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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).