For many people an unknown guest in the house: the carpet beetle, also known as the museum beetle. The animal can cause a lot of damage to textile products such as clothing, carpets, area rugs and even leather. Stuffed animals also often fall prey to this pestilence. But what can be done about it and how do you keep them out of your home? Read more about the carpet beetle in the article below.
Carpet beetle
Carpet beetles it is better not to have it at home because this insect can cause a lot of damage. The beetle is also called museum beetle, its scientific name is Anthrenus verbasci. Once the insects are in the house, it is very important that both the beetles and the larvae are controlled in the right way to prevent a pest. Incidentally, it is not the adult beetles that are responsible for the damage, but rather the larvae eat holes in all kinds of organic material. The carpet beetles have traveled all over the world by textile transports and have been able to adapt very well everywhere.
Appearance
Adult beetles:
The carpet beetle is a small one tor with a length of 1 to 5 mm. On the elytra there are white, yellow, gray, brown and black spots and zig-zag bands.
Larvae:
The larvae of the carpet beetles are cigar-shaped, hairy and golden brown in color. At the abdomen you can see some tufts with longer hair. They can be up to 12 mm in length.
Habitat
Adult beetles:
In summer they are generally found in the garden where they forage for food on flowers, but when it gets colder they often move into our homes. In itself you do not have to worry about a single specimen in the house, but if it concerns several beetles, it is advisable to consult a specialist. The beetles that hibernate in the house usually move outside again in the spring.
Larvae:
Carpet beetle larvae are found both outdoors and indoors. Are the bugs in your shelter? Then you can really find them everywhere. Sometimes they crawl over the carpet and chances are you will see them in your wardrobe. But also in all other places where textiles are present, the larvae can be present and subsequently cause damage.
Food
Adult beetles:
An adult beetle does not care at all carpet or the like. It can be found mainly in the flower garden to feed on pollen and nectar.
Larvae:
In the first instance, the larvae have a useful function, as they are cleaners. They live on all kinds of dead animal material, such as: dead insects, dead meat (cadavers) and old wasp and bee nests. They can also often be found in old abandoned bird nests where they clean up the feathers, for example.
However, they have adapted very well to humans and like to eat what we serve them, such as:
- All kinds of textiles
- Fur
- Learn
- Dried-on food residues
- Decorative feathers
- Stuffed animals
Prevent the larvae from entering the house
It is always said that prevention is better than cure and that is certainly true in the case of carpet beetles! Do you have a bird’s nest under the roof tiles? Remove the nest as soon as possible after all birds have fledged, but never remove a nest that still contains eggs or birds. In addition, the destruction of bird nests is punishable. In addition, larvae do not eat living material, they only come when the nests have been abandoned. If you keep an eye on when all the birds have flown out, you still have enough time to remove the nest because the larvae will initially only empty the nest. But once the nest has been cleared, they can easily enter your house through cracks and crevices. It is therefore wise to preventively seal cracks and seams in your home as much as possible. This also prevents all kinds of other pests out of your house.
Keeping birds out from under your roof tiles is of no use, the larvae do not enter a nest that is still inhabited, they only clean up empty nests. It is increasingly difficult for birds to find nesting space, so give them a chance to survive.
Combat
Make sure that carpet beetles do not plague mold in your home and combat them properly. The most important thing is to find the source of all the misery and then address it. You will most likely need professional help with this as a carpet beetle infestation can be very persistent. If the larvae are in your wardrobe, you can clean your clothes by washing them at 60 ° C for at least half an hour. Because not all clothing can withstand high temperatures, it is also possible to place contaminated clothing in a closed bag in the freezer for about 7 days at -20 ° C. The larvae will not survive these temperatures.
Unfortunately you are not done with this, the larvae crawl into all kinds of seams and cracks, where they can hide until you hang the clothes back in the closet. It is also possible that in the meantime they are looking for another food source.
In most cases you are dependent on a recognized pest controller for a thorough cleaning. All seams, cracks, carpets, cabinets and whatever else is necessary will have to be treated with an insecticide. Sometimes the plague is so persistent that treatment will have to be repeated after 6 to 8 weeks.
Why are they also called museum beetle?
The larvae love to eat dead insects, feathers and stuffed animals, but they also love (antique) carpets. All these objects are present in large numbers in certain museums. Because the beetles are so small, they can easily pass through all kinds of cracks and crevices and can thus easily “infect” museum pieces. The larvae can then create a real battlefield in a museum collection. That is why the carpet beetle is also called museum beetle is called.
Finally
For more information about vermin and pest control, please contact the special door here to click.