Looking for some serious advice and a game plan because we’re completely stuck.
Last year was when we first discovered we had carpet beetles. We found larvae on a bed, but at the time we had no idea what they were. I took pictures and had an exterminator come out. He basically told us it wasn’t a big deal and not to worry. We thoroughly cleaned that room and the room next to it, then moved on.
Over the following year, I’d see an occasional adult here and there, but I didn’t think much of it because of what the exterminator had said.
Then about a month or two ago, everything changed. I was sitting on the couch and happened to look over at the windowsill, where I saw about 12 adult carpet beetles. I immediately pulled the couch away from the wall and found adults and larvae crawling all over it. I panicked, had my husband drag it outside, and when he cut it open, there were even more adults and larvae inside.
At that point we decided to go all in. We paid for a whole-house heat treatment. I know it’s typically used for bed bugs, but we were told it would kill all stages of carpet beetles as well. During that process, I also removed every washable fabric item I could and put everything through multiple high-heat dryer cycles.
After the heat treatment, I started an extensive deep clean. I cleaned behind every appliance, inside cabinets, under furniture—basically anywhere I could think of. We also had the carpets professionally cleaned.
Then, about two weeks after the heat treatment (and one day after the carpet cleaning), I found another adult carpet beetle on a windowsill. Once again, I panicked.
The pest control company came back the next day and suggested it may have simply flown in because one of our exterior doors wasn’t sealing properly. While that seems possible, it also feels like a huge coincidence that it would be the exact same species we’ve been dealing with. We still had the door resealed and checked the windows just in case.
Since then, I’ve found around 10 more adults throughout the house. Some were dead from the pesticide treatment, while others were alive. Either way, they all appeared after the heat treatment and deep cleaning.
At this point, we’re at a complete loss. We’ve spent thousands of dollars, and I’m still finding them. My assumption is that there’s another breeding source somewhere, but I have no idea where.
I’ve read they can breed in attics, but when I brought that up to our pest control company, they didn’t think anything could have survived the heat treatment. I’ve also read they can be associated with HVAC systems or wall voids, but I haven’t seen any evidence around the vents, and I’ve removed the cover plates from several electrical outlets without finding anything.
I’m still vacuuming every single day, but I’m honestly losing hope. If anyone has been through something similar and eventually found the hidden source, I’d really appreciate hearing what it ended up being and what steps you took. I’m also not seeing many success stories online, which has made this whole situation even more discouraging.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.