Carpet Beetle Invasion

Spring has arrived and you may have noticed tiny, dark, round bugs crawling up your walls. If you look very closely you'll see that they are beetles. These tiny beetles are only about the size of a pin head and are known as carpet beetles.

The carpet beetle's life cycle often requires an indoor and outdoor stage. The larval stage is the damaging stage that feeds on wool, hides, hair, dead insects, food crumbs, household lint, and general detritus. The adults, however, feed on the nectar and pollen of flowering plants. This is why they are climbing walls, they are moving towards the light looking for a way to get outside. This is also why you do not see them until spring when plants are starting to flower.

When the adult beetles emerge from their pupal stage in early spring they are attracted to light at first, and they can actually fly.

Some favorite flowers of carpet beetles are:

• dogwood

• spirea

• crape myrtle

• pyracantha

• buckwheat daisy

• wild aster

• ceanothus

Carpet beetles are also found in animal nests and wasp and bee nests.

Sources in your home where carpet beetles may reside are:

• Carpet beetles are drawn to fabric. They can be found in the carpet, especially if that carpeting is in a closet or other dark location, but they are also drawn to clothing, upholstered furniture, and items made of fur or feathers.

• Non-fabric items that attract carpet beetles include food cabinets, dog food, fresh flowers, and paint brushes.

• Also check dark, undisturbed locations like air ducts, baseboards, and attics.

Carpet beetles can be a serious problem when they are destroying items in your home.  Now that spring has officially arrived contact us to schedule a free no obligation inspection of your home.