What Causes Carpet Beetles To Invade Tempe Homes?

Carpet beetles are pests that people often ignore, but they could become a constant annoyance for you and your family. To prevent carpet beetles from taking over, you should understand why they invade homes in Tempe.

What Are Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles are named for their habits and not their appearance. These beetles are known for laying eggs in carpets and other materials. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the carpet or material.

Because there are several carpet beetles, it's impossible to say which one you have in your home. In the United States, there are three types of these pests. They all have oval shapes and only grow to be about 1/8th of an inch long. Depending on the species, the beetle may be black or colored with a pattern.

People sometimes confuse carpet beetles for bed bugs. However, these pests don't feed on your blood. The most harm that can occur is some irritation - the larvae have bristles that can cause allergic reactions. After a run-in with larvae, you could develop a rash.

The biggest issue is the property damage. Because the larvae feed on one area of your fabric at a time, they often create large holes in your materials. And although these beetles often damage carpets, they can also damage your favorite linens or clothing.

How And Why Are They Getting Inside?

You're probably wondering where carpet beetles come from. At times, they simply fly into your home. An adult may fly through your window and lay eggs in your carpet, clothing, or furniture. Just like that, you could have an infestation. But carpet beetles can only fly into your home if you have your doors and windows open or if you have holes in your screens.

Your used furniture could also bring these beetles into your home. If you buy used furniture or clothing, you could be introducing carpet beetles or their eggs to your home. Despite trying to save money by buying used items, you could cost yourself property damage.

Carpet Beetle Prevention

To make sure you don't need to deal with this pest, you should take some preventative measures against carpet beetles:

• Check Screens: People often ignore the state of their window or door screens. Check them regularly for rips and tears, and replace them as necessary. If you like to open your windows and don't have screens, you should install new ones. Otherwise, carpet beetles can and will get inside.

• Check Second-Hand Items: You don't need to say goodbye to the thrift store, but you should be more cautious about buying used items. Before you bring home used furniture or clothing, check for signs of carpet beetles. If you have any reason to suspect that there are beetles, don't make the purchase.

• Don't Ignore A Problem: One of the worst things you can do is ignore carpet beetles. If you don't do anything about carpet beetles, they will continue to eat your materials and breed.

Keep an eye out for carpet beetles, their larvae, and holes in your fabric. As soon as you notice trouble, call a pest control professional for help. These pests will thrive if you don't take any action.

Here at Green Home Pest Control, we use the most effective pest control methods to eliminate carpet beetles. After analyzing the problem, we can take measures to make sure you no longer have to deal with these pests.  Our technicians have the tools and training needed to perform well and kick out unwanted pests. To get started with our ongoing pest prevention and control, call today.