Black And White Carpet Beetle

Adult carpet beetles feed on flower pollen and do not damage woolens and other fabrics.

Black and white carpet beetle.

A clump of golden hairs is located at the end of their bodies. Adults do not cause damage indoors. As the carpet beetle grows its diet changes it starts consuming pollen and nectar from plants. The black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor is a 3 5 millimetre long 0 12 0 20 in beetle that can be a serious household pest the larvae grow to 7 mm 0 28 in in length are reddish brown in colour and covered with bristles.

Larvae young carpet beetles are 1 8 to 1 4 inch long and tan or brownish. Black carpet beetle larvae can survive up to 640 days and adults can live for a couple of months. Female black carpet beetles can lay up to 100 eggs and their larvae can stay in the larval stage for up to 3 years. The larval form feeds on natural fibres damaging carpets furniture and clothing.

Black carpet beetle larvae are longer than many other carpet beetle larvae and are brown and gold in color. Even though it is the larvae that cause destruction you should get rid of the adults. They range in color from black to speckled with white brown yellow and orange. The carpet beetles never bite or destroy anything it is their young ones you should blame.

These tiny carpet beetles start out their adult life as white beetles. The adults are small 1 16 to 1 8 inch oval shaped beetles ranging in color from black to various mottled patterns of white brown yellow and orange.