If you have noticed carpet beetles in your mattress, you should not hesitate to get rid of them. The beauty of it is that you can get this done by yourself from home. The information provided below will guide you on how to do this perfectly.
Check for the signs
Before you embark on the journey of removing carpet beetles from the mattress, you need to first find out if the signs are there. 
You should only take the step of removing the carpet beetles if the signs are there.
The mattress may also be infested by some other types of pests. You should not take the next step until you are sure that the infestation is caused by a carpet beetle.
Mattresses made of animal-based fabrics are the main victims. Examples of such fabrics are:
- Fur
- Silk
- Wool
When checking for the signs of carpet beetle infestation, check inside the mattress and under the bed. You should also check the box springs of the mattress.
Some of the telltale signs of carpet beetle infestation are:
- Brown pellet of feces
- Brown skin sheds of the shell-like larvae
- Live larvae of carpet beetle with its tufts of hair and shiny smooth skin
- Live adult carpet beetle. It is oval-shaped. Its color can be orange, yellow, brown, white, or black.
When you see any of the signs above, then you should know that you have a carpet beetle on your mattress
Strip down the mattress
The next step to take is to remove all the coverings from the mattress. This will help you to get rid of the carpet beetles more effectively. Remove the pillows, sheets, comforters, and blankets.
However, you should also check all the beddings for signs of carpet beetle infestation. If there are obvious signs on any of them and the sign is extensive, it is better to throw the bedding away.
The beddings that are not extensively affected can now be washed following the instructions on the labels. You can also use hot water if it is permitted by the manufacturers. You can easily kill the larvae and adult carpet beetles using hot soapy water.
Some bedding can be recommended for dry cleaning only. You should always stick to the manufactures’ instructions. When dry cleaning the beddings, you can kill any adult carpet beetle that you see.
It is time for vacuuming
The next thing to do is to vacuum the mattress and box spring. The fact that you can find adult carpet beetles in the mattress is an indication that you may find even more of them hiding in different corners of the mattress foundation and box spring.
The best way to eradicate these is to vacuum the mattress and box spring.
The carpet beetles love hiding in difficult places, but vacuuming will help to fish them out. You should make sure that all 5 sides of your mattress are vacuumed. Make sure this is done thoroughly also.
Vacuuming can help to kill the larvae, eggs, and adult carpet beetles and it does so effectively. Make sure also that all parts of the box spring are vacuumed and focus on every area where the carpet battles may hide.
Dusting can help
One other way to get rid of carpet beetles is to dust the box rings very well. When dusting the boxing ring, make sure you focus more on the inside of the box spring.
To get the dusting done properly, you can use boric acid for the process.
It can be very difficult to vacuum the inside areas of the box springs. Dusting can help out in such a situation.
Dusting ensures that the interior does not become a hiding place for the eggs, larvae, or adult carpet beetles.
Boric acid can successfully eliminate any stage of growth of the carpet beetles. The boric acid solution is very easy to prepare as described below:
- Pour 2 cups of hot water into a basin
- Add a tablespoon of boric acid to the water
- Stir up the solution and continue stirring until the boric acid gets completely dissolved.
- After that, pour the mixture into a plastic spray bottle
- Then, you can spray those areas that are hard to reach in the crevices and cracks of the box spring.
Bedroom furniture must not be left out
Some of the carpet beetles that infested your mattress could also have taken abode in your bedroom furniture items.
So, you should also get rid of the carpet beetles in the furniture items. The best way to do this is to bring them out to the open and spray them provided they are easily movable.
Those furniture items in the bedroom that are not easy to move can be sprayed right there in the bedroom to kill the eggs, larvae, or adult carpet beetles taking refuge in them.
Every piece of furniture item in the bedroom must be touched, including the closets, drawers, nightstands, and others.
You can do the spraying using the hot boric acid solution prepared above. You should not toy with personal protection when mixing the boric acid and spraying the furniture items.
Make sure you put on a pair of hand gloves and also wear a protective cover for your face, as well as, protective clothing.
Personal protection will keep chemical exposure at bay and protect you from poison. You should never miss out on the footboard and headboard of the bed when spraying with a hot boric acid solution.
If you do not have boric acid or cannot purchase it readily, you can as well go for insecticide sprays capable of eradicating carpet beetles. Make sure you properly target those areas that collect lint during the spraying.
One other way to eradicate carpet beetles is to set glue traps. You are better off using hormone-based glue traps, however. The traps are sticky and you can lay them out in various areas in your home. The sticky substances in the trap will attract the carpet beetle and kill it. Some of the areas where you can install the glue traps are:
- Close to the legs of the box rings
- Carpet edges
- Windows
- Doors
Conclusion
If you have noticed carpet beetles in your mattress, you should not hesitate to get rid of them. The beauty of it is that you can get this done by yourself from home. The information provided in the guide above will show you how to do this perfectly.
