Picture this… Halloween is over, Thanksgiving has not yet arrived, but we’re already preparing for Christmas. You or your spouse climbs up into the attic, dig around, and you pull out your decorations, ornaments, maybe an artificial tree. But something’s off. Some of the boxes and synthetic tree branches have hairy looking maggots or even some full-size bugs crawling around inside. You’ve just discovered carpet beetles.
Not to worry. These invasive pests won’t bite or sting, although some people have allergic reactions to them. Just grab your portable handheld vac and suck them all up. Then do a pass with the full-size vacuum on the carpet or rug. Carpet beetles don’t hurt people but their larvae have quite an appetite and will devour fabric, yarn, furs, feathers, wool, leather, silk, lint, clumps of dust, and, of course, carpet.
Fabric Feast
Carpet beetles are classified as Dermestidae – species that feed on dry animal and plant products. Adult carpet beetles are far less of a problem than their “young adult” counterparts. For one, they prefer to eat nectar and honeydew rather than their namesake fabric. Adults are attracted to light located inside around windows or flowers. They often hitchhike into your home on cut flowers brought inside.
Adult female beetles lay up to 100 eggs, which, in 10-16 days, hatch into larvae. When carpet beetle eggs hatch, the larvae go in search of sustenance and can take anywhere from nine months to three years before they molt into adults. As adults, their time is much more limited, between 80 and 400 days.
Here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, we find four variations of the species: black carpet, common carpet, furniture carpet, and varied carpet beetles.
Colorful Carpet Beetles
Carpet beetles are generally oval shaped and appear dark brown in color. Furniture and varied carpet beetles have unique, colored scales specific to each species.
Common carpet beetle adults measure approximately 1/8 of an inch. Anthrenus scrophulariae are gray to black but bear whitish and orange scales on the back. The larva is carrot-shaped, reddish brown, and has many black to brown hairs.
Adult varied carpet beetles, or Anthrenus verbasci, have irregular patterns of white, brown, and dark yellow scales on their wing covers. These fade to solid black or brown as the insect ages.
They measure about 1/10th of an inch, with a distinctive broader shape in the rear and narrower shape towards the front of the larva. They prefer to nest and lay their eggs in spider webs or bee, wasp, or bird nests.
White and yellow scales cover the thorax and body in distinct patterns on furniture carpet beetles. Additionally, orange and red scales run down the midline of the beetles. Anthrenus flavipes are slightly larger and rounder than other carpet beetles. Their larvae tend to be “furrier” in appearance than other carpet beetles.
Black Carpet Beetles
Black carpet beetle larvae are 5/16 inch long, covered with short, stiff hairs and have a bristle-like tail. They range from light brown to almost full black. Adult Attagenus unicolor range from 1/8 to 3/16 inch long, are shiny black and dark brown with brownish legs.
The best approach to prevent carpet beetles is to routinely vacuum your home. Not just the floor surfaces, carpets and rugs, but also inside cracks & crevices, window frames and sills, and around the dryer and air intakes for central AC or heat. Vacuum or launder bedding, curtains and linens in the hottest water you can manage. Wiping down hard surfaces with a vinegar solution can remove food traces, making them less desirable for carpet beetles and a variety of other insects.
If you have a significant infestation, we are here to help. Good News Pest Solutions employs integrated pest management systems, like our Perimeter Plus Green solution. An inspection and treatment, followed by periodic retreatments, keeps your home safe from ants, roaches, silverfish and carpet beetles. And it’s safe for your family and pets – and the planet! For more details, please give us a call!