Black Carpet Beetle Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from black carpet beetles by learning techniques for identification and control.
Treatment
How do I get rid of black carpet beetles?
What Orkin Does
Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage black carpet beetles and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique beetle treatment program for your situation.
Orkin can provide the right solution to keep carpet beetles in their place...out of your home, or business.
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Black Carpet Beetles
Appearance
Adult carpet beetles measure 2.8 to 5 mm in length. Their pronota and heads are black, and the head is partially concealed from above. Their wings, known as elytra, are brownish black.
Behavior & Diet
Black carpet beetles are common in the northeastern United States. Like other carpet beetle species, they feed on leather, silk, wool, feathers and hair. Black carpet beetles may also consume dried meat, plants and dead insects. This carpet beetle species can infest kitchen cabinets and clothing storage areas.
Reproduction
In warm environments, eggs hatch into larvae within six to 12 days; colder environments delay hatching times to between 15 and 20 days. Black carpet beetle larvae are longer than many other carpet beetle larvae and are brown and gold in color. A clump of golden hairs is located at the end of their bodies.
Black carpet beetle larvae can survive up to 640 days and adults can live for a couple of months. Adults do not cause damage indoors.
More Information
What Eats Carpet Beetle Larvae?
Carpet Beetle Larvae Around the House