- Adult Carpet Beetle
- Carpet Beetle Larvae
- Wood Boring Beetle
- Wood Boring Beetle
How are beetles harmful?
Carpet beetles are capable of destroying fabric and clothing. They can live on just about anything that has to do with animal and plant products. Their favorite foods are insects and spiders. Larvae tend to surface-graze on fabric and are quite capable of making small and irregular holes. When feeding on dead insects, Carpet beetles usually feed from within. The only indication of their presence is the accumulation of fine powder beneath the victim. Adults are commonly found near windows during the spring, while larvae tend to wander from room to room resulting in the infestation. They enter structures through open windows.
Most wood-boring beetles cause serious damage to structural wood. Common types include deathwatch beetles, true powderpost beetles, false powder beetles and old house borers.
How do I identify different types of beetles?
The adult carpet beetle is about 1/16" - 1/8" long. Its oval shaped body is black with a pattern of yellow and white scales on its wing covers. The underside of the body is covered with grayish yellow scales. The larvae are dark brown to black and are about 3/16" - 1/4" long.
Deathwatch Beetles are about 1/8” – 1/3” long and reddish brown. They are oval-shaped, compact and have small antennae.
True Powderpost Beetles are less than 1/4” long, slender and range in color from reddish-brown to black.
False Powderpost Beetles can be anywhere from 1/4” – 2” long. Stocky and humpbacked, they are dark brown or black and sometimes have reddish mouthparts, legs and antennae.
Old House Borers, or long-horned beetles, named as such for their long antennae, are about 1” long and brownish black in color with multiple gray hairs on the head and upper body. The segment behind the head has a shiny raised bump on each side, giving the appearance of a face.
CALL ALPHA ECOLOGICAL TO SOLVE YOUR BEETLE PROBLEM—SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
