Do Carpet Beetles Travel With You? Facts You Must Know!

Do carpet beetles travel with you? Could they be the pests that can go with you wherever you go?

I don’t know about you, but I loathe carpet beetles. They’re itchy, they can travel to your kitchen, and worst of all – they can damage your fabric.

So, in this guide, I’ll go about teaching you how you can avoid being the parent of the worst pests you can have inside your home.

Yes, carpet beetles can travel with you because their larvae can breed in fabric like your clothes, carpet, and other furniture. You can stop their spread by heating and/or vacuuming all fabric and disinfecting them.

It is important to understand the usual routines of carpet beetles for you to be able to prevent them from traveling. Furthermore, doing so will also stop them from infesting all fabrics that you own.

I found it out that hard way, but you don’t have to. So, let me explain to you the usual process of how home infestations begin.

How Do Carpet Beetles Infest Your Home?

At first, I thought that they just pop out of nowhere, especially from clothes, linen, and other fabrics that aren’t washed.

However, I was wrong. In fact, carpet beetles are very much like bed bugs.

Adult carpet beetles thrive in your garden, yard, or whatever part of your property that has pollen. In addition, trash, dirty fabrics, and an opening to your home can also attract them quite easily.

The infestations start when they see an opening like a door or a window to your house and you have untreated fabric.

But that’s not all – they can also travel through the dust that goes inside your home.

Then, adult female carpet beetles will lay eggs on your fabric for the baby and small carpet beetles to breed on.

And note, the average number of eggs pregnant carpet beetles lay is about 100 eggs at single labor.

After that, it’s an endless process of them laying eggs, and when they become an adult, they’ll travel outside to your plants for pollen and come back to lay eggs.

It may sound corny, but carpet beetles are bugs that can “bug” you for the rest of your life if you don’t mind them and take action accordingly.

What Types of Material Do These Pests Thrive On?

Fabric is fabric, and it’s the most comfortable place for carpet beetles to live, that’s the reason why they’re labeled as “carpet beetles.”

However, according to a study by the University of Kentucky about carpet beetles, their larvae choose to feed more on animal-based materials, some of which include:

• Leather
• Felt
• Silk
• Feathers
• Fur
• Wool

In my experience, I typically see them in sweaters, coats, scarves, linen, carpets, and even toys that have fabrics!

My worst encounter with these critters was when I saw them on my baby’s mattress!

A lot of people also say that they go with you wherever you go. Is it true, though?

Will carpet beetles travel with you and stay with you? Let me explain and debunk this question right here, right now!

Do Carpet Beetles Travel With You?

Yes, it is possible for carpet beetles to go and travel with you, and many people are actually cursed by it.

This is usually what the case is if you fail to clean the fabrics they’ve infested, and you move the said fabric from one place to another.

What spreads and travels with you would be larvae carpet beetles since they’re the ones who thrive in these environments.

Adults don’t usually like the texture and the environment of fabrics, and they prefer to be out in the wild feeding on pollen, flowers, and plants.

So, the best preventative step to take is to get rid of them before you move or transfer fabrics.

But how do you know if you’re infested so you could prevent it from traveling with you?

4 Signs of Carpet Beetle Infestation

Thanks to the great combination of deep research and firsthand experience with these bugging critters, I was able to find clues on how I knew they were there.

I made a list of some of the most notable warning signs and hints that there’s currently a carpet beetle reunion happening within your lovely home.

Fabric Damages

This, by far, has been one of the greatest, most accurate, and most precise signs I’ve seen in my experience, as well as other people’s.

The larvae of these carpet beetles feed on the natural fibers of the fabric, and therefore, damaged clothes, linen, and rugs can be an instant hint that carpet beetles are lurking around your home.

Thinner Areas on Wool Items

This is common in wool materials such as wool rugs, wool blankets, and wool clothes like coats and jackets.

Therefore, the tendency would be the appearance of bare areas on the wool item. They would appear thinner and a little out of line.

Skin Shedding

One of the more confusing signs would be the shedding of the skin.

Carpet beetles usually shed skin as they grow, and that’s a hint that there’s currently something going on inside your home you don’t know of.

Note: It’s confusing because their skin looks like the skin of nuts – light brown, empty sacks of skin.

Carpet Beetle Presence

Of course, the most obvious sign is when you see carpet beetles crawling up the walls or down the floors of your house.

When they’re fully grown as an adult, they would need to come outside to eat, mate, and bond with other adult carpet beetles. They’ll appear as small moving dots around your home.

I know a carpet beetle when I see one, and I always catch them crawling near the door to my backyard. They’re small, but if they move on a clear wall, it’ll be easy to spot them.

NOTE: In case you find it hard to see them, you can use a magnifying glass for better, more convenient, and easier viewing!

Now that you know what happens when you’re infested, how do you get rid of them?

What can you do to feel safer and much more protected from these annoying insects?

How Do You Make Carpet Beetles Not Travel With You?

Although I didn’t have a guide like this when I was the one who needed help, I am still thankful because of the learnings I’ve gathered.

I read many books and researched these pesky carpet beetles deeply. I even went on forums to look for solutions from people who are in the same situation as me.

Luckily, getting rid of these carpet beetles, or should I say, these carpet beetle larvae wasn’t that tough of a job at all. 

As a matter of fact, doing it is easy and simple!

1. Before you pack and go, remove bed sheets, pillow sheets, comforters, etc.
2. Vacuum everything out. Make sure you get the entire area vacuumed and cleaned.
3. Then, for the fabrics, wash them using a mild disinfectant detergent.
4. Let it dry out under the sun for at least 5 hours. These critters do not like sunlight.
5. Spray the bag or the container where you’ll place your items with a disinfectant.

That’s just about it!

By accomplishing these tasks, you can be worry-free about carpet beetles being your company even after you move!

Prevention of Carpet Beetles From Entering Your Home

Here are a couple of tips you can use and follow to prevent the infestation of carpet beetles before or even after moving!

1. Vacuum and clean your carpets, rugs, flooring, as well as linen regularly.
2. Make use of a dehumidifier to reduce levels of humidity
3. Seal up all cracks, holes, and small openings in your home.
4. Sweep up and remove dried leaves and other debris around your home.

FAQs

Here are some other useful information related to carpet beetles following you wherever you go!

Does Vinegar Terminate Carpet Beetles?

Yes, vinegar is one of the most effective household treatments you can do to repel and keep them away.

This happens because vinegar drains the cells of these carpet beetle’s larvae.

Can Heat Help Get Rid of Carpet Beetles?

Yes, in fact, high temperatures like heat steaming can help exterminate carpet beetles without the use of any chemicals.

Apply steam that has temperatures up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 4 hours and carpet beetles will be gone!

Say Goodbye to Carpet Beetles Indefinitely!

Although it’s exaggerated to say that you will never be bugged by carpet beetles anymore, it is actually possible! 

Follow the processes we mentioned above, and you’ll find it difficult to track carpet beetles down!

So, do carpet beetles travel with you? The answer is yes, but you can turn that around with proper care and maintenance of your home and your things!