Appearance
Length: Most species of carpet beetle measure 1 to 4 mm in length as adults
Body: Their bodies are oval-shaped. Color: black, white and yellow patterned coloration. Some species of carpet beetle may also exhibit orange coloration. Larvae: Larvae typically are light brown to black and covered in dense, sometimes barbed, hairs.
Larvae, which are slightly longer than adults, often with tufts of hair, although some varieties can be shiny and smooth.
There’s no webbing or excrement present, so by the time larvae are observed, considerable damage has often occurred. Carpet beetles are not a health hazard but are potential vectors of anthrax.
Varied carpet beetles typically lay 40 eggs which take 10 to 20 days to hatch. The larvae live for 220 to 630 days before pupating. They remain as pupae for 10 to 13 days before emerging as adults. Female adult varied carpet beetles live 2 to 6 weeks while the adult males live 2 to 4 weeks.
Carpet beetles are caused because they find food for their larvae in your house. Their larvae food includes all types of animal products such as skins, silk, wool, hair, etc. Most of the time they find such products because of poor cleaning, stained carpets and/or mishandling of animal-based products.
Do carpet beetles bite humans like a bed bug?
The difference here is that bed bugs have a mouth made for piercing skin and sucking blood while carpet beetles have a mouth made for chewing on plants and other fibrous material. The good news is that this means carpet beetles don’t bite humans.
The simple answer is, YES, bed bugs will burrow through, hide, and live in your carpet’s fibers. Bed bugs will infest all carpets, including doormats, theater or studio carpets, church carpets, offices, and laundry room carpets, or even carpets in your car.
Do beetles like the dark or the light?
Carpet beetle larvae like the dark and can commonly be found in areas of the home that do not receive much light, including: Adult carpet beetles are attracted to light and can be found near light fixtures and window sills.