There are "Good" beetles and there are "Bad" beetles! Yes Bad beetles.... those little tiny bugs we will briefly discuss today... CARPET BEETLES!. They come in tiny to "I can see you sizes" and they like to eat... fibers that is. Not the fibers good for you and I .... carpet fibers. And other type fibers...like in your clothing! They just gnaw away at a tremendous rate (for their size). You can find these bugs in the corners of your closet (and other dark areas in your home) or out in the open in your carpets, on your clothes, etc. They love to eat , so where ever they can find a food supply to munch on, you can bet they'll be there in numbers.
One of your best weapons of getting rid of these beetles is with the use of your vacuum cleaner! Yes.. just scoop them up into that vacuum bag, which in their world could be a carpet beetle utopia! because these buggies like to munch on dust also. I guess that's a fiber of a different color..:). Then all you would need do is drop off the utopia bag outside in the dumpster/trash can.
Carpet beetles are controlled by practicing good cleaning habits: washing organic fabrics with warm water and soap on a regular basis, as well as replacing organic fabrics with synthetics. Serious infestations are dealt with by dusting carpets and furniture with boric acid or permethrin. If you need more information about controlling carpet beetles, you should read this article: How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles.
Here's a closeup of two types of carpet beetles you may or may not have seen before. Everyone likes to eat but these guys make it an occupation for themselves and a possible nightmare for you. If you suspect you have carpet beetles you can strategically place some "sticky" traps around the home (dark corners are probably best) and then take the trap to an exterminator for identification. Or you can call an exterminator to give your home a bug inspection to see what's lurking about.
Keep in mind that carpet beetles will eat anything. What's mentioned in this post are their favorites (so to speak). So if you know you have them in your home or just suspect that you do. Then that will mean they are eating you out of house and home as you are reading this post! There are many species of carpet beetles and all can be devastating when left unchecked.
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