Black carpet beetle larvae

This as the most abundant and widespread of the carpet beetles and is the species which causes the greatest damage to fabrics and other keratin containing articles throughout most of the United States.

Adults are shiny black with brownish legs, and grow to a length of 1/8- to 3/ 16-inch.

They are frequently found outdoors in flowers and are most numerous in the spring and early summer.

Carpet beetle larvae are frequently pests of insect collections and other museum specimens.

Since they are attracted to floweres, and in the spring of the year the adult Black Carpet Beetle may fly into the house.


They lay eggs either indoors or outdoors, beginning 4 to 8 days after the adult emerges.

Each female lays approximately 50 eggs over a period of about 3 weeks, after which she dies.

Indoors, these eggs are deposited in accumulations of lint, in air ducts, underneath baseboards and other similar places.
Eggs hatch in 6 to 11 days in warm weather.

Body color varies from a light brown to almost black.
They can develop under a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions, and are much less susceptible to environmental changes than are clothes moths.

Larvae may grow to 1/2-inch long over a series of 5 to 11 molts.
They tend to avoid lighted areas, so are found most frequently in the lower parts of clothes closets, rolled up or wrapped into woolen materials, at the edge of carpeting under baseboards, or inside upholstered furniture.
Mature larvae can wander rather widely, so may be found anywhere in a building. It is not at all unusual to find them in a bathtub, kitchen sink, or even crawling on walls and ceilings.

Black carpet beetle larvae are general feeders, feeding on dead animal materials, hair, fur, hides
and horns, as well as the usual woolen products and many plant materials such as cereals, stored grain or nuts.
They tend to be surface feeders on wool, usually eating the nap from fabric and leaving the base threads relatively unaffected.

However, they are quite capable of eating large, irregular holes through any suitable food material.
In fur, hairs are cut at the base with no injury to the hide.
The hair then readily drops out leaving a bare appearance to the hide.
Black carpet beetle larvae frequently burrow through containers to obtain food, leaving small openings through which other insects may enter to cause additional damage.
Cast skins and frass in the form of minute, irregular pellets are frequently found on infested fabrics.
Black carpet beetle larvae may live as short as 9 months to as long as 3 years, depending on their diet and environmental conditions.
Larvae pupate in the last larval skin, with the pupal state lasting from 6 to 24 days.

Fabric damaged with no traces of silk-like threads.
Much surface damage with various holes.
Frass may be seen in minute, irregular pellets, many time in the color of the fabric.
In fur:
Hair cut at the base , hair drops out easily and hide may be exposed.
Cast skins, no webbing

PREVENTION:

The best way to avoid carpet beetle problems is through prevention. Woolens and other susceptible fabrics should be dry cleaned or laundered before being stored for long periods.

Cleaning not only removes perspiration odors that are attractive to the beetles, but also kills any eggs or larvae that may be present.

RECOMMENDED CONTROL MEASURES:

The first step in carpet beetle elimination is a thorough inspection of the entire structure.

Carpet beetle larvae prefer to feed in dark, undisturbed, protected places.

Before the infestation is discovered, the active forms (larvae and adults) may have distributed themselves in such places as the lint collected behind baseboards, in air ducts, in the stuffing of furniture and in the bristles of old paint brushes. From these unsuspected locations, carpet beetles may continue to re-infest valued woolens for long periods of time.

Check under baseboards, in and under upholstered furniture, piano felts, air ducts, stuffed animal trophies, stored cereals, bird nests under eaves, , wasp nests in attics, dead birds or rodents in wall voids, woolens, clothes closets, furs, etc. Black carpet beetles favor animal nests such as that of birds and rodents and can be a source of infestation in the winter when the first sign of cold weather forces the beetles indoors. Location and removal of such nests before winter can also prevent infestation.

Often the cast skins are more abundant than the larvae. Adult beetles flying around windows may help in locating the infestation.

The list of materials upon which carpet beetles can feed successfully is extensive. It includes such diverse substances as meal and flour, peas and beans, animal dandruff, dead insects, leather, dried meats, silk, powdered milk and dog food as well as the natural food substance of wool, fur, hair and feathers mentioned previously. Eggs, larvae, pupae and adults may be brought into the home in any of these substances.

Since adult beetles feed on pollen and nectar, all cut flowers from the outdoors should be inspected for black carpet beetle presence.

Screens should also be installed around windows and doors should be tightly fitted to prevent adults from entering the structure.

Remove debris such as animal hair and lint that serves as a food source for black carpet beetles.

When located, infested articles should be disposed of.

However, if the item is of high value, several options are available. Items such as furs can be placed in cold storage at temperatures around 40oC. Also, some items may be frozen for a week in an effort to kill all beetle larvae.

In the case of a heavy infestation, insecticide treatment may be necessary. Before making insecticide treatments for carpet beetles, the premises should be thoroughly vacuumed.