Anthrenus verbasci: the "adaptable" carpet beetle

One of the relatively common household pests that sometimes puzzles PMPs is the varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci.  The 3 mm-long adult is easy enough to recognize under magnification with its colorful zig-zag banding of white, black and orange scales.  The larvae are less commonly seen, but equally distinctive.  Cigar-shaped and hairy, they are often described by PMPs as banded, but close inspection reveals the banding to be the result of the darker colored dorsal plates contrasting with the lighter base color of the insect's body.

Varied carpet beetles might be better named the "adaptable carpet beetle" due to their catholic tastes in food. They differ in their eating habits from other beetles in the family Dermestidae, which normally require animal-derived proteins in their diet to survive and reproduce.  Examples of such other dermestid beetles include the black carpet beetle, the hide beetles, and the warehouse beetles.  The preferred foods of most dermestids include natural furs, feathers, wool, silk, dried milk and meats, taxidermy mounts and hides, dog food (with meat ingredients), dead insects, etc.  The varied carpet beetle readily feeds on these items, but can also subsist on a plant-based diet, such as drugs, spices, flour, nuts, wheat, corn, cereals and seeds.  Or, as I learned last night, the cheese crackers under my daughter's bed.

My youngest daughter is a Junior in college, and to judge from the archeological strata under her bed, the box of crackers probably dated from high school.  The discovery was prompted when my wife asked me what the two little larvae were under some books on our daughter's bed.  They turned out to be carpet beetle larvae, and the fact that there was more than one prompted me to go on a search and destroy mission.  Sure enough, the cracker box was soon located and the source confirmed. 

One thing I like about insects is that they never lie. If an insect is found indoors, there is always a reason.  An occasional carpet beetle may be found indoors after munching on dead insects in a light or windowsill, or from a bird nest or bee hive; but more than one is usually an indication of a problem.

The varied carpet beetle is not a good insect to allow to flourish in a home.  Along with its dermestid cousins, this beetle is one of the most likely culprits responsible for those mysterious holes in your favorite sweater.  As with all stored product insect pests, the best solution is not usually pesticides, but rather a thorough inspection to look for, and remove, likely food sources.  Last night's invasion was a relatively simple problem to solve.  Unfortunately, they are not all that easy.

Most dermestid-infested items are old, forgotten or spilled food in out-of-the-way places, old rodent baits in attics, or furs, feathers or woolens that do not get worn or used frequently. Pet hair tucked into carpet edging, furniture and who knows where, can be another meal for varied carpet beetle and its other dermestid beetle cousins. 

Knowing something about carpet beetle biology and identification can help you solve those tough pest control problems for your residential customers.  Recognizing that you have a varied carpet beetle means you will have to widen your or your customer's search efforts to include both animal and plant-based protein sources.

My daughter's bed has now officially been purged of cracker boxes, dirty socks and high school notes.  Next time she's home from college, you can be sure we will tackle the CLOSET.  Who knows what new life forms we'll discover?