What Causes Carpet Bugs? (These are 4 Types of Bugs You Might Have)

Have you ever found bugs in your carpets? Consider yourself VERY lucky if you haven’t. A bug infestation in carpets is annoying, destructive, and expensive. It not only takes a toll on your carpet but also your bank balance. There are 4 kinds of bugs that are courageous enough to invade your house. This post will explain everything about these troublemakers.

As a general rule, the appearance of carpet bugs in your house is caused by food remnants in the carpet pile. Besides, natural materials, which include animal protein, serve as great food for carpet bugs and attract them into your house. To get rid of them, you should vacuum your carpets every day and remove the food and drink stains immediately. Read further to know more reasons for carpet bugs’ arrival in your home. Study also the ways to get rid of them.

What You Need to Know About Carpet Bugs

Let’s start by clearing one common misconception. There are no such species of pest known as ‘Carpet Bugs’. There are a few different types of bugs that infest carpets. Those could be referred to as carpet bugs, but they do have their respective names.

Keep reading if you want to learn about the pests that can invade your house and infest your precious carpets.

4 Common Bugs Found in the Carpet

There are 4 common types of bugs that can be found in carpets. These have some similarities and differences. We will now take a look at each of these bugs separately.

1. Why are Carpet Beetles Called the Nastiest Pests?

Carpet beetles are one of the most common species of beetles. They are considered one of the nastiest pests due to their reproducing habits. The females can lay up to 100 eggs at once. That’s a massive number.

The icing on the cake (strong sarcasm alert) is that the larvae usually live up to a maximum of 3 years. We wouldn’t have cared if they didn’t literally eat our carpets.

Take a look at the picture below if you are wondering what carpet beetles look like.

As you can see, there are 3 types of carpet beetles. All of them are a huge nuisance though.

They feed on products that contain animal protein including wool, silk, leathers, and fur. Synthetic carpets are also their target. They take advantage of the food and drink remains on them.

I suggest you give the following post a read to learn about carpet beetles in detail:

2. Tapestry Moths as the Greatest Enemies of Textile

Carpet moths are from a family of moths called Tineidae. Their other name is Tapestry moths. Their reproduction is similar to carpet beetles. Quick and plenty.

I face-palmed upon reading the fact that the female carpet moth can lay up to 200 eggs in just 2 to 3 months of adulthood.

I know you face-palmed too. So many larvae can hatch in your home, infest your carpets and migrate from room to room. The thought alone is unbearable. I feel sorry if you had to go through it in real life.

The larva of carpet moth is a look-alike of a caterpillar. However, they are light brown. The adult looks like this.

Carpet moths are textile enemies too. Their usual feed is natural fibers and synthetic materials rich in food remnants.

We have a post that is dedicated to this annoying pest. Take a look here.

3. Ants as Little Carpets Invadors

There isn’t a type of ant called ‘Carpet Ant’. Certain species of ants do love to invade houses. They can dwell in your carpets. They feed on food crumbs and drink spills found in them.

They usually live in a colony system where only the queen lays eggs. The unfertile females are the workers while males just mate and die.

Ants are omnivores. They can practically eat everything from vegetables, fruits, meats, and grains. They have a strong sweet tooth so sugary stuff is their favorite.

Below you can see the 3 types of ants that can be found in your carpet.

Don’t underestimate these tiny insects based on their size. Ants can cause some of the biggest infestations.

Check out the following post to gain knowledge about ants that love to live in your carpets:

4. Bed bugs

Bed bugs are sometimes confused with carpet beetles. Remember that they are two different creatures.

The former have flatter bodies. They are blood-suckers. I mean they bite humans and feed on the blood. They are mostly found near your bed or in the mattress. So yeah, you might be sleeping with bed bugs.

I know this is a disturbing fact. This dangerous pest can hide in carpets as well since they have thin bodies.

These do not have wings but are excellent climbers. From walls to wood, they can make their way up through any material.

Bed bugs do not have larvae. They just grow in size as they mature. This is what a bed bug looks like.

I recommend that you read the following post in order to get to know these unpleasant pests better. That will help you keep them away.

Common causes of carpet bugs

First, you have to learn the causes if you want to finish a problem. The same goes for a pest infestation.

We will now discuss some of the reasons of infestation that are mutual for all 4 types of bugs mentioned above.

Cause 1: Bad Hygiene Conditions in Your House

Cleaning is the most important ingredient in the recipe of a pest-free house. I cannot emphasize this enough.

The first and foremost reason for pests staying in your house is uncleanliness. Write it down somewhere or just memorize it by heart. This will help you a lot.

