Adult carpet beetles are around 1/8” to 1/4” in length, and the larvae are about 1/4” long. They come in a variety of colors depending on the species, but the most common are solid black, white, yellow, and orange-red. They are oval in shape with bright colored scales on their wing covers.
Carpet beetles are named for their main source of food during their larval stage, as they are known to chew holes into area rugs and carpets. The larvae are also known to feed on wool, feathers, leather, fur, hair, silk, and dead insects. Adult carpet beetles eat the pollen and nectar from flowers. The female carpet beetle will lay her eggs near food sources, leaving them to wait up to three weeks before they hatch. She can lay 30-90 eggs in her lifetime, which is only between 2 weeks and a couple of months.
Carpet beetles are highly invasive and infest homes, warehouses, and other buildings. If you have an infestation you will sometimes find them congregating on windowsills, or discover ruined fabrics or carpets and light brown, shell-like skin casts of the larvae.
You should be concerned about carpet beetles because they can cause significant damage to carpets, clothes, stores of grain, bed sheets, curtains, and a multitude of natural fabrics including furniture coverings. To avoid an infestation, you should check flowers that you bring inside, wash second-hand clothes right away, thoroughly clean seasonal garments before putting them away, and promptly wash sweaters. Removing carpet beetles can be difficult, but you should vacuum carpets and furniture to remove the pests.
If you want to get rid of carpet beetles and/or prevent them, American Pest Solutions can help! We are the oldest family-owned pest control company serving Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut. Our year-round residential pest control program can offer you integrated protection against some of the most common household invaders. We have a board-certified entomologist on staff to help design and engineer the best home pest control options possible. We not only focus on your current pest problems but also will assist in preventing them from ever coming back. If you are looking for efficient and effective pest control that gives you peace of mind, look no further, you can call on American Pest Solutions. Give us a call today!