Pests

April 13, 2016

We don’t mean to be rude when we say this, but not every visitor to your home should be welcome – in fact some should be exterminated as soon as possible.

We are, of course, not talking about humans or domestic pets, but the destructive Carpet Beetle – and the most damaging species found in the UK, the varied carpet beetle. In the south of England, you’re likely to come across the Guernsey carpet beetle too (source: wikihow), which is now firmly established

As the weather gets warmer over the next few weeks and months, there’s a potential to see an increase in their presence, so, as a part of our service, here’s what you need to know.

These little blighters can wreak havoc on even your ‘just recently’ laid carpet, and, left unchecked will spread throughout your home, so what can you do to prevent them, and, in the unfortunate event, you have an infestation, what you can do to get rid of them.

Carpet beetles have scales that are grey and gold, and they are normally 2-3mm in length. Accordingly, they will find just about anywhere they can to enter your home. You’ll sometimes find them on a window ledge.

Prevention is always better than cure and, it goes without saying, keeping up with your chores is a must. Vacuuming of your carpets regularly and dusting, especially in corners and other crevices is, without doubt the best thing you can do – pests hate cleanliness.

Encourage them even less by making sure garments are stored away in suitable jackets, especially after cleaning – there’s nothing a beetle (or a moth, for that matter) like more than a tasty feast on some wool or other natural fibre.

It sounds crazy, but we encourage you to check for nests in your loft and remove them safely, if you can. This, along with flowers is a natural breeding ground – they will then come back inside to lay eggs – and when the larvae hatch, watch out! Their appetite is never-ending…

If you suspect that your carpets or home has a ‘beetle’ problem, a quick look on your favourite search engine will yield plenty of information and images for you to confirm the problem.

Remedying the problem isn’t always straightforward – it depends how far advanced the infestation is, but you can buy sprays to use at the edge of carpets, sachets that give off a smell that they little hate for drawers and wardrobes, but, as we said earlier, prevention is better than cure.

We’d hate for anything to spoil the enjoyment you get from the carpets you have bought and had professionally fitted from us!

We should just add that the information here is for general knowledge and if you have any doubts about what may be eating your carpet, we advise you to seek professional advice as soon as possible. Your local council should be able to help you in the first instance.

At QCF Bournemouth, we’re committed to quality customer service and helping you get the most from your flooring and carpet solutions. It’s why we’ve been proudly serving the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset area for 40 years.

About

We are Quality Carpets and Flooring, who specialise in carpet and vinyl flooring. We cater for both commercial and residential floor coverings in Bournemouth.