Carpet Beetles

Did You Know?

• 12speciesofcarpetbeetlesoccurringinUtahhomeshavebeenidentifiedbytheUtahPlantPestDiagnosticLab.

• Adultcarpetbeetlesareexcellentfliers.

• Carpetbeetlelarvaecanconsume,destroyandcontaminatefoodproducts.

• Somecarpetbeetlelarvaehavearrow-likehairsthatcancauseskinandthroatirritationandallergy-relatedsymptomswhenconsumedorcontacted.

• Carpetbeetlelarvaepreferdark,isolatedareas.Adultsprefersunlightandseekoutpollenandnectarfromflowers.

Middle:Figure2.Arrowlikehairsonsomecarpetbeetlelarvae(InsectandDiseasesImageLibrary,Bugwood.org).

Right bottom:Figure3.Carpetbeetle

larva(AndréKarwath).

IPM Fact Sheet # 16 November 2013

Utah

PESTPRESS

Management Tools for a Healthy Learning EnvironmentCarpet Beetles

General Info:

CarpetbeetlesareoneofthemostcommonindoorpestsinUtah.Thecarpetbeetle’snameismisleadingbecauseitwasnamedwhencarpetsweremadeofanimalproductssuchaswool,whichthesebeetleswouldreadilyconsume.Today,sincecarpetsarelargelysynthetic,theyarerarelypestsofcarpets.Carpetbeetlelarvaehavemanyfoodsources,includingstoredfood,food-basedartprojects,otherdeadinsects,deadanimals,rodentbaits,shedhair,leather,fur,feathers,museumspecimens,andoccasionallycottonorlinen.Becausetheylivenaturallyoutdoors,continuousintroductioncanoccurduringwarmermonths.

What do they look like?

Adultcarpetbeetlesareabout1/8inchinlengthandtheircolorscanbehighlyvariable(seeFigs.1and4-6forexamples).Larvaeareelongate,witharedhueorlightbrowncolor.Thelarvaearesomewhathairyandcanvaryinsizedependingonthestageoflarvaldevelopment.Whenfullygrownthelarvaereachasizearound1/8inch.

Life Cycle

Carpetbeetlesareusuallybroughtindoorsoninfesteditems,suchasflowersorfoodproducts.Thefemalelaysitseggsonsuitablefooditemsandwhentheeggshatchlarvaeemergeandeatyoursusceptibleitems.Eggshatchwithin10-20days.Carpetbeetlescanbelong-livediftheproperconditionsexist.Lifecyclescantakeayearormoreunderfavorableconditions.

Above:Figure1.Adultvariedcarpetbeetle(WhitneyCranshaw,ColoradoStateUniversity).

Any products, services or organizations that are mentioned, shown or indirectly implied in this publication do not imply endorsement by Utah State University. Utah State University is an affir-

mative action/equal opportunity institution. 2013

Managing Carpet Beetles with Integrated Pest Management

• Usestickytrapstomonitorwindowsillsandfoodstorageareasforthepresenceofadults,larvae,andshedskins.

• Keepdoorsandwindowsclosed(unlessscreened)duringspring,summer,andfall,whenadultbeetlescanreadilyflyintobuildings.

• Maintainscreens,windows,doorsweeps,etc.,toexcludeadultbeetles.

• Storeallfoodandsusceptibleanimal-basedproducts(woolthrowrugs,etc.)inpest-proofcontainers,includingfoodforpetsintheclassroom.

• Disposeofoldartworkthatcouldserveasafoodsource(eg.macaroni,feathers).

• Searchforandthrowoutcarpetbeetle-infestedfood,orother,items.

• Thoroughlyvacuumandcleanareaswherehairanddeadinsectscanaccumulate,suchasbaseboards,inorundercouches,behindshelves/furniture,nearwindowsills,inAC/heatingvents,lightingcovers,etc.

• Becausebeetleslivenaturallyoutdoors,exercisemoderatetolerancetowardthesepestswhenfoundinclassrooms.Ifcarpetbeetlesareinfestingfoodinfoodstorageareas,thereiszerotolerance.Actimmediatelyto

eliminatefoodinfestations.

InUtah,thewarehousebeetleisacommonpestofstoredfooditemsinhomes,warehouseandfoodproductionbuildings,andinschools.Wheninspectingforthesepests,alsobeawareofotherinsectpestsknownas“pantrypests.”

Otherfood-infestingpantrypeststhatcanbefoundinUtah,include:

• Indianmealmoth

• Sawtoothgrainbeetles

• Confusedandredflourbeetles

• Cigaretteanddrugstorebeetles

• Spiderbeetles

• Flatgrainbeetles

Formoreinformationonpantrypests,seeourfactsheet:http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/pantry-pest06.pdf

For more info, check out:

Colorado State Univ: Carpet Beetleshttp://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05549.html

UC Davis: Carpet Beetleshttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html

Utah State Univ.: Carpet Beetles http://utahpests.usu.edu/htm/utah-pests-news/summer2011/carpet-hide-beetles/

Above Left:Figure4.Blackcarpetbeetlelarvaandadult(ClemsonUniversity).

Above Right:Figure5.Warehousebeetlelarvaandadult(WhitneyCranshaw,CSU,Bugwood.org).

Left:Figure6.Larderbeetleadult(JosephBurger,Bugwood.org).