Carpet Beetle

The carpet beetle, also known as anthrenus verbasci is approximately 3-4mm long and is widely considered to be one of the most serious household insects. The carpet beetle likes to feed on the carpet fibers and can cause serious damage to them - as well as clothing and furniture.

The larval form of Carpet Beetles are distinguishable by their body being covered in light and dark brown striped pattern - the carpet beetle body tends to be wider at the back and has three hair tufts on it's rear (used for self defence). The adult carpet beetle form's surface has white and yellowish-brown scales.

The adult carpet beetle's antennae are eleven segmented (with a club of three segments).

The larvae is an extremely common pest in households in the UK, the adult carpet beetles can lay eggs under baseboards, in ducts, closets or underneath various types of furniture and once they are hatched, the larvae like to hide in dark household areas, feeding on organic materials (responsible for damage to carpets, furniture, clothing, blankets etc.). These carpet beetles are also a common pest in UK buildings such as museums or offices.

There are various types of carpet beetle, including the varied carpet beetle, the two-spot carpet beetle and the furniture carpet beetle.

Carpet beetles may also be attracted to food products such as cereals, pastas or nuts. Some people tend to spot the carpet beetles on a solid surface (eg. kitchen tops) in their come as they can be present in the areas where they find possible food. Carpet beetles can chew holes in fabrics but will sometimes feed on the nap of the fabric. In difficult to reach areas around furniture, pet hair may gather and provide food for the carpet beetle also. The carpet beetle eggs tend to be very small and are difficult to notice and the cocoons are very rarely noticed as they tend to be camouflaged by the surrounding fabric.