Carpet Beetles Found In Maryland Homes

The other day after I just sat down on the couch with the clicker in one hand and the popcorn in the other I noticed that my cat, Mia, was staring at something very intently on the carpet. Upon further inspection, I noticed a rather slow moving brown bug trying to wiggle out of harm’s way and Mia was stalking it as only a cat can do. My husband, quick to the rescue as always, scooped up the bug in a tissue and that was the end of it. The television was turned on and our thoughts were elsewhere.

What we saw turned out to be a carpet beetle. Sounds innocent enough, I know. The adult carpet beetle causes no real harm except for the fact that they lay eggs in the soft areas of your home. Sometimes they lay as many as a hundred or more eggs deposited in carpets, pet bedding, furniture, and stored clothing. When those eggs hatch, that is when the trouble begins. The larvae of the carpet beetle have voracious appetites and these pests crave animal products over everything else. That means fabric - all kinds of fabric! Your favorite sweater, the fibers of your carpet, pillows, and cushions are all fair game for carpet beetle larvae. These pests are feasting on pet dander, textiles, feathers, and fur causing the fabrics to have holes or look worn far before their time. These problems can be disastrous to the household budget if you must replace furniture, bedding, or carpets years before you thought you would.

You may wonder if the bug in question truly is a carpet beetle. There are four different types that are the biggest concern in the United States. The black carpet beetle can be recognized by its oval-shaped, shiny black body which is about a quarter of an inch long. The females of these pests can lay up to 50 eggs around your home, under baseboards, in dust or lint, and even in air ducts. The varied carpet beetle is smaller than the black carpet beetle. They are rounder and have yellow, brown, and white patterns on their backs. The common carpet beetle tends to have a gray or black back with a pattern of orange or white on them, and last but not least is the furniture carpet beetle that are black with yellow and white scales on them. When you can recognize the adult, you can be very sure that hidden among the fibers around your house unable to be seen are their tiny little offspring feeding contentedly.

An unchecked infestation of these pests can cause severe damage to your home. You can minimize these infestations with frequent and thorough vacuuming, but to eliminate the threat inside your carpet or other fibers which is where the larvae tend to hide, you need to call American Pest to help you safely find where they live and remove the threat entirely. Regular inspections of your home by our professional team can save you thousands in damages from several different types of threats including the carpet beetle.