Are carpet beetles harmful to human health?

carpet beetles and borax

• Is leaving a permanent sprinkling of borax on cement floor and installing new carpet over it an effective way of keeping carpet beetles away? My current, old carpet does have these beetles, and I plan to replace them. Is this borax idea an effective way to deal with this problem?

• Answer:

  Hi elaine, Thanks for your question! Carpet beetles are persistent, but there are a number of ways to prevent infestation. After you remove your old rug, give the area a thorough cleaning to destroy any residual beetles. You can do this by washing the floor with a borax solution, in addition to sweeping and vacuuming curtains, wall hangings, ducts, and crevices where beetle larvae might be hiding. As you mentioned, Borax is a widely used, and apparently effective, treatment and deterrent for carpet beetles. "While carpet beetles are difficult to get rid of completely, you can keep them under control by spreading laundry borax along the edges of the carpets," according to the "pest control" section at tipsofallsorts.com < http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/pestcontrol.html#cb >. Hulda Clark, in an excerpt from Recipes for Household Cleaning, advocates sprinking boric acid powder under carpets: "Insect Killer: Boric acid powder (not borax). Throw liberal amounts behind stove, refrigerator, under carpets and in carpets. Since boric acid is white, you must be careful not to mistake it for sugar accidentally. Keep it far away from food and out of children's reach. Buy it at a farm supply or garden store." < http://www.iconacraft.com/ModernWife/hulda-clean.html > Apart from boric acid treatment, the most effective preventive measure you can take is to thoroughly vacuum the carpet on a regular basis, since carpet beetles feed on residue including human hair, pet hair and lint. Also clean baseboards and radiators thoroughly. There are a number of additional steps you can take to prevent carpet beetle infestations: - destroy old bird, wasp, rodent or insect nests in or around your home - they act as nesting places for carpet beetles - use commercially available phermonone traps to attract and poison the little intruders - move furniture regularly to prevent beetles nesting underneath - caulk windows to seal entry points - low temperatures keep carpet beetle populations suppressed - vacuum underside of rug several times a year if possible - check stored foodstuffs like cake mixes and flour for infestations - clean any food spills immediately and thoroughly to avoid infestation - spray new carpet with household insecticide which can prevent infestations for up to six months - be sure to choose a fabric friendly product ("pyrethin" family), and test on a hidden area of carpet just to be sure it won't stain. You may also wish to spray the cement floor and any baseboards before laying down your new rug. On a final note, some carpet and rug cleaning companies will treat rugs with a 6-month mothproofing treatment which is also effective for carpet beetles. Some resources for your reading pleasure: Facts on Carpet Beetles < http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/ga/cobb/Horticulture/Factsheets/Beetles/CarpetBeetle/carpet.htm > Symbio's Non-Toxic Pest Management Index < http://www.symbios-witticism-page.com/bug.htm#24 > I used the following searches to find your answer: carpet beetles prevent carpet beetle infestation borax under rug carpet beetles borax carpet beetles carpet beetle deterrent carpet beetle treatment new carpet All the best! Emjay-ga