of carpet beetles is about maintenance since it’s impossible to guarantee that more carpet beetles won’t enter your home after you eradicate the current population.
Maintaining a strict vacuuming routine and looking out for signs of carpet beetle activity is the best way to keep your home free from carpet beetles. Using a steam cleaner occasionally is also a good idea since it provides a deeper, more thorough clean than a vacuum cleaner. You should also regularly check your windowsills and baseboards for signs of carpet beetle eggs or larvae.
Yes. Getting rid of carpet beetles once they hatch and grow is exceptionally difficult. The best way to get rid of carpet beetles is to detect the infestation quickly and treat it while they are still eggs or in the larval stage. Carpet beetle larvae do the most damage, but adults will reproduce, creating new larvae and multiplying the problem.
Bare spots in carpets and holes in clothing — especially wool — are the most common signs of carpet beetles. You may also notice larvae in food sources like pasta, flour, or cornmeal.
Our research process involves a multi-step process to get real insights into the customer experience for each company. We contacted each pest control company directly and spoke to representatives via phone and online chat (if available). This allowed us better understand the company’s treatment offerings and customer service. We also consider BBB accreditation and what customer reviews say about each company. Additionally, we fact-check and update company data regularly to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
We developed a 100-point rating system to compare the companies numerically.
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