What’s This Bug Eating Up My Carpets?

Unfortunately for homeowners, many bugs can crawl around, in, or under your carpets. Thankfully, most of them won’t harm your carpets. However, Carpet beetles are a whole different story as they can eat up your carpet and cause damage. 

Bugs Eating Up Your Carpet?

If you are finding carpet damage in your Maryland home, carpet beetles may have found a way inside your home. We’re here to help you understand the problems these pests cause and what you can do to prevent them. If you are finding bugs in your carpet and are trying to tell what pest you’re dealing with, check out this article that helps in identifying the differences in carpet beetles and bed bugs.
 
First of all, it is essential to understand that adult carpet beetles don’t feed on carpets. It is the larvae of carpet beetles that do the damage. However, while that might sound like good news, it’s essential to understand that carpet beetles remain in their larval stage for 3 to 36 months.

You can have those bugs feeding on your carpets for as much as three years before adult carpet beetles appear in your home.
 
Since adult carpet beetles don’t eat up carpets, if you’re finding bugs that live in your carpets, you’re likely looking at the carpet beetle larvae, which is why it is sometimes challenging to identify carpet beetle infestations correctly.

Many people know what an adult carpet beetle looks like, but far fewer can identify carpet beetle larvae if presented with a group of bugs.
 
In the Maryland and DC area, the carpet beetles we see most are called varied carpet beetles and they have bright orange and white coloration that makes them recognizable.

If you see these insects crawling around your home, it’s a clear warning sign that you’re dealing with carpet beetles.

Thankfully, the presence of adult carpet beetles doesn’t always mean damage has been done.

Those insects could have gotten into your home to overwinter. If that is the case, you should have them dealt with quickly before they lay their eggs, and those eggs turn into a one, two, or three-year ordeal.

Carpet Beetle Larvae Identification

Carpet beetle larvae are not nearly as pretty as the adults, if you would even consider the adults to be pretty. They are tiny, caterpillar-like bugs.

They’ll hide under your carpets, between floorboards, and even get into your bed with you. So, don’t be surprised if you pull your sheets down and find groups of these ugly critters on your mattress or under furniture, eating up your carpet or other similar materials.

Carpet Beetle Damage Identification

If you pull up a carpet, you will probably find fine dust between your carpet and the floor if you’re dealing with carpet beetle larvae. This dust will be the same color as the fibers of your carpet.

Warning Signs of Carpet Beetles

If you pull up a carpet and see shed skins attached to it, this can also be a sign that you’re dealing with a carpet beetle infestation.

As larvae develop, they shed 5 to 12 times. But these beetles are far from the only bugs that can shed skins in your home. It is essential to be aware that those skin could be from bed bugs or some other insect that hides under carpets.

Pest Control For Carpet Beetles

When you find a bug hiding under your carpet, it’s a good idea to call a pest control professional. Bugs can cause significant damage to your home. Your carpets are just the beginning.

Some will damage your drapes, tapestries, furniture, clothing, and more. Some will damage your wallpaper and other building materials. Some will feed on the wood of your home or create galleries within it.

Some don’t do any damage to your home, but they can make you and everyone else in your home very sick.

It is essential to correctly identify what bug you’re dealing with and get appropriate treatments to arrest the problem. If you want to be sure, try placing a bug in a bag or container for your pest professional to check at your next visit.

At American Pest, we employ experienced bug experts who know how to figure out what’s bugging you. No matter what bug you’re dealing with, we have the tools, training, and support to address it.

If you don’t have a carpet beetle infestation yet, and you need practical tips for preventing a carpet beetle infestation, or other resources for dealing with carpet beetles.

Our goal is to give our customers what they need to prevent pest problems and the support they need when unexpected pest problems arise.

Most of all, we provide ongoing, year-round residential pest control programs that work to prevent infestations before they take root, through the application of perimeter treatments and other exterior pest control services. Don’t wait till something is bugging you. Take care of those bugs before they get in.