What To Do With Carpet Beetles in Bed, Couch, or Sofa

Despite what they’re called, carpet beetles can also live in and damage your bed, couch, or sofa. This is why you should protect it from those creepy crawlers if you want it to stay in great shape. It’s a good thing that there are many steps that you may take to get rid of carpet beetles with your own two hands.

Pairing a vacuum cleaner with boric acid and diatomaceous earth is highly effective against carpet beetles in couches and sofas. Hot-water washing kills carpet beetles instantly. Steam cleaning is good for non-washable items. Also, consider passive solutions like glue traps for carpet beetles.

If you do not have the budget to leave the job to a pest control company, read on. Below you will come across some surefire ways on how to rid your bed, couch, or sofa of larvae carpet beetles.

Use a Vacuum Cleaner For Carpet Beetles

There are a couple of reasons why vacuuming your bed, couch or sofa is a great idea if you share your home with larvae carpet beetles. This is especially true if you do it as regularly as you possibly can.

First, it sucks out carpet beetles and the eggs. This helps save your belongings from further damage, and the number of larvae carpet beetles indoors from increasing.

Second, it keeps your home clean and free of clutter. Your risk of having a carpet beetle infestation is higher if your home is dirty and cluttered.

Larvae carpet beetles not only feed on natural fibers and animal products. They also eat lint, dead insects, scraps of food, and loose human and pet hair.

This is why it’s recommended that you keep your home clean and clutter-free. You can do this without much trouble with the help of a vacuum cleaner.

Do carpet beetles live in beds?

Yes, they do, as well as in many other places that can be hard to vacuum with a unit that’s designed for a carpet. For more efficient vacuuming, arm yourself with a handheld vacuum.

Let us quickly take a look at some handheld vacuum cleaners that you may count on.

Black+Decker Handheld Vacuum

There are a couple of things that make the Black+Decker handheld vacuum ideal for removing carpet beetles from your life.

First, it has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that eliminates cords that can get in the way.

Second, it has an extendable crevice tool that allows you to suck larvae carpet beetles and eggs out of nooks and crannies.

However, this handheld vacuum doesn’t come with a disposable dust bag.

Be extra careful when emptying the washable dust bag. Coming into contact with those hairy larvae carpet beetles is the last thing you want.

VacLife Handheld Vacuum

Larvae carpet beetles hate the light, which is why they come out at night or stay where it’s dark.

This is when the VacLife handheld vacuum cleaner shines. It is equipped with a LED light that helps you hunt down carpet beetles at night or where there’s not enough illumination available.

The product is equipped with a battery that you can recharge. So, needless to say, it’s not cumbersome to use.

The absence of a cord also allows you to easily vacuum your car, which can be infested with carpet beetles, too.

Apply Boric Acid or Diatomaceous Earth

Before vacuuming the infested bed, couch or sofa, it’s a good idea to sprinkle boric acid or diatomaceous earth first.

It works by dehydrating larvae carpet beetles that come into contact with it until they die. Allow the product to stay in place for at least a couple of hours before vacuuming.

While they work in the same manner, boric acid and diatomaceous earth each has its pros and cons.

Boric acid can kill carpet beetles not only by dehydrating them but also by poisoning them.

Unfortunately, it can be a danger to kids and pets. Be careful when using it. Otherwise, you may end up with skin and eye irritation.

Diatomaceous earth kills larvae carpet beetles in one way only, and that’s by dehydrating them. But compared to boric acid, using it is less risky.

However, it should stay dry to work.

Here are two of the top-selling options that you may get your hands on.

Harris Boric Acid Roach Powder

Don’t let the name fool you. It’s true that it says “roach” on its name and the plastic container, too.

But the product can also be used for the DIY extermination of larvae carpet beetles.

As a matter of fact, you can count on it for killing other common household pests, too, such as ant, silverfish, and dust mites.

