How To Get Rid of Carpet Beetles vs Stinkbugs

If you’ve noticed a bug in your carpet or signs like holes or fraying in carpet or other fabrics in your home, you might have carpet beetles. These minuscule insects devour natural fibers and damage everything from clothing to furniture upholstery.

However, they look very close to the common stinkbug, which we see across Kentucky and the Ohio Valley especially in the Fall and Winter.

At IPM Pest & Termite near Lexington and Louisville, KY, we can help you identify any pests plaguing you and exterminate them. Let’s learn how to get rid of carpet beetles!

What Are Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles are small household pests that devour animal-based materials, like silk, wool, feathers, cotton, pet hair, other (dead) insects, lint, and fur. They wreak havoc in your home and are difficult to identify and stop because they feed in obscure places and disperse throughout the home. In the larval stage, carpet beetles eat natural fibers.  The adults typically leave on their own to feed on pollen outdoors. But they’ll come back in through cracks, on furniture, and in flowers.

The Varied Carpet Beetle

There are several species of carpet beetles, but one of the most common in Kentucky is the Varied Carpet Beetle. It’s often near windows in early spring and has mottled patterns of brown, black, white, and yellow scales. Their underbellies are off-white. They’re smaller than average, at about 1/10-inch, but the larvae are slightly longer. They’re difficult to see and identify because they blend into carpet, but they can cause holes in carpet, clothing, furniture, and stored fabrics.

Other common species are Black Carpet Beetles and Furniture Carpet Beetles.

What Are Stinkbugs?

Stinkbugs are shield-shaped insects that invade homes in large numbers, especially as the weather cools. They get their name from the foul, pungent odor they release when crushed, threatened, or even just disturbed. The most common culprit in Kentucky is the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, an invasive species that's mottled brown with lighter bands on its antennae and alternating dark and light markings along the edges of its abdomen. Adults are about 5/8-inch long and roughly as wide as they are long.

Unlike carpet beetles, stinkbugs don't damage fabrics or feed on household materials. Instead, they're a nuisance pest, sneaking in through cracks around windows, doors, siding, and utility pipes to overwinter in walls, attics, and quiet corners.

Carpet Beetle Treatment: How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

It can be difficult to tell the difference between damage caused by moths and by carpet beetles, so if you see damage, consider calling IPM Pest and Termite. We will recommend the best carpet beetle treatment for your situation.

It should start with sanitation and elimination before using insecticide. This starts by eliminating the source:

• Throw out badly-worn fabric items.
• Remove spider webs.
• Check anything you’re bringing into your home.
• Repair screens on windows and doors.
• Vacuum thoroughly, every day, for a month.
• Promptly remove any food sources.

If this doesn’t solve your problem, professional carpet beetle treatment may be required. IPM Pest & Termite can identify the species, remove them, and help you create a plan to keep them out of your home by showing you where they may have entered and helping you seal any cracks.

As for stinkbugs, we recommend vacuuming them into a sealed container or simply picking them up gently and releasing them outside—or contacting us for help.

We also provide a seasonal maintenance service that includes inspecting for pest problems, sealing any crevices, and treating insect pests if they’re found, which can prevent most problems.

Contact Us to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles and Other Pests

At IPM Pest & Termite near Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, we pride ourselves on swiftly identifying and eliminating pests, including various carpet beetles. We know how to get rid of carpet beetles, bed bugs, termites, and more, so you can have a pest-free home.

To learn more about our methods and how we can help you, call (859) 340-1403 to reach our Lexington and Central Kentucky location or (502) 399-4536 to reach our Louisville location. You can also submit our contact form.

We serve the greater Lexington, KY area, including Nicholasville, Versailles, Georgetown, Richmond, and Winchester, KY; and communities in and around Louisville, KY.