How To: Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

They enter your home in a myriad of ways: hitching rides on cut flowers, clothing, or pets, or simply flying though open windows. Once inside, carpet beetles (Dermestids）可以安顿下来并产卵，他们的幼虫可以在地毯，窗帘，室内装潢 - 甚至是你的衣服上真正肆虐。不要让他们有机会做任何真正的伤害。一旦您发现其中一个小型箱子，请遵循这种多强制策略，了解如何快速摆脱地毯甲虫。

Meet the Enemy: Carpet Beetles

In the adult stage, these creepy culprits are less than ¼ inch long and either black or a combination of tan, white, and black. They tend to congregate around windows and doorways—socheck these areas if you suspect an infestation. While irksome, the adult carpet beetles are harmless; only in the larva stage are they a threat to natural fibers. The tiny worm-like larvae favor dark areas like closets and behind baseboards, and they’re difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Identifying an Infestation

Sometimes the only way to know you’ve got ‘em is by the damage they cause, such as bare spots in rugs, holes in packed-away clothing, or wormholes in books. So if you needed春季清洁的借口， 就是这个。

春天是一年的地毯甲壳虫的时间为您的家。由于灰尘兔子，蜘蛛网，死亡昆虫和猎豹的簇绒是幼虫的公开邀请，忙于粉碎机，真空和扫帚。

Next, go through stored clothing to check for damaged or infested items. Laundering kills active larvae but any wool, leather, fur, or delicate items that you can’t throw in the washer require professional dry cleaning.

The good news is that once you’ve identified their presence, you can usually get rid of carpet beetles without the expense of an exterminator.

Do DIY Extermination

vanquish地毯甲虫没有呼召专业人士！以下是攻击破坏性幼虫的三种方法，加上一个良好的成人地毯甲虫的治疗方法。

1. 杀虫剂：Stop an active larvae infestation by treating carpet or upholstery with an insecticide that contains at least one of the following ingredients: deltamethrin, bifenthrin, or cyfluthrin (view example on Amazon）。在治疗整个地毯之前测试一个小的不显眼区域，以确保产品不会染色。许多杀虫剂警告围绕着人员和宠物使用，因此请仔细遵循制造商的安全预防措施。
2. 硼酸：Boric acid, which acts as a poison on insect metabolism, is only hazardous to humans if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. Find it at pharmacies and sprinkle it in powder form lightly and evenly on carpet, then use a broom or brush to distribute it into the fibers. Wait several hours and vacuum thoroughly. You may also prepare a larvae-killing spray by adding one tablespoon of boric acid to two cups of hot water and stirring until the powder dissolves. Fill a plastic spray bottle with the solution and mist curtains, upholstery, baseboards, and dark nooks and crannies where carpet beetle larvae hang out.
3. 硅藻土：Another natural product, diatomaceous earth (available via agricultural-feed stores and various online retailers) is a desiccant that quickly kills larvae by dehydrating them. Treat rugs in the method described for boric acid above, and also sprinkle some in the back of cabinets and closets and in pet beds. Choose “food grade” diatomaceous earth, which is safe for pets and humans, but wear a respirator or mask to keep from inhaling the fine dust particles when applying.
4. Fog:Although they’re no longer chewing your possessions, adult female carpet beetles lay eggs and can start the whole nasty process again. Use a flying insect fogger (view example on Amazon) to effectively eradicate adult beetles, and keep flying insect spray on hand (view example on Amazon) to attack any strays or newcomers.

Fend Off Future Infestations

The best cure is always an ounce of prevention. Stop adult carpet beetles from entering your home by hanging sticky flypaper strips near windows to catch them. If you find yourself dealing with repeated infestations, place sticky pheromone-type traps on windowsills and in closets to stop carpet beetles before they have a chance to lay eggs.