Professional Pest Control Services for Households, Businesses and the Farming Community since 1988

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles are small round beetles with a mottled brownish coloured shell approximately 3mm to 5mm long. The larvae (woolly bears) are small hairy grubs also mottled brown 3mm to 5mm long.

Damage is often similar to clothes moth, however the pupae are very different.

They tend to cause damage to carpets in dark corners or under furniture. They will also damage clothing.

They will usually eat fine material like silk or fine woollen clothing.

The adult beetle will often be found in windowsills or other light places around the home in spring. They head toward sunlight and die due to lack of moisture. The grubs (Woolly bears) however, can be found at any time of the year and it is these that do the damage to material and carpets. They eat most organic fabrics as well as dead animal carcasses and the close relative ‘hide beetle’ has been used in museums for cleaning bones.

There are in fact many beetle of the same family, which can invade homes to eat foodstuffs. They are usually, however, isolated to a very small area and are often more easily controlled. These include the Larder beetle, Hide beetle and carpet beetle.