While there are many types of carpet beetles, their habits are generally the same, though their food sources may be different. Read all about these 7 types of sneaky carpet beetles, things you can do to prevent carpet beetles, how we treat carpet beetles, and more.
If you find one of these pests and are in need of some carpet beetle pest control, never panic. Your situation is most likely not an infestation and we can even treat infestations. So if you’re wondering “How do you get rid of carpet beetles?” You’re not alone and keep reading as we give you some practical tips you can do. If you are in need of carpet beetle spray treatment, give us a call for a free quote 651-342-9489.
Table of Contents
- An overview of carpet beetles
- Control & prevention – 5 things you can do to prevent carpet beetles
- How we treat carpet beetles – carpet beetle extermination
- Conclusion & next steps
An Overview of Carpet Beetles
In general, carpet beetles are very small insects, just a few millimeters long. They range in oval to circular bodies, as adults, though the adult life stage does not last long at all.
Each variety has the same type of carpet beetle life cycle or life stages: egg, pupae, larvae, adult. The larval stage is the longest and most destructive stage. Pest control professionals get calls on live adult bugs or destroyed material from the larva.
Many wonder, “Are carpet beetles harmful?” The short answer is no, but the long answer is it depends. Carpet beetles can damage household items, which will always have an emotional and mental effect on us as humans. No pest is completely harmless, as there are usually psychological effects.
Black Carpet Beetle
The black carpet beetle grows to about 3 to 5 millimeters long. The larvae can grow up to 7 millimeters in length. The larvae are reddish brown in color and covered with bristles. The larva form feeds on natural fibers, damaging carpets, furniture and clothing.
Eggs are usually laid near or on a food source. If no food source can be found, the female will lay them in dark undisturbed locations where the larvae can feed on carpeting or clothing.
Black carpet beetle life cycle is similar to fleas in that, eggs take anywhere from 5 to 20 days to hatch depending on the conditions, such as temperature and humidity.
The black carpet beetle larvae stage is the longest and most destructive stage; they can remain as larvae for up to 3 years, although it does not typically take longer than 3 months to go through the larval stage if food and conditions are good.
Like a lot of bugs, black carpet beetles start out white in color and darken in age with each molt.
Brown Carpet Beetle
Brown carpet beetles grow to be 2.5 to 4 millimeters long. They are predominately brown or dark brown, but have some black on their bodies. They have many hairs covering their bodies, though the hair can be hard to see.
Brown carpet beetles are naturally found in Africa and parts of Europe and Russia. There haven’t been any reported cases in the United States.
Many wonder, “Are carpet beetles harmful?” The short answer is no, but the long answer is it depends. Carpet beetles can damage household items, which will always have an emotional and mental effect on us as humans. No pest is completely harmless, as there are usually psychological effects.
Varied Carpet Beetle
Varied carpet beetles are small, only growing to be about 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters. Though they are named the “varied carpet beetle” instead of the “common carpet beetle” they are a very common type of carpet beetle to find in one’s home.
The varied carpet beetle larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets, furniture, clothing, etc. The varied carpet beetle larvae can resemble a very tiny caterpillar, because they are very hairy. The larva is patterned with white and brown stripes, and when they grow to adults they continue to irregular pattern which turns into patches of white, brown, reddish hues, and tans.
Temperature and humidity play a role in the developmental process of these carpet beetles too, like other types. Adult beetles usually lay their eggs in air ducts, in closets, under furniture, or under baseboards. While this is very unnerving, it is important to know as they often remain unseen until they are a very big problem.
Once hatched and until they pupate into adults, the varied carpet beetle larvae hide in dark, undisturbed areas and feed on organic material. The larvae are thus responsible for the damage of various items, like furniture, clothing, blankets, furs, carpets, and more.
Keep in mind that if you have any old musical instruments, there could be varied carpet beetles feeding on pads and pelts of woodwind instruments and other aspects of string instruments.
