Varied Carpet Beetles in Lancashire, Manchester, Cheshire & Trafford

The Varied Carpet Beetle – Is Your Home Infested?

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The Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) is a fairly new pest to the northern parts of the U.K. having been largely confined to the southern counties but now pest controllers in Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester are increasingly being called out to infestations of this insect pest.
The carpet beetle is a very distinctive, easily recognised beetle that can be a serious pest in the house. Its larvae feeds on natural fibres and can damage anything of natural origin, woolen carpets, furniture} and clothing.
The larval form is known as a woolly bear, a nickname it shares with the larvae of Pyrrharctia isabella or the Isabella Tiger moth.
A. verbasci was the first insect to be demonstrated to have a circadian and an annual cycle and to this date remains a classic example of circannual cycles in insects.
The larvae of A. verbasci are roughly 4-5 mm in length. The body is covered in a pattern of alternating light and brown stripes. The larvae is usually wider at the back than at the front and also bears 3 pairs of hair tufts on its rear abdomen that are used for self-defence

The adult carpet beetle range from 1.7 to 3.5 mm in length. Their elytra or wing case has scales of two colours, whitish and yellowish-brown. White scales are condensed along the lateral margins of the pronotum. In addition, their antennae are 11-segmented with a club of 3 segments
The varied carpet beetle has a very strange life cycle for an insect, developing from larvae to adult in 1-3 years, according to the environment in which it finds itself.
Larvae hatch from eggs in the spring, very 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. Adults emerge between March and early August, and feed on pollen.
These pests cause both physical damage by their larvae eating fabrics and psychological damage from the enormous numbers of these pests which can emerge into living quarters.
When attempting to deal with these insects it is important to check for the presence of birds’ nesting material and remove any nests and feathers etc from the infested before treating with an appropriate insecticide..
It is important to keep in mind that in the U.K. legislation affects the removal of birds’ nest, including sparrows and starlings which are two of the common birds which are associated with A.verbasci so professional assistance should be sought to avoid breaking the law.