"Beetle problem" covers a few genuinely different pests, and getting the type right matters for treatment. In NYC apartments, the two we see by far the most are pantry beetles (including weevils) infesting stored dry goods like flour, grains, and pet food, and carpet beetles, which feed on wool, fur, feathers, and other natural fibers rather than food.
Wood-boring beetles are a real category of pest, but they're a structural concern more relevant to older wood-frame houses than sealed apartment buildings, and we're upfront when a suspected wood-boring issue doesn't match what we're actually seeing — most NYC apartment calls turn out to be pantry or carpet beetles, not a structural wood pest.
Since 2006, Expert Exterminating has treated beetle infestations across all five boroughs, and the approach depends entirely on correct identification: pantry beetles call for locating and discarding infested food sources, while carpet beetles call for treating closets, rugs, and stored fabric items.
Signs you have a beetle control problem
- Small beetles or larvae found inside opened flour, grains, cereal, or dry pet food
- Fine webbing or clumping inside a pantry food package
- Small, oval, striped or mottled beetles found near windowsills or on carpets (carpet beetles)
- Irregular holes or bald patches in wool clothing, rugs, or fur items in storage
- Shed larval skins near closets, wool storage, or under furniture
Why NYC sees this
Pantry and carpet beetles are the beetle issues we actually see across NYC apartments, from pre-war buildings in washington-heights to newer construction in williamsburg — dense apartment living means shared pantry staples and stored wool or fur items are the common threads, not building age or a structural wood issue.
Licence #15739 has covered beetle identification and treatment since 2006, and getting the type right up front matters — treating a carpet beetle issue like a pantry infestation, or vice versa, misses the actual source and lets the problem continue in a closet or cabinet the treatment never reached.