Carpet Insect Damage

Infestations occur swiftly and often go unnoticed until damage.

Carpet insect damage. Immature carpet beetles called larvae cause damage to human clothing furnishings and other products. Food that will attract carpet beetles includes fish spices cornmeal potatoes cereals and grain. 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. They will also eat dead insects silk wool and velvet fur.

Larvae scavenge for food in dark and hidden areas. 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. The best way to tell carpet beetle damage from clothes moth damage is to look for shed skins left behind by carpet beetle larvae. A carpet beetle is a dangerous pest that can cause tremendous damage to your property.

Their old skins split down the back much like a cicada nymph s shell and the larvae work their way out. They tend to live inside fabric furniture or deep inside carpets so look for damage to area rugs around the edges and to carpets along base boards. Carpet beetle damage and problems. Before that happens start cleaning.

Carpet beetles like to live out of sight and feed on the natural fibers in fabrics even living off carpet fibers that are 90 percent synthetic. The varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae they are a common species often considered a pest of domestic houses and particularly natural history museums where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets furniture clothing and insect collections. Carpet beetles are attracted to certain food types for feeding their larvae. Why they like carpet.

The empty skin remains in the shape of the larva is. Adult carpet beetles don t eat carpet or upholstery as they prefer pollen and nectar. The larvae have to molt several times in order to grow. These larvae feed on natural fibers while adults feed primarily on plant nectar and pollen.

The carpet beetles never bite or destroy anything it is their young ones you should blame. As the carpet beetle grows its diet changes it starts consuming pollen and nectar from plants. They range in size from 0 3 cm to 0 4 cm.