Be it carpet beetles or ants, be it bed bugs or carpet moths, all of them love an unclean house. They find food particles, drink spills, dirt, and dust.

Cause 2: Food particles and spills on carpets

The main reason any pest infests carpets, in particular, is because of the food remnants found in them.

You can probably think of times when you were sitting on the carpet with your friends. An intense game of monopoly was going on. You all were munching on chips to stay relaxed. Oh, and probably drinking soft drinks too.

While everyone was so absorbed in having a good time, there were crumbs fallen on the carpet no one noticed. Drinks could have been spilled too. You probably did clean the stain, but the carpets are quick in absorbing liquids.

So, carpet bugs feed on these food and drink remains. They make the carpets their habitat as they find a constant food supply in them.

Cause 3: Hard-to-Reach Areas in Your House

Carpet bugs LOVVEE dark, peaceful, and hidden spots. This exposes a real threat to your carpets, under your furniture and even pantries.

You probably would agree with the fact that places like under your furniture often get neglected by us. We don’t clean them much even if we vacuum every day. Carpets usually have spots where dust settles the most. It could be at the edges. We don’t pay much attention to those as well.

This results in the accumulation of dust and dirt. Combine that with the fact that such patches are undisturbed. Ta-Da, a comfortable home for pests.

Carpets provide a convenient habitat to bugs on their own. Larvae of carpet beetles and carpet moths are microscopic. Bed bugs and ants are also tiny so they can easily hide under your carpets.

Cause 4: Natural fibers

Products containing animal protein are the natural feed of pests like carpet beetles and carpet moths. These materials include wool, silk, leather, fur, hair, feather, etc. They gnaw on these and cause irreparable damage.

Both of these carpet bugs can digest Keratin. It is the animal protein found in natural fabrics. That is why this eating habit is developed.

However, bed bugs easily hide in mattresses and natural fabrics. Ants also won’t shy away from dwelling in your fancy wool rug. Both of these pests don’t nibble the fabric itself.

If you have wool rugs, sweaters, or furniture covered with your pet’s fur, you might have a carpet bug infestation.

Don’t worry. Every problem has a solution. So does an infestation.

Cause 5: Arrival of infested items

Did you encounter a pest infestation even though you are a cleaning freak? That must be heart-wrenching. You might have said to yourself, “All my cleaning efforts went down the drain”. Truth is that the pest invasion wasn’t because of uncleanliness.

That was because of the arrival of an infested item in your house. Did you buy a second-hand rug, carpet or sofa? Carpet beetles and carpet moth might have already been enjoying it from the inside.

You might have brought bed bugs in your house by bringing a used mattress in. House plants often come with a whole colony of ants.

If taxidermy is kept in your house without getting an insecticide treatment, it could have a huge infestation. Carpet beetles and carpet moths devour animal skin easily. Both of these annoying pests can also come hidden in flowers.

How to Keep Carpet Bugs Away from Your House?

Prevention is the best cure.

The best way to safeguard your carpets is by keeping carpet bugs out of your house. First and foremost, vacuum regularly. I know it is easier said than done. But it is crucial in saying no to pests.

Make a habit of storing food in air-tight containers so no pest can make its way into your food jars.

Scan any item you bring in and make sure it is pest-free. Pay attention to hidden spots as those can be a paradise for pests.

How to get rid of carpet bugs?

Once you have an infestation, it can get on your nerves. Relax! Breathe! It is removable. I am not going to lie, it’s not a piece of cake though. But hey, chin up. I know you can do it.

There are DIY solutions like sprinkling borax powder, spraying vinegar solution, or essential oils to eliminate these pests. Certain products are specifically manufactured to kill pests. You can always try these methods.

It is recommended to take the help of a professional carpet cleaner if the infestation is severe. Otherwise pests can come back again. You won’t like it. So, spend a little extra money and get the pest problem treated, once and for all.

If you want to learn more about the prevention and elimination of each type of carpet bug, we have dedicated posts for this purpose.

For more tips on keeping carpet beetles away, click here. If you want to keep your doors closed for carpet moths, take a look at this post.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap. I hope you got your answers to all the carpet bug queries in your mind.

To have a laugh after a long post about pests, take a look at this meme.

Punny, right? LOL.

Carpet beetles, carpet moths, ants, and bed bugs can all be found in your expensive carpets. Uncleanliness is what attracts them to your house. Your strict cleaning habits and care can steer them away.

Take appropriate measures to prevent and eliminate carpet bugs from your house. I pray that you never have to face an infestation!