Carpet Beetle vs Bed Bug

Have you noticed bugs that look like bed bugs crawling around in your home? Carpet beetles may seem very similar to bed bugs, but they come with a separate set of problems. Besides their colorfully patterned backs and wings, you can tell carpet beetles apart from bed bugs by the type of damage they cause to homes and humans.

Are Carpet Beetles as Bad as Bed Bugs?

Both carpet beetles and bed bugs like to infest furniture and other items that we have in our house. However, they are nuisances for different reasons:

• Exposure to carpet beetles is known to incite allergic reactions, leaving people with itchy, red rashes. They also eat up fabrics–they’re called carpet beetles for a reason!
• Bed bugs leave us with similar-looking rashes, but they are caused by a series of small bites. Although bed bugs are more famous for infesting our mattresses, you can find carpet beetles in bed, too!

One isn’t necessarily a bigger problem than the other. Finding either carpet beetles or bed bugs in your home can ruin your day, and it’s hard to say what’s worse between carpet beetle rash vs bed bug bites.

When Should I Worry About Carpet Beetles?

It can be difficult to catch carpet beetles in your home before they start to reproduce inside. They are quite small (anywhere from 1/16” to 1/8” long), and with their neutral colors, they can easily blend in with many fabrics and carpets.

Once you’ve noticed carpet beetle damage on your furniture, seen a couple of carpet beetles on the floor, or even developed a rash, you’re probably already dealing with an infestation. Your local pest control company can help determine whether you’re dealing with carpet beetles vs bed bugs and strategize a plan to remove them from your home.

How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles vs Bed Bugs

As you might with other pests, you can create a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar to try to get rid of carpet beetles on your own. However, this solution might not be powerful enough to control an entire infestation of carpet beetles, and the same strategy won’t work to keep bed bugs out of your furniture. Thankfully, the pest control experts at Loyal Termite & Pest Control have experience identifying carpet beetles vs bed bugs and eliminating them all across Eastern and Central Virginia. For a free quote, contact us today!