What Is a Carpet Beetle?
If you are finding little, fuzzy worms in your pantry or under your rugs or if you are noticing tiny, dark beetles in your window sills, you may have a carpet beetle infestation. These pests feed on a variety of organic materials and can do considerable damage to your carpet or wardrobe. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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The four main types of carpet beetle are the black carpet beetle, the varied carpet beetle, the common carpet beetle and the furniture beetle. The adults are about an eighth of an inch long. The black carpet beetle is oval shaped and solid colored (brown or black). The other three species of carpet beetle are more round and are dark colored but with patterns on their backs. The carpet beetle larvae are covered in bristles and are about a quarter of an inch long. The black carpet beetle larvae are up to a half inch long and shaped like a carrot with long bristles on his back end.
Significance
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Carpet beetle larvae can be found in your cereals, grains, nuts, wool socks and carpet, fur coat and pet foods. They are attracted to any fabrics stained with food or excrement and also feed on dead animals and insect collections. Lint and dander are even food sources for carpet beetle larvae. They usually hide--traveling from room to room--in dark, undisturbed areas under furniture, in heating ducts, in between floorboards and behind baseboards.
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Life Cycle
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The adults generally live outdoors and feed on pollen and nectar. They may come into your house on flowers or furniture, or fly in at night attracted to a light. Once in your house, the carpet beetle lays an average of 50 eggs in a dark place near a food source. The eggs hatch in six to 16 days depending on room temperature. The larvae stage lasts between three months and three years depending on temperature and food supply. They will molt many times, leaving behind skins. The adults live two weeks to a few months.
Prevention/Solution
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Good housekeeping is the best prevention. Vacuum thoroughly, store unused fur in cold storage and wool in airtight bags, store clothing items in naphthalene flakes or balls or paradichlorobenzene crystals, keep unused spaces clean and clear of lint and dead animals, and keep grains and pet foods well sealed. Clean or dry clean any secondhand upholstered furniture, coats and cloth items as soon as you acquire them.
Management
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If you already have an infestation of carpet beetles, locate the area of infestation. Throw out all infested materials that you can. Use insecticides designed to fight carpet beetles in the area the larvae are concentrated.
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