Preventing Carpet Beetles
Many types of insect which we regard as pests only take on that role once they enter a home, and the carpet beetle is a great example of this. These beetles are no problem at all when they are outside, and are in fact quite nice to look at. Even inside the adult beetles are not that big of a problem, aside from the fact that they are probably looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.
It’s the larvae of the carpet beetle that will do the damage inside your home, eating holes in all sorts of different fibre goods from rugs (thus the name) to your favourite Sunday sweaters. And once carpet beetles get started, it can be very, very difficult to eradicate them from your living areas. Prevention, the most important step of integrated pest management, is your best defence when it comes to keeping carpet beetle numbers from infesting your home. Let’s take a look at what you can do to protect your belongings.
* Get decent screens. We mentioned earlier that beetles come in from outside as adults, so you need to try and keep them out where they belong. There is nothing better for doing this than the low tech screen on windows and doors. Make sure all your outside openings are covered with screens that are free of holes and fitted snugly.
* Be careful of cut flowers! Any time someone brings flowers in from outside, they have the potential to be vehicles for a carpet beetle. Take a close look at them before putting them in water and deal with any beetles that you see.
* Don’t leave dirty clothes lying around! Carpet beetles particularly love moist, dirty clothes, so make sure that any clothes and other materials are washed before they get put away. This includes work clothes; consider putting a hamper somewhere just for that purpose.
* Clean thoroughly! You vacuum regularly, right? Well in order to keep carpet beetles from multiplying, you also have to vacuum thoroughly. This means in all the corners that you might usually miss as well as underneath area rugs and carpets. You should probably also vacuum the underside of sofa cushions, and all along drapes.
Aside from becoming a pest only when they enter the home, carpet beetles share similar preference with other pest insects in their preferred egg laying areas. Carpet beetles like humid temperatures that are somewhat dirty, so keeping your clothes, rugs, and other fibrous belongings dry and clean will keep beetles from becoming a problem.