Dead Carpet Beetle

The adult carpet beetle emerges somewhere between the months of may and august.

Dead carpet beetle.

They feed on dead insects feathers and animal hair. The varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci eats dead insects and a wide variety of fabric and other fibrous material. The bristly hairs found on carpet beetle larvae can cause skin irritation. If any insect or animal has died carpet beetles will infest its skin fur hair and feathers.

Most carpet beetle damage results from larvae eating holes into natural fiber items like wool silk feathers dead insects and leather. Carpet beetle larvae can leave irregular holes in carpets and fabric and eating through whole chunks of wool silk feathers and leather. Meanwhile when they molt their dead skin can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Apart from these indoor objects some beetles are also found living outdoors as well.

They then go through a diapause or dormancy period before this happens before the pupation stage begins. In addition they feed on dry substances. These immature pests also have bristly hairs that can irritate skin. How serious are carpet beetles.

Adult varied carpet beetles are 2 3 mm long. Their elytra wing covers and back are covered with spots of white brown and yellow color giving the beetle a splotchy appearance. When carpet beetles mature into adults they feed on pollen instead of fabric items. Verbasci was also the first insect to be shown to have an annual behavioral rhythm and to date remains a classic example of circannual cycles in animals.

They re scavengers which means they feed mostly on dead animal products or other debris. The pests can also proliferate on bird nests animal carcasses and dead insects cluster flies lady beetles stink bugs wasps etc which tend to be associated with attics chimneys basements and light fixtures. Carpet beetles will ravage blankets pillows comforters carpets upholstered furniture and even clothing and coats. They are a common species often considered a pest of domestic houses and particularly natural history museums where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets furniture clothing and insect collections.

How to tell if you have carpet beetles inside your home. Carpet beetles don t bite humans. They feed on hairs from people and pets lint food crumbs dead insects the kinds of things that accumulate in inaccessible corners or under heavy furniture. Household lint not wool carpets is probably the main food source for the beetle larvae in most homes.

Unlike clothes moths some varieties of carpet beetle will also infest seeds cereals pet food and other plant based materials. It happens to be the source of their food throughout their growing season. The varied carpet beetle is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae.