Few pests are as troublesome as the ones that damage our household items. For Kentucky residents, that means moths and beetles, but carpet beetles especially are common invaders of homes. Learning how to tell them apart and how to prevent beetles from getting in your Louisville home can help you keep your precious heirlooms and other property protected.
Different Types Of Carpet Beetles
The basic thing to understand about carpet beetles in Kentucky is that it’s their larvae, their offspring, that actually damage household materials. That’s because they eat fibrous keratin that’s found in linens that contain animal products. The adults, however, eat pollen and mostly invade homes as a way to lay their eggs near easy sources of food. In their larval or pupal stages, it can be nearly impossible to tell carpet beetle varieties apart. But as adults, you can notice some subtle differences between the following species:
- Common Carpet Beetle: These black and gray speckled beetles can have red or yellow stripes down the center of their backs.
- Varied Carpet Beetle: Varied carpet beetles are also speckled, though they tend to have orange splotches mixed in with their black dapples.
- Furniture Carpet Beetle: Furniture carpet beetles look similar to varied carpet beetles, but they are more round in shape as adults.
Where The Damage Comes From
Again, it’s the carpet beetle offspring that do the real damage around the house. While it’s important to be on the lookout for adults, because the mature adults have wings and kickstart an infestation, it’s more important to spot the signs of carpet beetle damage before it’s too late. Carpet beetles, in all their species, can damage the following:
- Clothing: A common point of an infestation is inside of dark closets because wool fibers can be found in sweaters, coats, and other garments.
- Furniture: Furniture is another target for carpet beetles, even those that aren’t furniture carpet beetles specifically.
- Curtains: Drapes and curtains often contain keratin, too, and eggs can be hidden on undersides or within folds.
Elimination Isn’t Easy
The reason why carpet beetles are so common is that they can make it inside of homes in several ways and are extremely difficult to completely eliminate. Adult beetles can make it in through open doors and windows, crawl through cracks in your exterior, or under the gaps beneath the door. Once inside, they lay their eggs in well-hidden places that are close to food sources, which is why people don’t often know that they have an infestation until they spot the damage firsthand. Then, people often try all kinds of at-home remedies, like spraying vinegar or essential oils and trying to deep clean contaminated items. The problem is, these methods won’t do anything to address the eggs that might be hidden elsewhere, so the endless cycle of bugs and destruction continues. That’s why the best course of action is to turn to professionals, for early prevention and timely removal.
Effective Solutions From Action Pest Control
Rather than go it alone, smart homeowners trust Action Pest Control for all their carpet beetle control needs. The first step is a thorough inspection of your home where our experts look for signs of damage or factors that might attract pests inside. Then, we tailor prevention methods to your property, helping you address all the potential access points and food sources for carpet beetles. If carpet beetles are already there, we can act quickly to remove them and make sure that their eggs are completely rooted out. That kind of frequent, targeted home pest control saves you money in the long run since you won’t waste time or money on methods that don’t work.
For real protection against the damage carpet beetles cause, turn to Action Pest Control right away.