How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

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Carpet beetles are persistent pests that can eat away at your carpets, clothing, and other fabrics. While getting rid of carpet beetles can be a challenge, it’s definitely doable on your own. When you see signs of an infestation, including larvae, shed skins, and fecal pellets, taking fast action with the right tools and practices will help you eliminate the carpet beetles in your home and prevent them from coming back.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Thoroughly

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  1. Both adult carpet beetles and larvae can infest your home, but the larvae do the most damage by eating organic materials like wool, leather, and silk. To know where to focus the brunt of your cleaning, first look for the primary source of the infestation, which will be the area with the most signs of damage and beetles. Check dark, secluded areas like basements and under carpets and rugs for signs such as: [1]
    • Brown, bristly, shell-like shed skins from the larvae
    • Brown fecal pellets, about the size of a grain of salt
    • Adult beetles, which are oval-shaped, can come in a range of colors and are just larger than the head of a pin. They can fly and typically live outside, but will lay eggs indoors in dark, secluded areas.
    • Larvae, which are slightly longer than adults, often with tufts of hair, although some varieties can be shiny and smooth. They can be brown, red, white, or striped.
  2. A thorough vacuuming is the best and quickest way to remove carpet beetles and larvae from your carpeting. Focus on the source and the most infested areas, but vacuum your whole home to make sure you remove all beetles. Throw away the bag right away after you finish vacuuming. [2]
    • Continue vacuuming your home at least once a day for a week. Depending on how bad the infestation is, you may need to vacuum multiple times a day for the first few days.
    • Vacuum any upholstered furniture or fabric-covered areas that can’t be put in the washing machine.
    • Check the labels on your rugs to see how they should be cleaned, and hire a steam cleaner if necessary.
    EXPERT TIP

    Kevin Carrillo

    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC

    Steam clean the carpets or have them cleaned professionally. After the infestation is gone, make sure you continue to vacuum and clean the carpets regularly using the crevice tool and getting into the low-traffic and dusty areas of the house.

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  3. If some pieces of clothing or fabric have been badly eaten away, toss them into an outdoor trash can. Keeping infested garments makes it more difficult to stop the infestation. [3]
    • Toss out the clothing even if you don’t see any carpet beetles or larvae left on the material.
  4. Put all your clothing, towels, blankets, linens, and other fabrics in the washing machine and wash them on a hot cycle with detergent. Carpet beetles, larvae, and eggs are very resilient, and hot, soapy water is the best way to kill them. [4]
    • Dry clean any clothing items that can’t be washed.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using Special Treatments

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  1. Look for an insecticide product that lists carpet beetles on its label. Follow it’s directions carefully to apply it to any fabrics that you can’t clean another way. Avoid spraying it all over the house—insecticide should be used as a spot treatment only. [5]
    • Limit your sprays to the places that collect lint, like under or around the edges of carpets or rugs, closet walls, shelving where fabrics are stored, and cracks and crevices. Don’t spray clothing or bedding.
    • Remember to wear gloves and protective clothing when applying insecticide. Leave the area while the insecticide disperses in the air and wash your hands afterwards.
  2. If you’re having trouble getting into some infested areas, such as attics or wall voids, sprinkle them evenly with boric acid. You can also make boric acid into a spray by mixing 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) of boric acid with 2 cups (473 mL) of hot water. Stir it until the powder dissolves, then use a plastic spray bottle to mist it over hard-to-reach crevices.
    • Boric acid has a bleaching effect, so avoid using it on dark materials.
  3. If your infestation is serious, place sticky traps throughout your home to attract and catch beetles and prevent further problems. Put traps around entry points like windows, doors, or crevices and in confined areas where the beetles are particularly bad. [6]
    • Hormone- or pheromone-based traps are specific to the kind of carpet beetle species you have. You can also use sticky traps without a hormone to catch beetles, particularly ones flying through the windows.
    • Check the traps 1-2 times a week.
    • You can buy traps from pest control or pesticide supply stores, or online.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Preventing an Infestation

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  1. To make sure no carpet beetles can return, check your screens and doors for holes and keep them closed as much as you can. Look outside and throw away old spider webs and nests from birds, rodents, or bees, which carpet beetles can hide in. [7]
    • You should also examine any flowers or plants that you bring inside for signs of carpet beetles or larvae. If you see any, leave the plant outside.
    • For a particularly stubborn or recurring infestation, you can spray liquid insecticide around the lower outside portion of your home and near entry points. Insecticide can affect other, non-harmful bugs, though, so only apply it outside as a last resort.
  2. Vacuuming carpeting and washing your clothes and other fabrics frequently, at least once every 2 or so weeks, is the best way to prevent a carpet beetle infestation. Treat spills and stains immediately as well; food and sweat stains on fabrics can attract carpet beetles. [8]
    • Make sure to keep hair, lint and dust bunnies to a minimum, as carpet beetles like to feed on these.
  3. Store off-season clothes, fabrics, and starches in sealed plastic bags or containers. Air them out in the sun and brush them at least once a year to check for an infestation. [9]
    • For extra protection, layer your stored fabrics with resin strips filled with insecticide. You can also use moth balls, flakes, or crystals.
    • If you do find an infestation, wash or dry clean the items before storing them again.
  4. Carpet beetles will only eat organic products, so choosing synthetic materials will lessen your chances of getting an infestation. This is especially helpful for carpets, rugs, and furniture. [10]
    • Synthetic materials typically used for rugs and carpeting include nylon, polyester, triexta, and olefin.
    • For furniture, synthetic options include acrylic, acetate, nylon, and polyester.
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      Tips

      • Seeing a few isolated carpet bugs in your home isn’t a huge cause for concern; they often fly into homes from outside and leave again quickly. Treatment is only needed if you see larvae.
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        Helpful 48 Not Helpful 17
      • Carpet beetles can also be attracted to the felts and hammers in pianos, causing damage that can affect the instrument’s tone. If this is the case, call a piano technician for assistance.
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        Helpful 11 Not Helpful 4
      • If you can’t get rid of the carpet beetles on your own, hire a professional exterminator. They can use more powerful, effective chemicals for a more thorough cleaning.
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      Things You'll Need

      • Vacuum cleaner
      • Washing machine
      • Laundry detergent
      • Insecticide
      • Gloves and protective clothing (for spraying insecticide)
      • Boric acid (optional)
      • Glue traps
      • Plastic containers or bags for fabric storage
      • Resin strips or mothballs

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      References

      1. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      2. ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-carpet-beetles/
      3. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      4. ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-carpet-beetles/
      5. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      6. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      7. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      8. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      9. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
      1. ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-carpet-beetles/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To get rid of carpet beetles in your home, start by thoroughly vacuuming all of your carpets and upholstered furniture. Look for clothes, linens, and towels that have been eaten away, and discard them to prevent the infestation from spreading. Then, wash your non-infested linens with hot, soapy water. If the beetles persist, try spraying your carpets and upholstered furniture with an insecticide designed to kill carpet beetles. For tips on treating the outside of your home and preventing the beetles from coming back, scroll down!

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