What is a Carpet Beetle?

Have you noticed bugs that look like bed bugs crawling around in your home? At a closer glance, you might be able to tell that they are actually carpet beetles. Carpet beetles may seem very similar to bed bugs, but they come with a separate set of problems and should be dealt with using different strategies.

If you believe you have carpet beetles in your home or are wondering if what you suspected were bed bugs are something else, read on. The technicians at Johnson Pest Control have compiled some information on the nature of carpet beetles, their similarity to bed bugs, and how you can remove them from your home. 

What Are Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles are tiny beetles, only measuring 2 to 3 mm in length. They are oval-shaped with white, brown, and yellow-orange markings scattered across their wing covers. They are not picky eaters, feeding on many kinds of both plant and animal products, but they prefer to feed on dead animal and insect material. This is why they are called carpet beetles: when they infest homes, you can often find them living in wool carpeting and clothing, eating the material. 

Carpet beetles aren’t dangerous pests—they don’t bite or spread disease in any sense. However, they can become a major nuisance for home and business owners alike if the infestation gets out of hand.

Are Carpet Beetles as Bad as Bed Bugs?

Both carpet beetles and bed bugs like to infest furniture and carpeting in our buildings. However, they are nuisances for different reasons:

• Carpet beetles don’t bite like bed bugs, but they do cause allergic reactions in some. Exposure to the small fibers that their larvae have can cause the skin to react adversely.
• Bed bugs leave us with similar-looking rashes, but they are actually rows of tiny bites. Although bed bugs are more famous for infesting our mattresses, carpet beetles may be found there, too.
• Both of these pest problems are short of dangerous, but can still be quite distressing. Discovering either in your house can be frustrating, and it’s hard to say what’s worse between a carpet beetle rash vs bed bug bites.

How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

There are a number of purported at-home carpet beetle treatments. Diluted vinegar sprays, vacuums and steam cleaning, boric acid, and more DIY remedies can handle smaller infestations, but carpet beetles won’t go away unless you find the source of the infestation and neutralize it. That’s where the experts at Johnson Pest Control can help. Our beetle control technicians are well-versed in the habits of carpet beetles in Eastern TN and are equipped to remove active infestations safely, keeping them out for good. For a free quote, contact us today!