Pest Control: How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

One of the many responsibilities of a homeowner is to protect his or her home from outside threats, and that includes pests. However, to achieve that, one needs to have the right pest control methods at the ready. This can be rather easy if you have issues with common pests, such as ants and spiders, but what happens when a different critter decides to hunker down in your home? One of those includes the carpet beetle. These pests, although small, can be incredibly damaging to your home. This is because they are not only going to gnaw at various fabrics within your home, but they can also reproduce very quickly, making them extremely difficult to get rid of the longer you wait. Read on to learn how, exactly, you can get rid of these carpet beetles.

Carpet Beetle Pest Control Basics

If you have barely noticed these types of beetles in your home, it is important to begin with these pest control basics. The first plan of attack is to begin vacuuming the area where you have discovered them. You are going to be looking for adult carpet beetles as well as any larvae they may have placed within the area. It is highly recommended to begin vacuuming furniture that has fabric attached to it. These may include items such as:

• All your home carpets/rugs
• Furniture with fabric coverings
• All curtains

Taking It to the Next Level With Steam Cleaning

Although vacuuming will do wonders in terms of removing most of the carpet beetles, it is simply not going to finish the job. Thus, the next step is to begin steam cleaning all the areas mentioned above. The heat and moisture of the process will help eliminate the rest of the tougher beetles and larvae that have attached themselves to the bottom of the fabric. This, of course, can be difficult as most homeowners do not have the right steam cleaning equipment at the ready. That is why it is so important to seek the professional assistance of an exterminator for this step. Simply search for the best exterminator near me, and look for someone who offers steam cleaning services. This is very important as some companies may only offer rat exterminator services.

Cleaning & Removing Certain Fabrics from the Home

Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes that homeowners make is forgetting to clean accessories that are made out of fabric. These items would include things such as bed/couch throw pillows; pillowcases; and of course, your clothing. Although the best course of action to take is to simply get rid of these items, there are some things that you may not want to get rid of, such as your clothing. In this case, it is important to wash them as much as possible before reintroducing them into your closet.

Focusing on Your Hard Surfaces

The next step to removing carpet beetles is to begin making sure that all your hard surfaces are cleaned as well. However, in this case, soap is simply not going to do the trick. Instead, it is better to utilize a combination of water and apple cider vinegar.

Calling in the Professionals

Understandably, some homeowners may not want to deal with these critters or the chemicals needed to get rid of them. Seeking the aid of a professional exterminator is often the best course of action, especially if you have young children or pets and don’t want to take the chance of either using harmful chemicals or not completely getting rid of the pests.

Preventive Measures Homeowners Can Take

Once it’s been confirmed that all your carpet beetles, along with their larvae, have been removed from your home, the final step is to begin setting up a few preventive measures to ensure that the chance of this happening again is lowered. Start by adding an outdoor insecticide around your entire house. This includes the foundation and along any openings, such as windows and doors. Next on the list is removing all the foods that attract carpet beetles. In many cases, this is going to be any clothing and other fabrics that are stored in your garage. You can accomplish this by adding cedar or mothballs to your storage containers.

Deterrents for Carpet Beetles

In addition to keeping things clean and removing food sources, you may also use the following deterrents to keep carpet beetles away. The first thing involves sunlight. The fact is that carpet beetles don’t like sunlight, and thus, exposing the furniture to natural light can prevent them from going into hiding within them. Another deterrent includes choosing to go with carpets, rugs and furniture that is made out of synthetic fibers. This is because, unlike natural fibers, carpet beetles don’t really like, nor are attracted, to synthetic material.