Temperatures across Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. are expected to plummet into the teens and twenties overnight tonight. As we head into Thanksgiving, a lot of people from McLean, Potomac and Alexandria will be pulling out their sweaters and heavy clothing. If you find frayed or small holes in the wool liners and fur stored since last winter, you may have fabric pests such as Varied Carpet Beetles in your home.

While many homeowners will blame moths for clothes damage, larva of fabric pests are frequently the cause. Varied Carpet Beetles are named because of the color pattern on their back.

Varied Carpet Beetles are found throughout the world. While the adults mainly eat a variety of outdoor flowers, pollen, or shrubs, their larva prefer your fabrics. Adult Varied Carpet Beatles are strong fliers and enter homes and businesses to deposit their eggs. They will lay eggs on natural animal or plant materials, on which the larvae then will feed. Protein-based fabrics such as wool, angora, silk,
hair, furs, feathers, leather, or as their name indicates, carpets which
may contain any natural protein fiber, are popular. Larvae feeding on the fabric causes the damage.

You can identify the adult beetles by their small, hard and oval bodies about
1/8 inch long. Their body is black, covered with a pattern
of yellow and white scales. Varied Carpet Beetle larvae are brown- to-black, covered with a lot of yellow-brown hairs and up to 1 /4 inch long. They are will often burrow into packaging materials, bird nests, human hair or pest fur.

Inspection by a pest control specialist, followed by treatment and good sanitation is important for controlling Varied Carpet Beetle infestation. Rugs and tapestries should be treated by a pest professional or dry cleaned using high temperatures. However, key to stopping fabric pests is identifying and elimination the primary infestation site.

For more information and help eliminating fabric pests in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., contact the pest control professionals at My Pest Pros. We are ready and able to help you pinpoint any such infestation by these beetles, eliminate it, and advise you on their future prevention.

Contact us today at 866-590-PEST (7378) to schedule an appointment.