If You See One Carpet Beetle

If you re not sure which you have you can have an exterminator come look for bedbugs.

If you see one carpet beetle.

Says vacuuming regularly is one of the key. You ll be able see damage on bed sheets linens clothing drapes and of course carpet. The most prevalent and popular one is however the carpet beetle. While carpet beetles rarely attack synthetic fabrics they may feed on these items when they are soiled by.

Carpet mites is a term which generally refers to a type of house dust mite which measures about one fourth of a millimeter. If you see tiny black spots on your carpet don t assume it s sock fluff because you could be harbouring a secret carpet beetle infestation. Adult black carpet beetles range from 1 8 to 3 16 inch long. Carpet beetles feed on a wide range of animal based items including silk leather fur wool and animal hair.

Although you may see the terms carpet mites and carpet beetles used interchangeably these two pests are actually quite different. As a result carpet beetles may infest carpets upholstered furniture blankets coats comforters wool pillows and clothing. Fortunately carpet beetles are not one of these pests. If observed under a microscope you will find that a carpet beetle has fine colored scales on its body.

They are shiny black and dark brown with brownish legs. The carpet beetle is referred to as the anthrenus verbasci that grows from 1 7 mm to a maximum of 3 5 mm. The beetle larvae feed in dark hidden areas and are rarely seen. Unlike moths carpet beetles typically feed on one portion of fabric at a time.

Adult carpet beetles are attracted to light and can be found near light fixtures and window sills. But one carpet beetle is solid black. Most carpet beetles are marked with different colors of brown white black reddish orange or yellow in a calico pattern. However they can cause skin rashes when you get in contact with them.

Remember carpet beetle larvae cause damage not adult carpet beetles so if you see adult carpet beetles in the home you should look in dark areas for larvae. Carpet beetles don t carry any diseases that are dangerous to humans. Full sized larvae can be as long as 5 16 inch and range from light brown to almost black. Here are the signs that you may have carpet beetles.

Their feeding creates large isolated holes in the fabric. Moreover if you happen to inhale a few of them you might experience airways irritations. Though you won t get sick from a carpet beetle. Adults and larvae of the black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor are distinctly different from the carpet beetles described above.