How to Kill Carpet Beetles the Natural and Safe Way

As soon as you spot carpet beetles in your house, it’s time to get rid of them. This type of beetle is not known to live inside your home, but they will visit and cause damage to your clothes, carpets, and even pet fur. Though carpet beetles don’t sting or bite, they can cause plenty of damage to fabrics and furniture. Avoid using chemical pesticides and use the steps below to get rid of these bugs naturally.

Step 1 - Identify the Culprit

It is fairly easy to find carpet beetles because they leave a trail of destruction behind them. You will soon see damaged clothing and carpets which should confirm their presence. They will eat anything from wool, lint, and silk to feathers. They will also enjoy a meal of your dog's shed fur as a tasty snack.

Step 2 - Determine How They Come Inside

Carpet beetles can enter through any cracks in your siding and exterior or through open windows and doors. They will also attach themselves to your clothes when you are outdoors to hitch a ride inside, or ride along on flowers like daisies that you pick to display inside.

Once inside, they will start munching on anything they find. While they do eat any fur your pet may shed, they can also attach themselves to your pet and bite into the skin, resulting in fur loss. Carpet beetles can fly from house to house too, infesting neighbors as well.

Step 3 - Get Them in the Larvae Stage

A female carpet beetle can lay up to 100 eggs in two weeks. At larvae stage, they are furry and very different in appearance, but it in is this stage they cause the most damage. They don’t like cedar, however, so it’s a good idea to have your clothes stored in a cedar chest if carpet beetles are a persistent problem, as this can act as a deterrent for a few years. If you vacuum your house thoroughly, chances are you will pick up plenty of larvae, which you can discard outside of the home or destroy.

Step 4 - Remove Their Food Source

Get rid of all the extra clothes that you don’t need in order to avoid encouraging the carpet beetles to feed on them, and give everything else in your house a thorough cleaning. Make sure you wash your pets clothing and bedding as well to rid the surface of extra hair. Remove any birds’ nests near your house; they are a favorite spots for adults to lay their eggs.

Step 5 - Spray an Organic Insect Spray

Finally, give your house a thorough spray to kill any carpet beetles that might still be lurking in your clothes and furniture even after the cleaning. There are solutions especially for carpet beetles that are organic and safe for pets and family. EcoSMART is one such brand that has no harmful chemicals products and is known to be 100 percent effective in getting rid of these critters.