The container comes with a spout for easy application to nooks and crannies. The maker has also included an extended straw for those hard-to-reach hiding places.

Harris Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth

A couple of things exist why Harris Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth is one of the most popular options around.

First, it’s freshwater diatomaceous earth, which is deemed more effective than its saltwater counterpart.

Second, it’s listed with the Organic Minerals Research Institute (OMRI) that reviews an assortment of organic products.

To simplify the application of diatomaceous earth to infested cracks and crevices, the maker has included a powder duster so that you don’t have to buy it separately.

Spray Carpet Beetle Insecticide

Other than sprinkling boric acid or diatomaceous earth on infested surfaces, you may also spray insecticide.

Needless to say, the right one for the job is something that’s formulated for carpet beetles.

If the packaging says that it’s for beetles, you can rest assured that you can use it for ridding your home of larvae carpet beetles.

If you are asking, “do carpet beetles live in beds?” then you may also be wondering if it’s safe to spray your bed with insecticide.

Well, it is perfectly fine to spray insecticide on your bed, provided that you meet two conditions.

First, you will use your bed several hours after the application.

Second, you will spray your bed with a non-toxic product.

Fortunately, many of today’s insecticides, including those that are for carpet beetles, contain all-natural ingredients only.

Using any of them can give you peace of mind that you and your loved ones are out of harm’s way.

By the way, when shopping for a product that you can use for killing larvae carpet beetles, make sure that it’s not a repellent. Just like what the name says, it can only repel carpet beetles, not kill them.

Spraying it may keep your bed, couch, or sofa off-limits to larvae carpet beetles, but it will only encourage them to feed or hide elsewhere.

The following are some of the top all-natural carpet beetle insecticides.

MDX Concepts Organic Pest Control Spray

The product contains peppermint, spearmint, and rosemary essential oils. All of them are capable not only of repelling larvae carpet beetles but also of killing them on contact.

Since it contains no toxic ingredients, it’s safe for use all around the home. This is true if you are sharing it with little children and pets.

You don’t have to spray the MDX Concepts pest control spray all the time. That’s because it has a long-lasting formula.

Aside from carpet beetles, it’s also very good for dealing with ants, ticks, fleas, silverfish, roaches, and others.

Wondercide Indoor Pest Control

Because the maker is 100% confident that its product is completely non-toxic, it says that spraying it in the kitchen is perfectly fine.

Even if there are no larvae carpet beetles feeding on upholstered furnishings in the kitchen, it’s a good idea to use the product on them. That’s because it is both an insecticide and repellent.

This offering from Wondercide has a pleasing cedarwood scent. Spraying it on your bed and in closets and cabinets won’t leave your bedroom with an unfavorable chemical smell.

It works by using a blend of essential oils.

Wash Clothes in Hot Water

Especially if your bed sheet, blanket, comforter, and pillow cases are out of natural fibers, wash them in hot water.

The same is true for the covers of your upholstered pieces of furniture as well as the cases of throw pillows.

It’s because larvae carpet beetles cannot tolerate high temperatures. They will die at 120°F or higher.

According to pest control experts, make sure that you wash infested items for at least 30 minutes.

This will help ensure that every larvae carpet beetle will be exterminated. It will also destroy any carpet beetle eggs.

Some homeowners swear that washing items in hot soapy water is more effective. Soap or laundry detergent can kill those pests.

That’s because it can damage the protective waxes that cover carpet beetles and many other common household pests, thus making them lose water and die.

However, most of the time, washing your items in hot water is more than enough. Clean ones may be thrown in the dryer. Again, see to it that you tumble dry them for not less than 30 minutes.

Items that cannot be washed in hot water or tumble dried may be taken to the dry cleaner.

Use a Steam Cleaner

Sadly, not all items in your home that larvae carpet beetles love to eat can be placed in the washing machine or dryer.

Dousing your bed, couch or sofa with hot water can be a time-consuming process.

