carpet beetle causes
22
Feb

What Are The Most Common Carpet Beetle Causes?

What are carpet beetles and what are the primary carpet beetle causes? In case you don’t know, carpet beetles are those black and white bugs you sometimes see on your carpets. While they may be tiny, these bugs can be incredibly destructive. They’re known for chewing through carpets at a tremendous rate and causing thousands of pounds in damage. Not only that, these bugs also like to eat clothing, especially clothing made from natural materials like wool. They are also known for enjoying flour, pasta, bread, and even pet food.

These bugs are also capable of causing other forms of misery and are stubborn infestation to treat. Contact with them may lead to serious skin rashes, that are similar to those caused by bed bugs. They can also irritate your eyes and lungs. The reason why this happens is because the larvae of these beetles are covered in furry spines.

vacuuming enough

These break off frequently and this is what causes the irritation. But how do you prevent these bugs in the first place? What are carpet beetle causes that people should watch out for?

Carpet beetle causes you should be aware of

1. Not vacuuming enough

This is the most common reason why people get carpet beetles. The fact is that everyone could start by vacuuming their carpets more often. Ideally you should vacuum your carpets at least once a day. To many people this may sound extreme, but it’s recommended if you have pest issues. That being said, if you can’t do this, then vacuum at least once a week and make sure to declutter your home too. Carpet beetle causes also include things like stained and dirty carpets, curtains and furniture. To prevent beetles, try to clean these items more often.

2. Pets as carpet beetle causes

Carpet beetle causes also include pets. As we’ve said, the larvae of these beetles are covered in furry spines. This allows them to easily stick to pet fur.

beetles through pets

What happens is that your pets go outside and the larvae attaches to their fur. They are then brought inside and you end up with an invasion of these beetles which could also end up biting you and your pets.

3. Bringing outdoor things inside

These beetles live outdoors and may hide inside things like outdoor furniture, pot plants, or garden tools.  What often happens is that people bring these things indoors. For example, you may take garden furniture into your home. Unfortunately, when this happens, the beetles are transported inside and from there they begin to breed.

4. Natural materials are carpet beetle causes

Carpet beetles are similar to moths in that they are attracted to natural materials. This includes things such as leather, fur, silk, feathers, and wool.

woollen carpet

The presence of these materials in your home is one of the main carpet beetle causes. For example, you may have a leather sofa or wool blankets, and this is what attracts the beetles.

5. You could have brought them inside

The same thing can happen to you. It’s possible for the carpet beetle larvae to get stuck to your clothing while sitting or walking outside. From there they come inside and start to destroy your home.

6. A badly lit home

These insects love the dark. When outdoors they usually live in dark places such as piles of leaves. Sitting indoors with the curtains closed creates a perfect environment for these beetles. To prevent this open up your curtains as often as possible and let some light inside. You may also want to consider getting stronger lights inside your home.