Latin: Anthrenus
Anthrenus is the genus name of beetles in the family Dermestidae, One of several genera of carpet beetles.
Appearance
The carpet beetle has roughly the same shape as the classic ladybug, but without the shiny surface and characterizes red color. Instead, the carpet beetles have a matte surface that is covered with small reddish yellow scales that form a pattern. The carpet beetle is 2-4 mm long, but its larvae can grow up to 5 mm long and are yellow brown. The larvae have brownish hairs, at the hind body they have tufts of hair, which are used to deviate from threats.
Biology and behavior
The carpet beetle belongs to the subfamily Megatominae. If you take a closer look at the biology of the carpet beetles, you will experience the adult carpet beetles during the spring and late summer. In the wild, they will appear on plants where they feed on pollen and nectar – and where they mate. The beetles are able to fly and can enter the home through windows and other openings, which gives the greatest problems when they have to lay eggs. The eggs laying typically takes place in bird or mice nests, as those are densely packed with feathers and the like. But it can also take place directly on textiles in the home, where it is warm and dense, and where the larvae can live on the material where the eggs have been laid. The carpet beetle so not lay that many eggs, only 22 eggs in average.
The beetles are not bound to a specific area, they do wander around which is why they rarely gnaw large holes in textiles.
The larvae also feed on dead insects, which is why insect collectors fear this pest. The development from egg to beetle will often take at least 12 months, depending on the conditions in which the eggs are placed. Indoors, the larvae are active throughout the winter where they eat and change skin about ten times. They pupate in May-June and a few weeks later they fly out like adult carpet beetles.
Damage
The name of the carpet beetle comes from the fact that the beetle typically gnaws holes in woolen textiles. Typically, it will be many small holes, as the carpet beetle do not stay in the same spot for a long time. The damage from the carpet beetle can be compared to the damage from moths, but if you have not found moth in your homes, it will typically be caused by carpet beetles.
Carpet beetles are quite common in the home and you will always be able to find few in any kind of home. If you only find a few beetles, you do not need to do anything.
Prevention and pest control
If carpet beetles appear in larger quantities, you should try to identify where they come from. The hearth of the attack is rarely in your home but can come from a sparrow nest under the roof. The sparrows collect materials for their nest which are excellent food for the carpet beetles. On that ground those nests are a classic example of the hearth of an attack. You can then choose to remove the nest completely as well as dust the surroundings with an insect powder. The powder must be for the control of crawling insects.
Besides the bird nests the heart of the attack can typically be insulation material, larger amounts of dust as well as forgotten woolen goods or a dead animal.
In most cases, you can get the attack under control by thoroughly cleaning the home. This should be done with a vacuum cleaner and by cleaning all carpets thoroughly. Woolen clothes should be treated at the same time, either by washing it or freezing it for 2-3 days. You should always store your woolen clothes in tightly sealed plastic or paper bags until you are sure that you have the carpet beetles under control. Cracks and crevices in drawers as well as the floors should be treated with an insect spray. If you want to prevent another attack from carpet beetles, it can be difficult to do completely so, as they move around from place to place. The only method of preventing carpet beetles is by packing your woolen clothes in tightly sealed bags or containers. This apply especially to woolen close, that is only used during the winter months. By doing so, the carpet beetle cannot reside in the woolen fabrics.
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"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
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