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Plus, how to prevent a future infestation in your home
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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.
What kills carpet beetles?
First, vacuum your entire home daily for a week and throw away any infested fabric and clothing. Wash all your clothes, even if they seem unaffected. For severe cases, spray a beetle insecticide in areas that collect lint (carpet edges, closet shelves, etc.) or dust infested areas with boric acid.
Steps
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Identify the source of the infestation. 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] X Research source
- 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.
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Vacuum your whole home to get rid of larvae and beetles. 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] X Research source
- 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 TIPPest Control Specialist, MMPCKevin 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.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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Throw away infested cloth or clothing. 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] X Research source
- Toss out the clothing even if you don’t see any carpet beetles or larvae left on the material.
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Wash all your clothes, even if they don’t seem affected. 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] X Research source
- Dry clean any clothing items that can’t be washed.
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Spray insecticide on areas that you can’t clean or wash. 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] X Research source
- 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.
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Dust boric acid on areas that are harder to reach. 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.
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Use hormone-based glue traps for the most stubborn infestations. 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] X Research source
- 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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Look for and remove any outdoor sources or nests. 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] X Research source
- 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.
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Clean carpet beetle-prone areas frequently. 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] X Research source
- Make sure to keep hair, lint and dust bunnies to a minimum, as carpet beetles like to feed on these.
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Seal unused fabric and clothes in plastic containers. 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] X Research source
- 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.
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Choose synthetic materials over organic ones. 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] X Research source
- 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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Join the Discussion...
I’ll keep this short. I’m already stressed out enough, I don’t need to belabor the point. Carpet beetles. How do I get rid of them? I’d like to do it myself because I’m on a bit of a budget, and I’d prefer natural options if they exist, but I need these things gone yesterday.
Hello. Everyone has given you some great information. I want to add that finding the source will help reduce this issue. So when vacuuming them up, note where and at what stages you see them. When you find the larva, look around that area and remove the damaged material. Do a detailed job when you vacuum up the area. Plenty of natural based pesticides can be used as a contact kill for these pests. You can also do a bit to start reducing the damage this pest will do by moving the linen items to air-tight storage to help deter infestation or limit their spread if the items are infested.
I used to run into these all the time when I was living in the US. They’re actually pretty easy to deal with as far as pests go, I think. I just vacuumed a lot to get rid of the adult bugs. I heard steam cleaners are even more efficient, but I never bothered with that. Still, if vacuuming alone doesn’t work I think it’s probably worth a shot.
If you do want to use pesticide you can, but it just never felt necessary for me. As for pesticides, I’d just sprinkle diatomaceous earth along your baseboards. It’s natural, and it’s cheap. But again, I never felt like it was necessary. Vacuuming and keeping my home clean fixed the issue in my home.
If you do want to use pesticide you can, but it just never felt necessary for me. As for pesticides, I’d just sprinkle diatomaceous earth along your baseboards. It’s natural, and it’s cheap. But again, I never felt like it was necessary. Vacuuming and keeping my home clean fixed the issue in my home.
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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.Thanks
- 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.Thanks
- 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.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth can also be used. Just be sure to use a dust mask while applying it, and don't use around animals or pets.
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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
References
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-carpet-beetles/
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-carpet-beetles/
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
- ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html
About This Article
Article Summary
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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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- "Would have to go to multiple sites to find all this information. My veterinary office has Syohatril, a back-up for fleas and ticks. This helps me sleep, knowing my dog's protected and it's very effective. I'm O.C.D., so I'm very vigilant. Didn't know my new apartment building had these. Haven't seen any adults but vacuumed and am having apartment company spray outside. " ..." more
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"Would have to go to multiple sites to find all this information. My veterinary office has Syohatril, a back-up for fleas and ticks. This helps me sleep, knowing my dog's protected and it's very effective. I'm O.C.D., so I'm very vigilant. Didn't know my new apartment building had these. Haven't seen any adults but vacuumed and am having apartment company spray outside. "
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"We had a slight infestation about a year ago, the exterminator said as long as we vacuum we should be fine. I'm going to start doing that again more regularly and thoroughly since i found one on my bedroom rug today. Hopefully your suggestion of mothballs and spray will help. Seems like good tips. Thanks!"
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"Learning how to identify them helped. I was under the impression I had bed bugs, and still may, but now know that I have carpet beetles. Their skin and trails, as well as the destruction to cabinets, baseboards, clothing, food, etc, were the dead giveaway."
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"I only have 1 room with carpeting, the rest is Pergo flooring. The other detail is my house is on a slab. This article helps to see how they live and how I can keep them in check. My exterminator was just here today so I'll see more activity soon."
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"I rate this as excellent after studying carpet beetle infestation for months. My first lead was an article about an abundant amount of dust and clothing lint. I am exhausted from this battle and wish I had stock in lint rollers. Thank you."
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