Adult carpet beetles do not damage fabrics.
Carpet beetle larvae cast skins.
These light brown empty skins remain behind and can accumulate in areas where larvae are feeding.
Larvae undergo many molts where they shed their exoskeleton to progress to a larger more mature larval stage before pupating into an adult.
Black carpet beetle adult and larvae.
Also carpet beetle larvae leave brown shell like bristly looking cast skins when they molt.
Similar to clothes moths the pests also feed on many other items composed of wool fur felt silk feathers skins and leather.
Carpet beetles as their name implies sometimes infest carpets.
Sometimes felts and hammers in pianos become infested and so badly damaged that it affects the tone and action of the instrument.
One of the best methods of control is thorough cleaning.
Look for shed skins on the underside of rugs in folds or hidden areas on clothing or wool blankets or under furniture or in corners where lint pet hair and dead insects.
The adults fly and some are attracted to lights and windows making.
Such materials contain keratin a fibrous animal protein which the larvae are able to digest.
The related fur beetle is black with one spot on each wing case and there is a rarer black carpet beetle.
Adult beetles flying around windows may help in locating the infestation.
Carpet beetles are common pests of fabrics.
The larvae have to molt several times in order to grow.
They feed outdoors on pollen or not at all.
The best way to tell carpet beetle damage from clothes moth damage is to look for shed skins left behind by carpet beetle larvae.
Also carpet beetle larvae leave brown shell like bristly looking cast skins when they molt.
Often the cast skins are more abundant than the larvae.
However carpet beetles tend to eat a single large area of a fabric whereas moths create tiny holes all over garments.
The empty skin remains in the shape of the larva is.
The larvae known as woolly bears of these small oval beetles have outstripped the clothes moths as the major british textile pest.
Carpet beetle larvae molt or shed their skins several times as they grow.
The variegated carpet beetle is 2 to 4mm long like a small mottled brown grey and cream ladybird.
How do i control them.
Use a strong suction vacuum cleaner with proper attachments to remove lint hair and dust from floors shelves and drawers.
These skins and a lack of webbing are usually good clues that carpet beetles are the culprits.
Good housekeeping is critical.
Two main types of carpet beetles found in nebraska are the varied carpet beetle and black carpet beetle.
Cast skins may be found in great abundance and serve as a sign for a current or past infestation.
Their old skins split down the back much like a cicada nymph s shell and the larvae work their way out.
