Best DIY Hacks to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

Are your carpet, curtains, or upholstery getting damaged and you have no clue about it? Probably, they have entered your home – The carpet beetles. If they are the real troublemakers, then without a doubt you need to act quickly and get rid of them, right away. Because they are fast-breeding, and love attacking natural fibers, they can cause a lot of damage that you can’t even imagine. 

Before they form an army that can be undefended, you have to get your weapons ready and finish them once and for all. We’ll get into action but let’s first get to know what are carpet beetles and whether are they the real cause of damage to your home.

What are carpet beetles and how do they attack?

Did you know that there are an estimated 3,50,000 species of beetles on this planet?

Okay now don’t freak out, not every beetle loves to be at your home. 

But, yes carpet beetles would love the stay and they are quite a common species that are mostly found in homes. 

If there are unexpected holes in your carpet or furniture fabric and you see something running like a worm around then yes they are carpet beetles. If you find light brown pieces of shed skin similar to shell, underneath carpets or in fabric corners then it is confirmed they have attacked. You can search for the picture in Google and see if the identity matches.  

Places with warmer climates are favorite locations for carpet beetles. They belong to the dermestid family and have the potential to quickly reproduce. They can produce 4 generations per year. That’s like wildfire and gross too. The eggs are very tiny and 1 female beetle can lay almost 40 to 90 eggs at a time.   

Larvae are dangerous as they hatch eggs. They are larger than adults, around 4 to 5 millimeters long. They have long hair around them like a worm. Adult carpet beetles are around 1.7 to 3.5 millimeters long. They are dark brown or orange and have dark black spots on them. Adult carpet beetles can be spotted on walls, near window sills, or where there is warm light. 

Since these are common beetles, they can easily get into your house from anywhere. From doors, windows, plants, flowers, and even through infested rugs or fabrics, carpet beetles can enter your living space. 

Now that you’ve identified the carpet beetles, it is time to get them away from your home. But how? Don’t worry, we have listed some easy hacks that will help you to get rid of adult carpet beetles as well as larvae. 

First, begin with daily vacuuming 

Cleaning your carpets and furniture carpet regularly can solve more than half of your problems. Vacuum daily as it can remove carpet beetle eggs, adults, and larvae from your home quite easily. Make sure along with floors, you vacuum all the rugs and fabric furniture. Clean all the corners. If you think the space is heavily infested by pests, just double the vacuum. Do the cleaning at least twice a day. Also make sure, that whatever thrash you gather, throw it properly away from home (actually far away from home).

Use a steam carpet cleaner 

If you don’t have one then just go and buy one or at least hire one as steam carpet cleaners are quite effective against carpet beetles. They are very easy to use and just a one-time investment steam carpet cleaners are quite pocket-friendly as compared to professionals who may charge you heavily to kill those little devils. 

Steam carpet cleaning helps to clean your carpets and rugs like a pro. Right from newly laid little eggs to larvae, carpet cleaning machines will suck in all the carpet beetles and save your carpet from damage. You can repeat doing steam cleaning once or twice a week, depending on the need. 

Use boric acid 

Boric acid has certain properties that work as poison for insects and pests like beetles.

Method 1  

• Just sprinkle a little boric powder gently and evenly all over the carpet
• Now take a brush or broom and spread it on the fiber. Let it go deep into the fibers
• Let it settle and wait for several hours 
• Later, vacuum thoroughly. Make sure no powder is left

Method 2  

• Create a liquid spray to kill larvae by mixing boric acid – 1  tablespoon and hot water – 2 cups
• Keep stirring the mixture, till all the powder dissolves
• Now put the liquid solution in a plastic spray bottle and sprinkle it on all home fabric like carpet, upholstery, curtains, baseboards, and every nook and cranny where you think the beetle can be found

You will easily find boric acid in any pharmacy.

Use diatomaceous earth

Another effective and non-toxic ingredient that will help to get rid of the damage-causing carpet beetles is diatomaceous earth. As soon as the beetles come in contact with this powder material, they start feeling dehydrated and get killed instantly. It may sound like a murder plan but unfortunately, you have to act a bit brutal to save your favorite fabrics. 

Sprinkle it all over the areas and fabrics where the carpet beetles hang out. Diatomaceous earth is safe for pets and humans. Even though it is chemical-free and safe, we recommend you wear a mask and sprinkle the powder to avoid unnecessary inhaling. 

Use insecticides 

If the natural remedies don’t work in your favor, it’s time to go for the toxic insecticides that are specially made to kill such insects. Buy insecticides that contain ingredients like bifenthrin, deltamethrin, or cyfluthrin as they are effective against beetles. Also, make sure to read the safety instructions before using it on the carpet and upholstery. 

Is it time to call professionals?

Honestly, when you think the situation is out of control, you are unable to keep a check on carpet beetles and the damage caused is just unbelievable then we strongly recommend calling professionals. Hire the carpet beetle removal service providers and ask them to make periodical visits as it might be a bit affordable.