A Guide To The Vodka Beetle AKA The Brown Carpet Beetle

What is a Carpet Beetle?

Along with clothes moths, carpet beetles are the biggest threat to textiles in the UK. As a domestic pest, it is the beetle larvae rather than the adult beetles that are the biggest concern. Adult carpet beetles feed on pollen and nectar but lay their eggs in fabric and fluff commonly found in our homes. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the protein keratin found in organic materials such as feathers, wool textiles and carpets.

Signs of a Carpet Beetle Infestation

Checking your house for signs of the vodka beetle can be particularly difficult as the larvae are only about 0.5mm when first hatched. It’s possible to see evidence of an infestation as the larvae discard their skin as they grow, shedding striped skins in clumps of organic dirt and fluff in the dead spaces behind and under furniture.

• Holes and damage to fabrics
• Seeing adult beetles
• Finding shed skins

How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

There are preventative measures you can take to avoid a problem, but the carpet beetle is a resilient creature and can survive without a food source for months.

The most important thing to do is to eliminate sources of food for the larvae. This will mean clearing airing cupboards, vacuuming fluff and debris around floorboards, carpets and upholstery.

In some circumstances and in large infestations, it may not be possible to get rid of carpet beetles yourself. In these cases, it’s always best to seek help from a professional pest controller who can make sure any treatment is done safely and give you advice for preventative measures.

Carpet beetles sometimes lay their eggs in bird nests and the larvae can survive on feathers and nesting debris so if you think you have a problem with birds nesting around your property, it’s important to look at safe bird control measures too.