Pest Guide : What Is a Carpet Beetle?

Identifying Carpet Beetle Species

Carpet beetles are small, oval-shaped insects that can damage carpets, clothing, and other fabrics in your home.

There are several species of Carpet Beetles native to North America. Being able to identify the species of Carpet Beetle can help to eradicate the problem. Here are some of the most common Carpet Beetle species in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.:

• Common Carpet Beetle/Varied Carpet Beetle/Furniture Carpet Beetle: The Common Carpet Beetle goes by many names. The adults are normally black with an irregular pattern of various shades of yellow, brown and white, over the wings. They are about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch in length. In many ways, they look like ladybugs. The difference is that they have a dark colored shell with yellow spots. The larvae are brownish and have bristles or hair on them.
• Black Carpet Beetle: Black Carpet Beetles are named after their oily black to dark brown appearance. They are about the same length as the Common Carpet Beetle, but the larvae are a bit different. The larvae are elongated and have tufts of bristles at the end. These beetles are mostly found around wool rugs or carpets. A female can lay as many as 40 eggs at a time, which can take anywhere from 10 - 20 days to hatch. These beetles live very short lives, with females living two to six weeks and males living two to four weeks.

Behavior

Carpet Beetles live in areas where they have access to fibrous materials. They feed on items composed of keratin. Popular items eaten by Carpet Beetles include wool, silk, fur, skin, leather, and hair. Carpet Beetles will not eat the skin or hair from your body, but they will eat any dead skin or hair that flakes onto the floor. For this reason, they are not parasitic.

Animal-based products are especially a favorite among Carpet Beetle larvae. The larvae are responsible for damaging feathers, felt, wool, and other animal-based fabrics.

Some species even eat other food sources, such as debt insects, food, seeds, and plant-based materials. In other words, they have a diverse diet that makes them a pest in most households.