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Carpet Beetles
Biology: These small beetles resemble a ladybird in shape but smaller. They are a mottled colour with patches of white black and orange on the wing cases. The adults feed on plants , feeding on pollen and nectar of e.g. Hogweed and Spirea and fly readily entering builings
where they lay between 50 and 100 eggs indoors on food material. These eggs hatch into the larval stage commonly known as the "Woolly Bear". The larvae are about 5mm in length and covered in tufts of arrow
headed bristles which give rise to the common name. During this larval stage the larva has between five and twenty skin moults. The larvae can remain at the larval stage for over 100 days depending on food supply
and temperature. Pupation into the adult form occurs during the last of these skin changes. The larvae (Woolly Bears) feed on natural materials of animal origin such as bird nests and woollen carpets. During the long
larval stage damage to clothing and furnishings made of natural fibres may be noticed. All natural fibres in the building should be examined to establish the extent of the infestation. The larvae will be deep into their
feeding material and are not sighted until very noticeable damage occurs to household furnishings. Cast larval skins may be evident, but will need in-depth inspection, as they are small and are usually in cracks and
crevices. When checking for carpet beetle activity, it is important to lift and move as many of the items of furniture, furnishings and fabrics as possible, otherwise potential harbourages may be missed,
and the infestation will quickly re-establish.
Control: The best way to avoid carpet beetle problems is through prevention. Routine and thorough vacuum cleaning effectively prevents carpet beetle infestastions. Also vacuum cleaning will remove hair and dust
which could support future infestations. Particular attention while vacuuming should be paid to the edges of carpets, along skirting boards, underneath furniture and similar undisturbed areas where carpet beetles
prefer to feed. Insecticide applications can be carried to control carpet beetle larvae infestation.
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Textile Pests Cambridgeshire
- Cambridge
- Chatteris
- Ely
- Huntingdon
- March
- Market Deeping
- Oundle
- Peterborough
- Ramsey
- Soham
- St Neots
- Whittlesey
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Textile Pests Essex
- Basildon
- Benfleet
- Bishops Stortford
- Braintree
- Brentwood
- Canvey Island
- Chelmsford
- Clacton
- Colcester
- Great Dunmow
- Halstead
- Harlow
- Harwich
- Leigh on sea
- Maldon
- Rayleigh
- Rochford
- Saffron Walden
- Southend
- Stansted
- Thorpe Bay
- Tiptree
- Walton on Naze
- Westcliff on Sea
- Witham
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Textile Pests Norfolk
- Acle
- Aylsham
- Dereham
- Diss
- Downham Market
- Fakenham
- Gorleston
- Great Yarmouth
- Holt
- Hunstanton
- Kings Lynn
- North Walsham
- Norwich
- Sheringham
- Stalham
- Swaffham
- Thetford
- Watton
- Wisbech
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Textile Pests Suffolk
- Aldeburgh
- Beccles
- Brandon
- Bungay
- Bury St Edmunds
- Clare
- Eye
- Felixstowe
- Framlingham
- Harleston
- Haverhill
- Ipswich
- Lakenheath
- Lavenham
- Lowestoft
- Mildenhall
- Needham Market
- Newmarket
- Saxmundham
- Southwold
- Stowmarket
- Sudbury
- Wickham Market
- Woodbridge
- Yoxford
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