Believe it or not, there’s a native Australian carpet beetle that will frequently make its way into homes and cause damage to carpets, rugs and mats throughout the house. It’s part of the Dermestidae family of insects, and it’s actually their larvae that hide away in sneaky, dark places and munch on your mats, rugs and carpet.
We take an in-depth look at the carpet beetle so you know what to look out for in your home to ensure you don’t get an infestation of these floor-destroying pests.
Where do carpet beetles live?
Carpet beetles will typically live in forested areas and woodlands, but they also make their way into urban areas, where they invade homes to lay their eggs. They live all around Australia, including all our major cities and most suburban areas.
What’s the carpet beetles' life cycle?
Their lifecycle can be segmented into four stages:-
- Eggs
- Larvae
- Pupa
- Adult beetles
Eggs
Depending on the carpet beetle species, females will lay between 50-100 white-coloured eggs that hatch in around 8-10 days after being laid. Females will lay their eggs in out-of-the-way places like underneath furniture, in the backs of cupboards, behind your baseboards or anywhere that’s suitably dark, safe and near a food source.
Larvae
Once carpet beetles hatch from their eggs, they’re classed as larvae, and this is when they start going to town on your carpet and rugs. Their destructive feeding habits include destroying clothing, furs, carpets and furniture. Larvae will spend anywhere from two months to up to a year in the larval stage, depending on the species of beetle, the time of year and how much food is available to them.
Pupa
Once the larvae have finished eating their fill of your clothing, carpets and furs, they transition into the pupa stage before becoming fully-fledged adults.
Adult Beetles
Once the eggs are hatched, and they transition from larvae to pupa, carpet beetles turn into adult beetles and start the breeding cycle all over again.
What are the carpet beetles' feeding habits?
Adult carpet beetles don’t actually pose much of a threat to your home as they will typically feed on pollen and nectar of flowering plants; it’s the larvae that eat carpets, wool, felt, rugs, furs, clothes and other dried protein materials.
Note: carpet beetles are particularly destructive in museums as they attack the dried pelts and furs of animal skins.
Are carpet beetles poisonous?
Whilst carpet beetles aren’t poisonous, the Australian carpet beetle has hairs that can fall off when they’re handled and have been known to cause an allergic reaction in some people.
What are signs you have a carpet beetle infestation?
There are a few signs you might have a carpet beetle infestation. Let’s take a look at some of the more common indicators you may have carpet beetles in your home.
- You find small piles of bristle skins in areas with visible damage
- You find droppings around damaged areas (droppings usually take on the same colour of things that have been eaten and are about the size of ground peppercorns)
- You find adult beetles on your window sill (this usually means they’re trying to escape your home in search of food)
- You have damage to rugs or carpets in darker, more out of the way places
What are some carpet beetle prevention tips?
There are some things you can do to prevent carpet beetles from doing too much damage before you notice they’ve invaded your home.
- Regularly vacuum your home
- Make sure you move furniture around when vacuuming
- Store unused clothing in sealed containers or plastic bags
- Install insect screens to stop adult beetles from flying into your home
What do carpet beetles look like?
Adult carpet beetles are actually quite small (similar in size to a ladybug). They have a brown or mottled appearance and are oval in shape.
Carpet beetle pupa are brown and white in colour and have small hairs all over their bodies.
If you think you have a carpet beetle infestation that requires professional help, please feel free to contact us and we would be more than happy to conduct a pest control inspection to give you some options for controlling carpet beetles in your home.