3 Types of Carpet Pests to Look Out For

Even if you frequently clean your carpets, they can still be ideal places for pests to hide. These critters can eat away at your carpet and ruin it. Learn what types of carpet pests could be hiding in your carpet and how to see their signs.

Carpet Moths

Carpet moths are beige and small and enjoy laying their eggs in rugs. The moths themselves do not cause visible damage, but they can lay 100 to 150 eggs, and the larvae can cause significant harm. Once they develop into small caterpillars, they will eat away at the fibers of your carpet.

Some of the signs that you have carpet moths are:

• Loose carpet fibers
• Small cocoons that blend in with your carpet
• Squirming larvae
• Moths flying around your home

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles have dark bodies and wings with patterns of white, brown, and yellow. They generally prefer to eat flowers, but if they get inside your building, they will lay eggs in your carpet, wool rugs, and leather furniture. The larvae will eat almost anything once they hatch.

If you see any of the following, you may have carpet beetles in your home:

• Skins and pellets on or near your carpet
• Beetles crawling around your windows and skirtings
• Unusual holes in your fabrics
• Squirming larvae on your carpet
• Small cocoons under your rug

You will most likely see the damage before seeing the actual pests.

Silverfish

Silverfish have sleek bodies that are blue-silver or brown-grey. They have three bristles on their rear. They usually eat away at household materials, but if they do not have access to those, they will begin eating the fibers in your carpet.

Some indicators that you may have a silverfish infestation are:

• Holes in wallpaper, clothing, and carpets
• Yellow stains around the holes
• Fecal matter that looks like black pepper in any corners
• Silverfish in food packages

If you think you have any of these carpet pests, hire a professional carpet cleaner to steam clean your rugs, because the heat will kill the pests. Professionals can also recommend other methods to prevent this from happening in the future to save your wall-to-wall carpeting or rugs.