Carpet beetles don’t bite people or pets, and they don’t spread disease. What some people mistake for bites is an allergic reaction to the tiny hairs the larvae shed, which can cause itchy red bumps. Those bumps get confused with bed bug bites often, so if you’re not sure which you’re dealing with, your technician can tell the difference.

Carpet beetles feed on natural fibers, so wool, silk, leather, cotton, and feathers are all fair targets. It’s the larvae doing the damage, not the adults, and it usually shows up as bare patches in a rug or holes in stored clothing. Because larvae can go a long time without food, an infestation often goes unnoticed until the damage appears.

They were probably already in it. Pantry beetles come home in packaged flour, cereal, rice, and birdseed, then spread to other packages in the same cabinet. Treating the cabinet alone won’t fix it, since the source has to be found and thrown out first.

Those are usually boxelder bugs or stink bugs rather than beetles, and they’re doing exactly what it looks like: soaking up heat on the sunny side of the house before the weather turns. From there, they work into window frames, siding gaps, and attics to wait out winter, which is why fall service focuses on sealing them out before they settle in.

Sometimes. Vacuuming thoroughly and washing infested fabrics in hot water kills eggs and larvae, and that’s enough for a small problem caught early. If holes keep appearing after that, or you’re finding larvae in more than one room, the source hasn’t been found yet. That’s what we’re for.

They can, since most beetles come in from outside or ride in on something you bought. Regular service keeps a barrier up around the house, and your technician will tell you what to watch for in the pantry and the closet.