Carpet Beetle Bed Bug Husks

If you ve found larvae it s carpet beetles.

Carpet beetle bed bug husks. So they have wings. Treat spills and stains immediately as well. Look for holes in clothes and fabric woven furniture to begin identifying these critters. Search stored food containers and clean shelves with a mild household cleaner.

Clean carpet beetle prone areas frequently. Food and sweat stains on fabrics can attract carpet beetles. As the larvae grow they leave empty hairy cast skins or husks which are often the first sign of carpet beetle attack figure 7. Carpet beetles like to live out of sight and feed on the natural fibers in fabrics even living off carpet fibers that are 90 percent synthetic.

If you find the fuzzy carpet beetle larvae or their shed skins in kitchen cabinets or drawers then the infestation is probably in food storage pantry. 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. They become bigger and bigger during their lifespan but never metamorphose as the carpet beetles do. Carpet beetles are well beetles.

However the carpet beetle is the smallest of the two and averages 1 8th of an inch in length while the bed bug is about 1 4th of an inch long. Bed bugs on the other hand don t have larvae. Differences between bed bugs and carpet beetles. Bed bugs don t have wings.