If you have carpet beetles in your Albany home, you’re not alone. One study by the New York Times found that carpet beetles were living in up to 90% of homes. This guide will tell you how to know if you have carpet beetles, whether they’re dangerous, the best way to get rid of them, and how you can keep them from coming back. Here’s a hint on that last one: It involves calling a professional Albany pest control company like Kanga Pest Control to treat your home for, and prevent carpet beetles.
How Can I Tell If It’s Carpet Beetles In My House?
There are two different types of carpet beetles in Albany and surrounding areas: the black carpet beetle and the varied carpet beetle. Black carpet beetles are ⅕ to ¼ of an inch long as adults and just over ¼ of an inch long as larvae. Larvae are reddish-brown and covered in hairs. Black carpet beetles only eat in their larval form, making them the most destructive in this form. They’ll stay larvae for anywhere from three months to three years. Then they’ll pupate and form hard shells around themselves for 8 to 20 days. When they emerge, they start out white, with their color darkening over time.
Varied carpet beetles are 1/16 to ⅛ of an inch long as adults, and larvae are ⅕ of an inch long. Adult varied carpet beetles are a mix of yellow, black, and white, mottled together. Larvae are carrot-shaped and are also called “wooly bears” since they’re brown and covered in thick hair. It takes varied carpet beetles from eight months to three years to grow from egg to adult.
Carpet beetle causes in Albany are easy to understand. Carpet beetle larvae feed on carpets, clothing, leather, feathers, hair, upholstered furniture, and bedding. They can usually only find those tasty treats in our homes. Adult carpet beetles can eat grains, cereals, flour, and other foods in your pantry.
To protect your belongings, it’s important to know how to get rid of carpet beetles. The best way is to partner with a professional pest management company like Kanga Pest Control.
Are Carpet Beetles Dangerous?
Even if you have a large carpet beetle infestation, there’s very little danger to you, your family, or your pets. Since carpet beetles are attracted to the oils in people’s hair and on people’s bodies, they may walk across you while you sleep. When they do that, they may cause an itchy rash, which may leave you thinking that you have bed bugs.
However, carpet beetles don’t bite, and they don’t carry any diseases. The rash from them walking on you while you sleep is the worst it gets for you. But to protect your clothes, carpets, and other fabric items, it’s important to get rid of them by working with Kanga Pest Control.
What’s The Best Way To Get Rid Of Carpet Beetles?
By far, the best way to get rid of carpet beetles in your house is to never have them inside in the first place. The second-best way to get rid of them is to partner with Kanga Pest Control. Our home pest control professionals will come to your home and use the appropriate treatments inside and outside your home to eliminate carpet beetles.
How Can I Prevent Carpet Beetles From Coming Back?
To prevent carpet beetles in your Albany home, there are several steps you can take, including:
- Check potted plants for beetles before you bring them into your home.
- Don’t keep clothes, bedding, rugs, or other fabrics in cardboard boxes. Instead, store them in airtight bags or plastic boxes with tight-fitting lids.
- Remove things like pasta, rice, cereal, or flour from their original packaging and put them in airtight containers.
- Have your carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and drapes professionally cleaned on a regular basis.
- Dust and vacuum, in that order, frequently to remove eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult beetles, as well as dead insects, dust, and other debris the carpet beetles might nest in.
- Partner with Kanga Pest Control; we can apply products that will make your home uninviting to carpet beetles.
At Kanga Pest Control, we know how to get rid of carpet beetles permanently. We go the extra mile to solve your pest problems and provide you with top-quality customer service. Contact us today for your free estimate.