How Carpet Beetle Infestations Start In Maryland Homes
10/25/2021
Carpet beetles are an interesting type of pests found in Maryland homes. These tiny insects are now quite common to the area and can be found in a ...
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Knowing the enemy: it’s a simple rule of thumb that comes in handy in multiple areas of life. In order to get rid of something, you need to know a few things about it. You need to know what the thing in question looks like, problems it’s causing, and most importantly you need to know if you can handle it yourself or not. This can be true for eliminating an opponent in a wrestling ring…and it’s also true when it comes to eliminating pests in your home.
What are Carpet Beetles?
Carpet beetles aren’t as well known as spiders or ants, but it’s just as important to be able to identify them on the chance that they infest your home. The most common species of the carpet beetle in the MD, D.C., and NOVA area are the varied carpet beetle and the black carpet beetle. The varied carpet beetle adult is black with an irregular brown pattern and has white and dark yellow scales on its wings. They are usually 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch long. The larvae appear brown and hairy. As an adult, the black carpet beetle is dark brown to an oily black in color and they are the same size as varied carpet beetles. Their larvae typically have carrot-shaped bodies with a tuft of long bristles at the narrow end. It’s also important for homeowners to know where to look for them. Carpet beetles are usually found inside homes, warehouses, museums or other buildings, particularly those that have an abundance of clothing or furniture. This is because they feed primarily on natural fibers and particles and are attracted to wool (carpets, rugs, etc.), animal furs, stuffed animals, fabrics, upholstered furniture, human and pet hair, and more. They will also eat dried plant and silk products. In the home, they are most often found on the floor, along baseboards, in closets, beneath upholstered furniture, and on the undersides of carpeting. As you probably can imagine, they can cause serious damage to all of these products.
How To Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles:
Luckily, homeowners who are knowledgeable of carpet beetles have a lot of control in preventing and eliminating them from their home. Carpet beetles enter homes through small cracks and openings around windows so a key step is to locate and seal those entry points. If an infestation is detected early, homeowners can wash and clean affected items and send out those items that need to be professionally cleaned. Homeowners will also want to thoroughly clean and vacuum the affected areas. Homeowners are able to have a lot of involvement in that part of the process. For the next portion, call on American Pest and have a technician apply a safe insecticide in the affected areas. In order to maintain and/or prevent future carpet beetle infestations, the technicians will service your home and treat with the appropriate products. The best solution is for homeowners to invest in a year-round protection plan with American Pest. With our Preferred Care plans, homeowners receive services bi-monthly and are covered for over 30 pests! Here at American Pest, our technicians know everything there is to know about carpet beetles and other pests. We protect homeowners by knowing the best ways to detect, eliminate, and prevent infestations. Contact American Pest at the first sign of an infestation or to start coverage today!
