Treating carpet beetles that are living in your home can be fairly easy if you know where they have taken up residence. From freezing an item to tossing it in the garbage, there is a quick fix for many small infestations. In this article, you will find some tips to get rid of carpet beetles infestation without chemicals.
1. Identify the source
Look for fecal pellets and the shed skins of the larva. Also look for holes in fabrics. Carpet beetles tend to feed in dark, secluded areas like closets, drawers, basements, in between walls and insulation, attics, and storage boxes. You may want to check under carpets and rugs, pick up couches and large pieces of furniture and inspect those thoroughly as well. If you’ve seen one of the carpet beetles shown in the sidebar to your left, search your home up and down until you find the source of the infestation.
2. Vacuum
Immediately and directly remove the carpet beetles with a vacuum. This should be the first thing you do to get rid of carpet beetles. Just go ahead and vacuum those pests right up. Make sure to thoroughly to make sure there’s nothing left.
3. Soapy water
Wash your fabrics in hot, soapy water to make sure you get rid of carpet beetles, their larva, and their eggs. Like many pests that feed on animal waste, carpet beetle eggs are incredibly resilient. You’ll need to get all of the clothes and fabrics you think are infested with hot water and soap right away. Hell, use the pre-wash just to make sure you get everything.
4. Boric acid
If you want to kill carpet beetles and keep them out, try dusting with boric acid. Boric acid is great stuff. It kills just about any insect that comes into contact with it, yet it’s almost completely harmless to humans. I wouldn’t eat a spoonful of it to prove my point, but trust me, this is the stuff you want to use if you don’t like chemicals.
5. Mothballs
Packed clothing and other fabrics are a prime target for carpet beetles. Add mothballs to these boxes before storing them.
