Beetles don’t just crawl around your garden. They could also be present in your home, that is, on your carpet or clothing. The beetle that normally invades homes and damages carpets and clothing is the infamous black carpet beetle. Generally, this beetle tends to invade homes during the spring and feeds on woolen clothing, rugs, and pet food.

You can identify this beetle by knowing some information about it. It is about 3 to 5 millimeters long, with an elongated oval body. It has the ability to fly and this is how it reaches homes. The beetle is typically black in color and has tiny hairs on its body. However, there are some species of the carpet beetle that can be reddish-brown instead of black.

Black carpet beetle larvae are 12.5-13 millimeters long. They are carrot-shaped and golden brown in color. However, the only characteristic feature that can help you identify black carpet beetle larvae is the golden tuff of hair on the tapered end of the body. The larvae consume all the elements derived from animals, such as your pet’s hair, meat, leather and wool. The larvae generally tend to invade kitchen cabinets and cupboards where winter clothing is kept.

Once mating is complete in spring, the female will fly to a house and look for a suitable place to lay her eggs. The eggs are whitish and small in size and the female will seek to lay them near a food source. After 6 to 11 days, if the temperature is warm, the eggs hatch and the larvae emerge. The larval stage lasts about 258 to 639 days. After that, the adult black carpet beetle emerges and can have a lifespan ranging from a few weeks to many months.

Although the black carpet beetle does not bite or sting, it can cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to allergens. More than that, the damage that the beetle can cause is quite high and is therefore often considered a pest. Instead of using chemicals to get rid of the black carpet beetle, it is wise to go green. Put on a pair of gloves and collect the beetles and dispose of them. You can even use your vacuum cleaner to pick up the beetles from your carpet or clothing. Drown the beetles in soapy water to kill them. Next, sprinkle diatomaceous earth or silica gel on the places where the black carpet beetles were found. This will kill all the beetles that you missed.