What's eating your home? The Varied Carpet Beetle.

By: Ken Chadwick

The Varied Carpet Beetle – Beetles in My House - The Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) is a relatively new pest to the northern parts of the U.K. having been largely confined to the balmy southern climate but now pest controllers in Cheshire, Lancashire and Manchester are increasingly being called out to infestations of this insect pest.
<BR><BR>The carpet beetle is a very distinctive, easily recognised beetle that can be a serious pest in the home. It feeds on natural fibres and can devour anything of natural origin, woolen carpets, furniture} and clothing.
<BR><BR>The larval form is known as a woolly bear, a common name it shares with the larvae of Pyrrharctia isabella or the Isabella Tiger moth.
<BR><BR>A. verbasci was the very first insect to be identified to have a circadian and an annual cycle and to date remains a classic example of circannual cycles in insects.
<BR><BR>The larval form of A. verbasci are circa 4-5 mm in length. The body has a pattern of alternating light and brown stripes. The body is usually wider at the back than at the front and contains 3 pairs of hair tufts along its rear abdomen that can be used for self-defence.
<BR><BR>Adult A. verbasci range from 1.7 to 3.5 mm in length. Their elytra or wing case has scales of two colours, whitish and yellowish-brown.
<BR><BR>White scales are condensed along the lateral margins of the pronotum. In addition, their antennae have eleven segments with a club of 3 segments.
<BR><BR>A Verbasci has a very strange life cycle for an insect, the development from larvae to adult can take anything from 1-3 years, depending on the environment in which it finds itself.
<BR><BR>Larvae hatch from eggs in the spring, often they are associated with birds' nests or around stored natural fabrics Larvae feed on natural fibres throughout their development, eventually experiencing a dormancy or diapause before completing pupation and emerging as an adult.
<BR><BR>Adults emerge between March and early August, and feed on pollen.
<BR><BR>These insect pests cause both physical damage by their larvae eating fabrics and psychological damage from the huge numbers of these pests which can emerge into homes.
<BR><BR>When dealing with these pests it is important to look for the presence of birds' nesting material and remove any nests and feathers etc from the infested before treating with an appropriate insecticide.
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Bio:
Ken Chadwick B.A.(Hons) is a working <a href="http://www.harrierpestprevention.co.uk">Pest Control</a> professional based in the North West of England as <a href="http://www.manchesterenvironmentalservices.com">Manchester Pest Control</a>. He frequently appears on radio and TV talking about <a href="http://www.harrierpestprevention.co.uk/carpetbeetles.html">Varied Carpet Beetles</a> and all other household pests.
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