Carpet beetles
What Carpet Beetles Find in Stored Textiles
The larvae, often called woolly bears, feed on keratin and on the dry organic debris that gathers with it: wool, feathers, down, fur, silk, hair and dead insects. They are small, hide well and can live for many months, so a store of textiles that nobody opens suits them well. The broader story of what storage does for pests is on Pest Control Edgware.
Feather and down
Spare duvets, pillows and cushions filled with feather or down are particularly attractive. Stored in a cupboard, garage or loft, their covers let larvae in at the seams, and the damage inside is invisible until the filling starts to leak.
Wool, fur and keepsakes
Boxes of knitted clothes, wool blankets, old school uniforms, fur or fur-trimmed coats and felt are all at risk. So are keepsakes such as a wedding dress with silk in it or a child's first teddy with a wool stuffing. Can carpet beetles damage clothes and furniture? lists what else can be affected.
Dust, dead insects and old nests
In a garage or shed, dead flies and moths on windowsills, dust along the floor edge and the remains of a bird's or wasp's nest in the rafters all give larvae something to live on before they find the textiles. Where carpet beetles hide covers the places to look.
Signs in Storage and in the House
- Short, bristly brown larvae or their shed skins in the folds of stored clothes and at the bottom of boxes
- Small, clean-edged holes in knitted wool or blankets
- Feathers or down escaping from a stored pillow or duvet
- Small round mottled beetles on the garage or landing windowsill in spring and early summer
How to know you have carpet beetles and why they appear on windowsills go into more detail. Smooth cream larvae in silken tubes are more likely carpet moths in Edgware.
Skin irritation
The bristles on carpet beetle larvae can irritate the skin of some people, causing an itchy rash that is sometimes mistaken for bites. If you have a rash that does not settle, speak to a pharmacist or GP. Can carpet beetle larvae irritate your skin? explains more.
What to Do Now
- Open stored boxes and bags outside, not in a bedroom, and check each item
- Seal badly damaged items in plastic bags before throwing them away
- Vacuum the storage area thoroughly, including corners and the floor edge, and empty the vacuum outside
- Do not move affected items into the house until you have checked them
Around the Visit
When you book, tell us which rooms and storage spaces are affected, and whether larvae or beetles have been seen in the house as well. Each affected room is counted, with a garage or storage loft counted as a room; halls, landings and stairs are not. How long it takes for signs to stop depends on the property and how established the larvae are, and if you are still finding larvae after the time we give you, get back in touch.
Storing Textiles Safely
- Wash or dry-clean clothes and bedding before putting them away
- Use airtight plastic boxes, and check vacuum bags still hold their seal
- Keep storage areas clean and clear of dead insects and old nests
- Look through stored textiles at least once a year
How to prevent carpet beetles returning has more. For the borough-wide page, see Carpet Beetle Control Barnet. Large numbers of spiders around the same stored boxes can be a sign of plenty of prey, which spider control in Edgware looks at.
