There are many pests that invade Salt Lake City homes. Some of them such as flies or mosquitoes are obvious in how they make it inside. Yet some like carpet beetles are a little more mysterious.
Carpet beetles make it up to about 4 mm in length and are oval-shaped. This pest can be further identified by its black, yellow, and white patterned coloration. Immature carpet beetles are light brown to black in color and are covered in dense hairs. Ironically, they’re bigger than the adults with sizes up to 2.5 cm in length. The main reason why you might see this pest in the home is due to their diet of fabric and animal products. With materials such as carpet, clothing, and dead insects being plentiful, it’s not surprising they would make an appearance in your home.
Are they Serious?
The main problem with carpet beetles is the amount of damage they do to your property. Thanks to their diet, holes in any natural fiber item such as clothing or carpet are fairly common. Interestingly, it’s the larvae or immature carpet beetles that feed on these materials. Adult carpet beetles feed on pollen.
Besides their ability to damage your belongings, they truly earn their status as a pest since they’re drawn to any light and can lay as many as 100 eggs, which will hatch in two weeks during the spring. The presence of carpet beetles is an indicator there are eggs and larvae on the premises, which can spiral out of control if left unchecked.
Carpet Beetle Prevention
If there is one thing everyone can agree on it’s that pests prevented is better than pests hunted. That’s why we collected some important prevention tips for you to try so carpet beetles are no concern for you. Some of the best tips are:
- Vacuum/clean carpets regularly: At a minimum of once a week, you should use a vacuum cleaner to clean the carpets. Combined with an annual steam clean treatment, you can ensure carpet beetle larvae are unable to live and grow into adulthood.
- Keep storage areas clean: Carpet beetles like to hide where they can’t be noticed easily. The best way to counter this is to clean these dark areas. This should be done 2-3 times a month or as needed.
- Wash the clothes: The cleaner you keep your clothes, the fewer carpet beetles will have for sources of food. No food means no carpet beetles.
- Remove dead bugs: Carpet beetles feed on dead insects including their own. Look for them in crevices, holes, and other sources of dead bugs. Removing them with a vacuum cleaner is a snap and goes a long way.
- Secure the perimeter: Everything from damaged window screens to open vents represents a means of getting inside. Regularly patrol the perimeter and make these corrections to ensure they can’t just come inside because they feel like doing so.
Take Out The Carpet Beetles With Pest Pro Pest Control
Carpet beetles are annoying and will feed on anything that was once alive or came from a living source. That’s why they will feed on everything from dead insects to wool and other organic materials. While they mostly get inside thanks to flowers or plants, they can get in a number of ways.
Our team at Pest Pro Pest Control works with you to ensure any existing infestation is contained while we establish measures to keep them away in the future. Whether you need a full treatment or spot treatment, we’re happy to help you take back control of your home.