Home and Garden IPM from Cooperative Extension

Carpet Beetles

There are a handful of species of carpet beetles of significance in Maine. Most important, arguably, is the Black Carpet Beetle (Attagenus unicolor), which is black in color (as its name indicates), oval, and less than 1/4 inch long. The beetles are good fliers and are attracted to light, so finding adult beetles on windowsills is often the first sign of an infestation. Another species, the Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci), is also attracted to light if they are from outdoor populations. In the case of indoor populations of the Varied Carpet Beetle, however, there exists a negative attraction to light, with just one exception: indoor females nearing the end of their oviposition (egg-laying) period gradually become attracted to light.

The larval stage of carpet beetles is what does most of the damage, and even though they are called carpet beetles, the larvae feed on many other items besides carpets. Preferred foods include animal products, such as: skins, furs, feathers, wool, hair and dead insects, but they also eat cotton to some extent. They are known to eat holes in yarns that are blends of wool and synthetic fibers. The Larder Beetle, Dermestes lardarius, is another species of carpet beetle that is common in Maine, and our published fact sheet mentions two others: the Common Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae), and the Furniture Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus flavipes).

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Additional Information:

• Carpet Beetles (Our Published Fact Sheet)
• Carpet Beetles (Cornell; Rockland County)
• Varied Carpet Beetle (BugGuide.net)
• Black Carpet Beetle (University of Florida)
• Furniture Carpet Beetle (University of Florida)
• Larder Beetles (Our Published Fact Sheet)
• Larder Beetles (BugGuide.net)

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