Biology of Carpet Beetles
On the whole, carpet beetles are though to do more damage to fabrics around the home than the commonly lamented pest the moth. They are gregarious creatures which reproduce quickly and which do not leave some of the tell tale signs which moths do, making them hard to detect and harder to get rid of.
An integrated pest control approach to dealing with beetles involves understanding the life cycle of these pests in order to create a more effective and permanent solution to an infestation problem. IPC does not use potent and toxic chemicals on first contact with a pest, on the grounds that these substances are both harmful and not very effective in the long term. While IPC may use chemicals as a last resort, they are localized due to an understanding of pest biology and they are likely to be the least toxic materials that can be found. Let’s take a look at the biology of the carpet beetle.
Life cycle of the carpet beetle
There are actually several different species of carpet beetle, all of which can be found both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, beetles are a nice addition, performing vital tasks in recycling soil and as an important link in the food chain. Inside, though, carpet beetles can be very damaging to fabrics, particularly in the larval form.
All beetles follow the same life cycle: egg stage, larval stage, pupa stage, and then the reproducing adult. The eggs are deposited (when the beetle is inside) on or near vulnerable fabrics or other products which are based on animal materials. Once these eggs hatch, the young larva begin to eat the fabric. These larva may go at fabrics for several weeks and up to six months; like many insects, their growth cycle will be slowed down in cooler weather.
At the pupa stage, the beetle will typically not eat anything at all. The stage only lasts from three days to three weeks, and once the adult beetles emerge they are no longer interested in eating fibrous materials. Instead, they take their meals from pollen, nectar, and other such sugary liquids.
Where carpet beetles live
At this point it’s important to realize that you are not looking for a congregation of adult carpet beetles in a nest, but rather the larva. They are slightly smaller than a lady bug, brown in color, and are also hairy.
Nests of carpet beetle larva can be found underneath rugs and mats that are seldom turned over, and among clothes which have not been worn in a long time. They may also be found nesting in bed sheets used only occasionally, as well as towels and other linens stored in closets.
If you do see an adult carpet beetle in the house, it might be worthwhile to check around for a larval nest, because the odds are you are watching it trying to get out from where it was born to where its adult food supply is.