Skin Beetle
Skin beetles are a type of dermestid beetles. Skin beetles can vary from 1 to 12 millimeters in size. They appear very similar to the varied carpet beetle. Some of these beetles consume hides, leathers, animal products, while some are scavengers of dead animals. 
Dermestid beetles are destructive to a number of common items, like wool, silk, cotton, linen, fur, feathers, and synthetic fibers. Dermestid beetles also attack chocolate, copra, and cocoa beans, which is important to note if your business purchases items such as these in bulk.
Just like other carpet beetles, most damage is done by the larvae. A fun fact about skin beetles is that as adults they feed on flowers and shrubs.
Larder Beetle
Larder beetles are also in the family of dermestid beetles. They are similar sizes of other smaller carpet beetles, though adults can be longer bodied. Mature larvae tend to bore into hard substrates such as wood, cork, and plaster to pupate. Larder beetles are very uncommon household pests, but can be commercial pests.
When it comes to the question, “Are carpet beetles harmful?” the answer really varies in the commercial sector. Whenever a pest is a threat to someone’s business, that person will find that pest harmful. If you are in need of professional pest control treatment with carpet beetle spray, give Done Right Pest Solutions a call at 651-342-9489.
Furniture Carpet Beetle
Furniture carpet beetles are also in the family of dermestid beetles. Furniture carpet beetles grow to 2 to 3.5 millimeters in length, but while they look similar to the varied carpet beetle, they are round in shape. The larvae are quite harry, like other carpet beetle varieties. While furniture carpet beetles thrive more in warm-weather climates, they damage a variety of textile products in and out of homes.
Common Carpet Beetle
The common carpet beetle appears very similar to the varied carpet beetle, though the larvae is shorter and the beetle is a bit larger (2.5 to 4 millimeters). The common carpet beetles originate from Europe and the Middle East, but have since spread to the majority of the world. They are, or at least have become, common. Adult beetles feed on pollen and nectar, similar to the skin beetle, but the common carpet beetle larvae feed on animal fibers and can be damaging pests to carpets, fabrics, and more.
Control & Prevention – 5 Things You Can Do to Prevent Carpet Beetles
Are you wondering “How do you get rid of carpet beetles?” Here we provide a list of 5 things you can do to prevent carpet beetles. Keep reading to learn how we treat with a carpet beetle spray.
Regular home cleaning greatly reduces the risk of attracting these pests to your home. Since the widespread use of modern household cleaners, these bugs have been kept at bay. Vacuums can provide major to total eradication of certain types of carpet beetles.
Presence of any of these beetles can be determined either by their physical selves, in adult or larvae form, or by the damage they produce. While carpet beetles don’t carry or transmit any diseases to humans, they produce damage which affects your pocketbook, and invade your home. Carpet beetles can be a frustrating pest, and a simple pest in your home is pest enough for us to eradicate.
Here’s a list of 5 things you can do to prevent carpet beetles:
- Regularly clean your home. While “regular” looks different for everyone, especially depending on use, we would recommend weekly light cleaning: wiping down counters, sweeping floors, etc.
- Routinely perform deep cleans of your home. Like tip 1, this tip varies per individual and per home. Cleaning house looks different if you are a single person or if you have young children. We would recommend monthly deep cleaning: mop or Swiffer all floors, dust furniture, vacuum carpet, etc.
- Vacuum, as a tip of its own. If you suspect you could have carpet beetles, simply double- or triple-down on your vacuuming. Because carpet beetles often lay eggs in a wall void, they don’t always hatch until they are ready, but like fleas, vibrations, temperature, and humidity all plays a role in the life cycle of these insects. Vacuuming can help to draw these pests out from the wall voids. If there is no or very little food source in the wall voids for them, it is possible to eradicate carpet beetles on one’s own by vacuuming.
