What Ate My Sweater?

As the cold weather approaches, we all start to get out our warm sweaters and coats.  To the dismay of some, they will find their winter wear has been the buffet for carpet beetles while they were packed away.  Actually, the beetles are not the problem.  It's the larvae that can cause irreparable damage to your belongings.  In the past, this pest was a problem in woolen carpeting, giving them their name "carpet beetles."  However, they do not feed on the synthetic fibers of most of today's carpets.  They do, however, feed on other items of animal origin, such as stuffed animals, woolen or cashmere fabrics, food products, and feathers.



Black Carpet Beetle and larva; photo courtesy of www.plantdiagnostics.umd.edu

The two most common types of carpet beetles are the black carpet beetle (shown above) and the varied carpet beetle (shown below).  Black beetles are oval shaped, while varied beetles are more rounded.  Black beetles are solid black or dark brown.  The larvae are covered in golden brown hairs and have a "tail" of long hairs.  The varied beetle has splotches of white, yellow, and gray creating a calico pattern.  The larvae are covered with rows of light brown hairs and are more teardrop shaped than the black beetle larvae.



Varied Carpet Beetle; photo courtesy of www.whatsthatbug.com



Varied Carpet Beetle larvae; photo credit: Jim Kalisch; www.entomology.unl.edu

To help prevent carpet beetles, thoroughly clean clothing before storing it for the off season.  If storing clothing in a box, seal all corners and openings or use airtight containers.  For clothing in closets, cover each individual item with a plastic cover.  You can also control carpet beetles by cleaning up spilled food and accumulated lint and hair or fur.  Common sites for eggs to be laid include areas where dead insects occur, accumulations of lint in air ducts, along edges of carpeting, and underneath baseboards.   

Although these pests do not bite, sting, or carry disease, they can cause a great amount of damage.  Also, some people are allergic to the hairs on the larvae.  Contact with them may cause a reaction that looks like bed bug bites.