Tan with tiny black,
brown and white scales; round and
small, up to 1/4-inch.
Habitat
Outdoors, carpet beetles live in
birds’ nests and
animal dens where they can find animal hair and feather on which to
feed.
Indoors, they feed on natural fiber fabrics such as wool and silk. They
may
also be found living under carpets and rugs where hair or dead insects
have accumulated.
They can actually digest human or animal hair. Although not
dangerous from a health standpoint, they can
substantially damage personal belongings.
Diet
Animal hair, feathers, dead insects and
natural
fibers, particularly wool and cashmere.
Insect
control: carpet beetles
Before storing any woolen or natural
fiber clothes,
clean them according to directions. Zippered plastic containers
are better than boxes for storage.If using boxes, they
should be
thoroughly cleaned beforehand and sealed with tape afterwards. Do not
store the
boxes in your attic, garage or basement if possible. Mothballs leave a
strong
odor but will help deter fabric pests.
