Carpet Beetle
Finding a strange worn area in your carpet or favourite rug is certainly upsetting and could be expensive! The most likely culprit for damage to carpets is the carpet beetle.
One of the less well known of New Zealand’s pests, carpet beetles tend to fly under the radar. They should not be overlooked though as they are often found inside homes and warehouses where they can cause catastrophic damage to anything with natural fibres and particles.
Carpet beetle larvae will eat all manner of animal material, including wool, fur, silk, felt, feathers, and leather. They do not eat synthetic materials.
Although carpet beetles are not considered dangerous to humans, they can be extremely destructive if left untreated. Classified as nuisance pests, female carpet beetles lay around 30 to 100 eggs each litter, so it is important to get in quick before infestation spreads.
Each of these eggs will hatch into an organism whose sole purpose in life is to consume as much natural fibres as possible, namely your homes fabrics!
If your home and its fabrics are already teeming with the little buggers, then much more drastic action is required.
Carpet Beetle
Finding a strange worn area in your carpet or favourite rug is certainly upsetting and could be expensive! The most likely culprit for damage to carpets is the carpet beetle.
One of the less well known of New Zealand’s pests, carpet beetles tend to fly under the radar. They should not be overlooked though as they are often found inside homes and warehouses where they can cause catastrophic damage to anything with natural fibres and particles.
Carpet beetle larvae will eat all manner of animal material, including wool, fur, silk, felt, feathers, and leather. They do not eat synthetic materials.
Although carpet beetles are not considered dangerous to humans, they can be extremely destructive if left untreated. Classified as nuisance pests, female carpet beetles lay around 30 to 100 eggs each litter, so it is important to get in quick before infestation spreads.
Each of these eggs will hatch into an organism whose sole purpose in life is to consume as much natural fibres as possible, namely your homes fabrics!
If your home and its fabrics are already teeming with the little buggers, then much more drastic action is required.
What do Carpet Beetles look like?
- Eggs: The eggs are white / translucent and 0.5 -1mm in size and so difficult to see
- Larvae: Carpet beetle larvae (also called woolly bears) superficially look like hairy beetles in shape and movement. However, they are dark in colour and covered with numerous tough bristles. Larvae undergo several moults before becoming an adult.
- Adult: Adults are less than 0.5cm long with a variegated colour.
Signs of an infestation
- Carpet beetles tend to leave larger areas of damage in dark, sheltered areas such as under furniture, carpet corners and behind furniture (as compared to damage in several spots caused by clothes moths)
- Piles of discarded bristle skins (from moulting larvae) can be seen near areas of damage.
- Droppings the appearance and size of course sand and of colour similar to the textile they have eaten, will be found at areas of damage.
- Adults appear in Spring or early Summer and are often found on windowsills trying to get outside to feed on pollen.
Main pest season
Carpet beetles tend to be a year-round problem as the larvae take 9 months to develop into an adult (which means 9 months of eating). The life cycle takes about a year with the adults appearing in Spring and early Summer.
Carpet Beetle prevention tips
- Regularly vacuum all carpeted rooms, especially around the perimeter and under heavy furniture.
- Regularly move cupboards and heavy furniture in carpeted rooms. Inspect the carpet for signs of damage and insect activity.
- At the end of each season, wash, and store clothes in a sealed bag / suitcase.
- Check incoming flowers for adult beetles.
- If you have a lot of flowers near your home, adult beetles can regularly fly in – insects screens will help, as well as cutting back bushes from windows and doors.
Carpet Beetle Control tips
- If you suspect carpet beetle presence / damage in carpets, all affected areas should be professionally sprayed with insecticide.
- Items of clothing or curtains suffering damage (or items stored close by) should be placed in a sealed black plastic bag in the sun for 1-2 hours. This will kill any larvae / eggs. The items can then be washed. Any delicate items that may be impacted by heat should be inspected individually.
- Any cupboards which have been sites of carpet beetle activity should be treated by a professional with an insecticide spray (all shelves and drawers). Items of clothing should be removed before treatment and replace once the treatment is dry.
Treatment Plan
Following on from a thorough inspection, we will devise a property specific plan for your home. This can involve the permanent disposal of infected carpets and other fabrics, to avoid this it is recommended to get onto a pest management plan as quickly as possible.
It is recommended to have your carpets professionally steam cleaned before treatment, if this is not possible then a thorough vacuum is required. We recommend that you de-clutter the areas prior to treatment.
Our Treatment plan will involve the careful use of pesticides in areas identified with signs of an infestation. Pesticides may be applied through the method of surface sprays, fogging or dusts.
Furniture will have to be moved and carpets and rugs will likely need to be pulled back to ensure appropriate treatment to all affected areas.
