Carpet Beetles vs. Bed Bugs

Serving Illinois and Indiana

Are you finding small pests in and around your headboards, bed frames, mattresses, and box springs? Or perhaps you have pests in and around your rugs, carpets, book bindings, or fabric furniture? You might have a carpet beetle or a bed bug infestation. Both of these pests are tiny but can bring large amounts of devastation and frustration to your home. Not quite sure if you’re being affected by carpet beetles or bed bugs? Listed below are some of the main differences between these two pests in order to help identify which type may be making themselves too comfortable in your home.

Signs of a Carpet Beetle Infestation

In small numbers, carpet beetles can actually be beneficial to your home in the sense that they are good at breaking down old organic matter and “cleaning up” after other insects. However, carpet beetles are scavengers, and when carpet beetle population swells in a home, the problems become obvious:

• Carpet beetles may eat household items such as rugs, carpets, book bindings, fabric furniture, skins and furs.
• They are typically oval in shape, and vary in appearance of color including white, yellow, and black.
• Carpet beetle larvae are usually the first to catch a homeowner’s eye, as they are frequently striped and are covered in bristles, causing them to appear as furry. As these larvae mature, they will shed their shells, which is another major sign.

Preventing Carpet Beetles in Your Home

You can help keep carpet beetles at bay through frequent dusting and vacuuming and keeping your stored food items in tightly sealed containers. Also, due to carpet beetles’ attraction to pollen, you should also be mindful of any flowers and plants that are brought into the home. If you believe that your home has fallen victim to a carpet beetle infestation, our extermination experts at Anderson Pest Solutions can provide advice on how to get your home carpet beetle free.

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood, are typically nocturnal insects, and will adapt to the patterns of their host, which is usually human. Some things to know about bed bugs include:

• They live primarily in crevices and cracks and are especially fond of headboards, bed frames, mattresses, and box springs.
• They don’t typically cause much physical or structural damage to the homes that they infest but can be a bothersome due to the fact that they bite. 
• Bed bug eggs are only 1 millimeter in length and develop into an adult bed bug that measures around 1/4″ in length. Bed bugs have oval-shaped bodies and are reddish-brown in color. These pests multiply rapidly, with adult female bed bugs laying up to five eggs per day.

Treating Bed Bug Infestations

Since bed bug problems are closely associated with box springs and mattresses, one of the greatest defenses against these pests is using a protective mattress encasement. As for treatment, chemical and or thermal treatments have been proven to be the most effective. If you believe that your home has fallen victim to a bed bug infestation, our extermination experts at Anderson Pest Solutions can provide advice on how to get your home bed bug free.

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