The black carpet beetles in Pennsylvania are a widespread pest. They are small, about two-thirds of an inch long, with a flat body and reddish-brown color. The females are small, about one-half inch long, with a brownish-black color on a white background. The nymphs are brown, with black spots on them, and the adults have black dots under the wings. This insect usually reproduces in the summer.
Black Carpet
The black carpet beetles do well in the southeastern part of the country, particularly in Pennsylvania and New York. They live in the soil but do well in the upper areas of wooden piers, or wood decks, where they go unnoticed by humans. When disturbed, the adult beetles scurry to the underside of the wood, where they lay their eggs. The eggs then hatch, and new beetles emerge and move into a new nesting area.
In North America, they prefer full sunlight, which makes dark colors, such as black, the best colors for these pests. Their preferred living areas are attics, crawl spaces, underneath decks, porches, or any other place with natural light. But where natural light is unavailable, they can live in underground tunnels that have become hazardous because of their dampness. They do not like moist clay, but they can live in almost any dry structure. Their tunnels can reach three feet wide and more than six feet long.
Intense Toxic Stink
They are not as bothersome as termites or ants, but they are still annoying. They can produce an intense toxic stink that can cause allergic reactions, irritations of the eyes, throat, nose, mouth, and lungs. They are also able to access houses and buildings through holes and crevices, leading to infestations in attics, basements, storage areas, or anywhere that they have access to. The black carpet beetles are most active during the summer months, which is typically when they are most active in the rest of the house. During this time, they are most likely to enter and infest homes.
The adult black carpet beetles live in houses by the means of tunnels they build. These tunnels can be found under the carpet or in the sheetrock between walls, and sometimes they can be found in ceilings. They are much less mobile than their larvae, which are found inside the houses and are referred to as adults. Both larvae and adults can inhabit the same fabrics, but the adult beetles will travel further. Either way, they are not as mobile as their larvae counterparts.
Cleaning The Beetles
When it comes to cleaning the beetles, you can choose to use products that are made for this purpose, or you can take steps to prevent them from getting to start with. This includes: removing clutter from entryways, eliminating possible hiding places for the adult beetles, cleaning surfaces regularly, and using solutions that are designed to clean dark brown stains. To clean surfaces, you should use a solution that contains non-toxic cleaning detergent, either a liquid or a powder, that is specifically made to remove debris well. You should vacuum all areas on the walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces before using the cleaning solutions to remove any debris well.
Fabrics
While there are some materials that attract black carpet beetles, these materials include cotton, silk, and velvet. If you do find fabrics that have been infested with black carpet beetles, you should immediately try to remove them and dispose of them properly. First, you should spray the fabric with insecticide. Do not wipe it off. If this cloth has not been used in the last year, you can place a garden hose over the fabric and wring to extract the insecticide. You should then scrub the fabric with a solution that is designed for soil and fabric cleaning.
Conclusion
If you see signs of black carpet beetles, you should consider how to get rid of these beetles before they hatch. They usually live in areas where moisture collects, such as around and under your house, in cracks in floors and ceilings, in walls, and in laundry baskets. Larvae are about an inch long and live in dark places. However, larvae do not survive very long once they have hatched. Usually, only one pupa lives in an adult bug, so it is possible for you to see the eggs in a small quantity.
