How to get rid of carpet beetles

Carpet beetles are a pest that usually are found outside.  They sometimes make their way inside, though, because they like to lay their eggs in things like carpet and other fabrics.  The larvae can do a lot of damage to your home, so you need to know how to detect them, how to get rid of them and how to prevent them form coming back.

The adult carpet beetle lives outside, but they like to lay their eggs inside in carpets and other fluffy materials.  The larvae ruin the fabric and create holes.  They also get into any animal product, like food or leather. The adults will try to get out once they have laid their eggs, so a good sign you have them are seeing adults around the windows. 

You need to find where the larvae are feeding and get rid of the source, if possible.  You should vacuum frequently and try to eliminate any piles of clothes or other materials that larvae could feed on.  You cannot prevent them form coming inside, so management is important.  If you have old bee or bird nests in an attic space you need to remove them because carpet beetles really like to lay eggs in these spots.  You can also use an insect spray and spray around the floor boards and furniture.

Carpet beetles are rather easy to control.  Although you can not keep them from coming inside, all you really need to do to deter them is clean carpets, furniture, rugs and drapes often as this take away their food source and new carpet beetles will se it is not a good breeding ground.  You will find that after a good cleaning you should not have a carpet beetle problem.  If problems persist simple use a spray for better control.