Carpet Beetle Control

Carpet beetles can cause considerable damage to carpets and other fabrics in the home and also in businesses, especially textile businesses.

If you suspect that you may have an infestation, contact to us to discuss what steps can be taken.

We are an effective, professional and friendly pest control company. We have been working in the South East and London since 1975.

Carpet Beetle Infestation

Carpet beetles like to live in warm, dry places, so a house is a good choice of home for their larvae, especially as there will be a plentiful supply of food in the form of carpets, curtains and other textiles.

The beetles can also cause a considerable amount of damage in textile business premises, resulting in significant financial losses.

Museums may also be infested by the beetles and the larvae will feed on stuffed animals and other exhibits.

The most obvious sign that you have a carpet beetle infestation will be if you see the beetles or their larvae.

However, the larvae tend to live out of sight beneath carpets or behind skirting boards, though they can be seen venturing out in search of more food, perhaps going down a wall or crossing the floor.

It is in the larvae stage that the damage is caused. You may also suspect an infestation if you see damage to blankets, curtains and other fabrics.

Carpet beetles eat any fabric which contains keratin, including wool, leather, furs and silk.

If you think you may have a carpet beetle problem then a professional pest controller will be able to help you.

Call us on: 0800 158 3885 or send us a quick message through our Quick Contact Form.

The Life of the Carpet Beetle

There are several types of carpet beetle, with the varied carpet beetle and furniture carpet beetle being the most common.

The adults are 2 to 4 mm long, oval in shape and mottled in white, yellow and brown spots.

They live outside and feed on pollen and nectar. In warm weather they start to fly and the female may choose to lay her eggs indoors.

She may find an abandoned nest in an attic or beneath rafters and lay up to 100 eggs there. She may also find a pile of undisturbed curtains or other fabric left in an outhouse or attic and lay her eggs there.

The larvae are 4mm long and called woolly bears due to the tufts along their backs. They have huge appetites and will first eat organic matter close to their nest before setting off to look for more.

If they are in a house they will move some distance in search of food, though most of the time they will spend in places where they are undisturbed, such as in wardrobes and beneath carpets.

Larvae live for 7 to 10 months before entering the pupa stage for a month. Usually they will only live for 2 to 6 weeks as an adult.

Eradicating carpet beetles requires a combination of finding the source, such as the abandoned nest, then taking preventative measures — including protecting unaffected clothes and carpets and using an appropriate insecticide.

If you suspect that you have an infestation of carpet beetles, then take the first step in resolving the problem and give us a call today on: 0800 158 3885 or fill in our Quick Contact Form.