Key Features of Carpet Beetles
The variegated Carpet Beetle measures 2 to 4mm long and is similar to a small, mottled brown, grey and cream ladybird.
The closely related Fur Beetle is black with a distinctive spot on each wing case. There is also a rarer Black Carpet Beetle. The offspring of Carpet Beetles is initially larvae which is quite small (about 4mm long), covered in brown hairs, and has a tendancy to roll up in a defensive posture when they are disturbed.
Biology
As the grubs begin to grow and mature, they will moult and cast off old skin if it shows any signs of an infestation. The adult Carpet Beetle will only feed on the pollen and nectar of garden flowers. The eggs laid by the Carpet Beetle will be found in old birds’ nests, felt, fabric or accumulated fluff in buildings and it is the larvae from these eggs which has the potential to cause the most amount of damage.
The grubs of the Carpet Beetle have now become the major British textile pest and are known as “woolly bears.’’ Carpet Beetle damage can be easily spotted as it consists of fairly well defined round holes along the seams of fabric where the grubs bite through the thread.
The life cycle of Carpet Beetles takes approximately a year and the grubs have the ability to survive starvation for several months during hard times.
Adults are often during later Spring and early summer whilst seeking egg laying sites. Grubs on the other hand will be most active in early autumn before they hibernate for the winter.
They will feed on feathers, fur hair, or wool and have even been known to wander along the pipes from birds nests in roofs into airing cupboards, which house the clothes and blankets, which constitute a food source.
