Anthrenus verbasci is often mistaken for a ladybird when it feasts on pollen and nectar in the summer. The common carpet beetle is reddish brown with black and white spots. It is only 4 mm long, but nowadays is the principal textile pest.
The females fly into people's homes or into storerooms, where they each lay around twenty eggs on various materials. The larvae hatch after just a few days. Because they much prefer the dark, they often stay hidden in cracks and crevices, away from their feeding sites. It takes just under a year for the larvae to develop into beetles. The adult and very hairy beetles are often found on window sills, on their way into the open air.
The larvae of the carpet beetle like to feed on dry animal products such as woollen textiles and furs. They also gnaw insect collections and stuffed animals, and can cause major damage to valuable collections. Since the larvae are highly mobile, they may be active far from their actual place of origin (birds' nests under the roof, under felt carpeting or rags).
Preventive measures and controls