It can also put you at risk of suffering from burns, especially when using boiling water.

This is when the perk of owning a steam cleaner comes in.

Because it can produce steam with temperatures of 150°F to 300°F, depending on the brand, it will surely kill larvae carpet beetles. This is especially true since those creepy crawlers will die at 120°F.

A steam cleaner mop for carpets is not the best for ridding your bed, couch or sofa of carpet beetles. The right one for the job is something that’s all-around, as well as a hose and a number of attachments.

Bissell 3-in-1 Steam Cleaner

Especially if you live where carpet beetles are quite common, it’s a wonderful idea to invest in a steam cleaner that you can use on various surfaces and items.

One of the products that you may consider is the Bissell 3-in-1 steam cleaner. It can be used as an upright steam cleaner, extended reach steam cleaner and handheld steam cleaner.

Although it carries a price tag higher than a hundred dollars, it comes with features that can make your DIY extermination more effective. For instance, it has a 12-ounce water tank and a total of 29 accessories.

Hilife Handheld Steamer

Using a handheld steamer is the easiest way to kill larvae carpet beetles in beds, couches, sofas, and others.

That’s because it offers superb maneuverability. This product from Hilife weighs 1.25 pounds only.

It has a tank that can hold eight ounces of water at a time. The steamer can heat water in its tank in just a couple of minutes.

The steamer can be used continuously for around 15 minutes. Because of the small water tank, which is expected in a handheld steamer, you will have to take frequent refills.

Conair ExtremeSteam Fabric Steamer

If the carpet beetle infestation is mild, you can deal with it using this steamer from the well-known brand Conair.

Capable of producing scorching hot steam for 15 minutes straight, it comes with three attachments. Each one is good for a different type of surface, from carpets to upholstered pieces of furniture.

The product is being marketed as a handheld fabric steamer.

However, it can also be used to exterminate carpet beetles and many other common household pests without the need to seal the deal with the pros.

Install Carpet Beetle Traps

You can also get rid of larvae carpet beetles passively.

This means that you do not need to lift a finger to kill them. It involves the installation of carpet beetle traps.

Fret not because there’s no setting up or baiting to do, just like when using traditional traps for mice. Carpet beetle traps are pre-installed with glue boards.

When carpet beetles crawl through these traps, they won’t be able to escape. Some have baits, such as pheromones, to entice larvae carpet beetles and other common household pests to crawl through them.

I reviewed 12 best glue traps that will get rid of carpet beetles, so check them here.

Change Cover To Synthetic Fiber Materials

Instead of getting rid of carpet beetles in your bed, couch or sofa, rob those creepy crawlers of the opportunity to infest them.

This can be done by replacing covers out of natural fibers with those that are out of synthetic materials.

One of the reasons why larvae carpet beetles thrive indoors while adult ones don’t is that there’s plenty of food available for them inside the home.

Some of those that they love to snack on are items out of wool, cotton, hemp, and other natural fibers. On the other hand, they do not care about synthetic ones.

Since the answer to the question “do carpet beetles live in beds?” is a resounding “yes!” consider installing mattress and box spring covers that are out of polyester or polyurethane.

Any linen and upholstery covering that’s out of natural fibers should go if you want to live a carpet beetle-free life.

Conclusion

Refrain from assuming that contacting the local pest control company is the way to go if you have a carpet beetle infestation.

If it’s apparent that some of them are living in your bed, couch or sofa, there are certain steps that you may take to get rid of them through the DIY route, which is cheaper than getting in touch with the pros.

Vacuuming, applying boric acid or diatomaceous earth, spraying insecticide, steam cleaning, washing in hot water, installing pest traps, replacing natural materials with synthetic ones — these are the things that you may do.

Remember to carry them out regularly if you want to see results in no time.

By the way, if are a person who prefers natural ways to fight pests, then check my post about using essential oils on carpet beetles.

Photo credit: ©canva.com/jarino47