There are many welcome signs of the fall season such as pumpkin spice coffee, the kids back at school, colorful leaves, and corn mazes. However, there are also some unwelcome signs of fall such as shorter days, colder weather, and fall pests. This is the time of year when fall pests are beginning to invade homes looking for food, water, and shelter. One fall pest that many homeowners aren't too familiar with that can cause a lot of damage is the carpet beetle.Carpet beetles are tiny pests that can damage furniture, clothing, and curtains in your home, and contaminate some food sources. The carpet beetle experts at Ace Exterminators want to give you the info on carpet beetles - how they get into your home, how to prevent them, and what the heck to do if you think they have invaded your home!Carpet beetles generally invade homes from late spring though early fall. Adult carpet beetles will fly into your home while foraging for food sources, entering through cracks in exterior walls and spaces found around windows and doors. An infestation can also occur when you purchase food products from the store that are infested with their larvae. It is important to remember that it is not the adult beetles that are doing the damage in your home but rather their bristle-covered larvae.Carpet beetles stay away from light and hide in dark corners, drawers, cabinets, and underneath furniture. It can take some time to notice that these damaging pests have invaded your home, and unfortunately it usually isn't until you start to notice holes in personal items. The best offense when it comes to carpet beetles is a good defense- in this case a good defense is putting in place prevention measures around your home.Carpet Beetle Prevention Tips:Carpet beetles like to feed on natural fibers and synthetic fibers that are mixed with shed skin cells and sweat; so before storing clothing items make sure that are dry cleaned.Store clothing and other fabric items in sealed plastic containers, not in cardboard boxes.Seal cracks found in the exterior walls and foundation of your home.Caulk gaps found around windows and doors, make sure that screens are completely intact.Routinely vacuum carpets and dust. Also, clean under furniture and in the corners of rooms.Do not purchase food items from the store that have holes or rips in the packaging.Despite your best defense if you start to notice holes in fabric items around your home, adult beetles in your home, or are waking up with a red rash on your skin (the bristles on the larvae cause a reaction for many people when they come into contact with them) it is time to contact a pest control professional. The rash that carpet beetle larvae leave behind often causes people to think they have bed bugs in their home; making it especially important to get a professional inspection to properly identify what pest has invaded.At Ace Exterminators, our professionals can eliminate carpet beetles from your home through our year-round residential pest control programs. Our trained experts will begin by completing a thorough inspection; and if carpet beetles are found, we will provide safe, effective treatment services to eliminate these damaging pests from your home. We then schedule regular service visits throughout the rest of the year to prevent future problems with carpet beetles and other common household pests!Give us a call today to see how we can help to keep carpet beetles from becoming a problem in your home this fall!
