Carpet Beetle Eating Clothes

Carpet beetle larvae can damage fabrics furnishings and clothing that contain cotton wool silk hair fur or feathers.

Carpet beetle eating clothes.

Synthetic items are resistant to attack but blends of synthetic and natural fibres can be damaged. Textile pests are insects that can cause damage to clothes and the fabrics in our buildings that are made of natural fibres. The eggs hatch in eight to 15 days and hatch more quickly in warmer weather. Newly hatched larvae are tiny and can easily enter through cracks less than one sixteenth of an inch wide.

They often eat along the edges or. They hatch more quickly in warmer weather. Their natural habitats are the nests of birds rodents insects and spiders. Treat spills and stains immediately as well.

Food and sweat stains on fabrics can attract carpet beetles. Female carpet beetles lay around 100 soft white eggs in concealed places that hatch in eight to fifteen days. Their larvae are reddish brown and covered in fine hairs. These beetles have black white red and orange scales.

Although very different in appearance and habits both are pests which eat animal fibres such as wool carpets and cashmere or mohair clothing. Carpets and rugs made of natural materials should be regularly vacuumed. Carpet beetle the most common carpet beetles in new zealand are the varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci and the black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor. Items susceptible to attack by clothes moths and carpet beetles should be kept clean and tightlysealed in plastic bags or containers when not in use.

There are two main types of insect which cause serious damage to textiles in the british isles. Neither the clothes moth or carpet beetle can digest cellulosic fibers such as cotton linin or rayon or synthetic fibers such as polyester nylon or acrylic so they generally leave these alone. The female beetles lay soft white eggs in concealed places on clothing furniture cracks in flooring and carpet. These beetles typically produce four generations within a year.

The eggs are laid on clothing furniture cracks in flooring and of course carpet. However synthetic fabrics that are blended with wool may be eaton along with the wool even though they are not digested. Woollen clothes insulation rugs and other items may be attacked and damaged. So it may not be just your carpet that is damaged by these fibre eating pests.

Vacuuming carpeting and washing your clothes and other fabrics frequently at least once every 2 or so weeks is the best way to prevent a carpet beetle infestation.