Varied Carpet Beetle

Category:

Actual Size: 2 to 3 mm

Characteristics: Oval, blackish in the center, with a variable, irregular arrangement of white, brownish, and yellowish scales.

Legs: 6

Antennae: Yes

Wings: Yes, and they can fly.

Habitat: Often infests homes in search of food sources, which include insect remains, wool-based carpeting, flower arrangements, and other animal-based products.

Habits:

  • Notorious for consuming wool, leather products, hair, and carpet.
  • Can consume both plant and animal-based items.
  • Are strong flyers that often enter homes through open windows or attics.


Varied Carpet Beetles in North Jersey

Getting their name from their multi-colored backside, the varied carpet beetle is a common problem for home and business owners in North Jersey. Despite their small size, carpet beetles can cause a lot of damage to decorative items inside of your space. They are scavengers that can consume both plant and animal-based products, which often results in them chewing up carpets, wool sweaters, pet food, and pantry items. If you’re dealing with an infestation, you’re most likely to notice the larvae first, which are striped and covered in bristles that look like fuzz. Once the larvae mature, they shed and discard those “shells”, which is another common sign of an infestation.

Varied Carpet Beetle Habitat

Since varied carpet beetles are scavengers, they can thrive both indoors and outdoors. When outside, they often use abandoned spider webs, wasp nests, and bird nests for shelter and brooding. Since those nests contain plenty of dead insects, feathers, or other debris, their larvae will have plenty to eat once they hatch. Carpet beetles are primarily a problem when they get inside where they can damage your belongings. Though these beetles can be beneficial in small numbers by “cleaning up” after other insects, they can also eat holes in your clothes, carpets, and other items. Since varied carpet beetles are such strong flyers, they often enter our homes and businesses through open windows or cracks near roof and attic.

Varied Carpet Beetle Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Varied carpet beetles are not dangerous to you or your pets, but they can still be unpleasant to discover in your space. It can also be annoying to deal with the damage they cause to our clothing, fabrics, and other belongings. While a single beetle isn’t much to be concerned about – and can actually help remove dead insects from your house – discovering multiple is a sign that you’ve got an infestation. If you believe your home has fallen victim to carpet beetles, get in touch with Eastern Pest Services! Our team will pinpoint the root cause of your infestation to create a customized plan that will not only get rid of the bugs quickly, but also prevent them from coming back. To learn more or get started, contact our beetle control experts.