- Clean your air ducts. Many carpet beetles either travel or live in air ducts. Other pests also use wall voids and air ducts as highways for travel in your home. Because there could be rodent droppings or a food source hiding in the air ducts, they will always pose as a potential home to carpet beetles. We would recommend getting your air ducts clean upon purchase of your home and every couple of years, as a routine.
- Inspect nooks and crannies. While grain beetles and other types of beetles have been known to eat dog food, there was a case study in which the pest management professionals found that carpet beetle larvae was eating old dog food socked away in the wall voids and under a cabinet from a rat infestation from 5 years prior.
Pro Tip. Many people will use diatomaceous earth to treat carpet beetles, but it’s not always helpful. Diatomaceous earth can be harmful to pets and small children. Just because a product is “natural,” doesn’t mean it is beneficial. So think twice before you use diatomaceous earth to treat carpet beetles and call Done Right Pest Solutions instead!
It might be a good idea to perform routine maintenance on your home, clean out cabinets, or replace cabinets over the years because you never know what could be hiding.
Remember, regular cleaning keeps the majority of pests away, but regular cleaning isn’t always all it takes. We offer tips and tricks, yes, but if you’re ever in need of specific, thorough inspection, call the experts at Done Right Pest Solutions. 651-342-9489. Otherwise, keep reading to learn how we treat for carpet beetles and the average carpet beetle extermination cost.
How We Treat Carpet Beetles – Carpet Beetle Extermination
Done Right Pest Solutions has experienced technicians with the knowledge and wisdom for how to treat carpet beetles. If you’re in need of carpet beetle removal service, our simple, one-time crawling insect treatment will take care of these pests and more.
Each service begins with a thorough carpet beetle inspection. Once the carpet beetle inspection has been performed, the technician will treat as needed. Often a liquid application is applied to the baseboards and edges of carpets, where the carpet beetles travel to the wall voids. Our product dries within 1 hour and is not toxic to small children or pets once dry.
Upon the carpet beetle inspection, the technician may have determined that a dust application may be needed. If there are access panels, or through outlets, he may treat the inside of the wall voids with a dust application that contains an Insect Growth Regulator, which inhibits any further breeding.
Often that is all it takes, though we always ask that if you’re seeing any new activity or anything else of suspicion, to give us a call right away. Each carpet beetle removal service comes with a 3 month warranty.
Our carpet beetle extermination cost varies depending on house size, but the typical range is between $200-400. For a complete carpet beetle extermination cost estimate, give our experts a call at 651-342-9489 today! We’d love to answer all of your questions.
And keep in mind our Peak Seasons Plan, which covers carpet beetles. If you have other pest concerns, whether routine issues like mice or wasps, or if you’ve had cockroaches, we would recommend our year-round pest control service. It will save you money in the long-term, and 99% of residential pests are included in the plan.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Here you’ve learned a bit about these 7 types of carpet beetles: black carpet beetles, brown carpet beetles, varied carpet beetles, skin beetles, larder beetles, furniture carpet beetles, and common carpet beetles. You learned about the carpet beetle life cycle and how it is similar to the flea life cycle. And you learned the answer to the question, “How do you get rid of carpet beetles?”
While the sheer volume and variety of carpet beetles can be overwhelming, rest assured you won’t need to know whether you have varied carpet beetles or common carpet beetles, just that you can identify that it is a carpet beetle, or a beetle, or simply a bug – let our technicians do the hard work for you! Done Right Pest Solutions is here for all of the carpet beetle inspection and carpet beetle removal services you may need.
You also learned 5 simple, regular and routine, things you could do to prevent carpet beetles. We explained how we perform our carpet beetle control service. If you have any other questions, just let us know. We’d love to help you out. Call or text us at 651-342-9489 or email us at donerightpestsolutions@gmail.com.
We’re here, whenever you need.
Done Right Team
Have you ever had carpet beetles? How did you get rid of them? What were they feeding on? We’d love to hear of your experience in the comments!
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