Carpet Eating Bugs Australia

Synthetic materials typically used for rugs and carpeting include nylon polyester triexta and olefin.

Carpet eating bugs australia.

When carpet beetles mature into adults they feed on pollen instead of fabric items. The beetles live outside but will come inside to lay their eggs on juicy looking carpet any time of the year. Synthetic carpet is not attacked or damaged by carpet beetle grubs. Woollen clothes insulation rugs and other items may be attacked and damaged.

Carpet beetles have a recognisable oval body with a shiny dark brown black colouring though their wings tend to vary with irregular patterns of white brown and dark yellow. Here s what you need to know. The australian carpet beetle is a native member of a small but significant group of beetles family dermestidae that frequently invade homes and whose larvae feed on carpets and similar fabrics. Most carpet beetle damage results from larvae eating holes into natural fiber items like wool silk feathers dead insects and leather.

Carpets and rugs manufactured in australia from natural fibres are treated with insect resistant chemicals as are most of the imported products. This is especially helpful for carpets rugs and furniture. Adult carpet beetles don t eat carpet or upholstery as they prefer pollen and nectar. Khapra beetle has been detected and eradicated in australia in the past after being found inside packages which were stored in infested shipping containers.

For furniture synthetic options include acrylic. Carpet beetle larvae will eat all manner of animal material including wool fur silk felt feathers and leather. They can also sometimes cause an allergic reaction. They range in size from 0 3 cm to 0 4 cm.

Adult beetles are 2 3 mm. Carpet beetles and carpet beetle larvae are similar in appearance to khapra beetle trogoderma granarium an exotic beetle which poses a quarantine threat to australia. The larvae do all the damage the adults only eat pollen. Carpet beetles will only eat organic products so choosing synthetic materials will lessen your chances of getting an infestation.

Why they like carpet. The larvae of the carpet beetle will eat wool carpet and wool rugs can eat lots of it and will permanently damage the carpet. However the concentration is not sufficient to kill the beetles their eggs or their larvae so it only acts as a deterrent. The larvae are bigger than the adults.

Carpet beetles can be an annoyance in your home. It is the larvae of the beetle that are a common household pest. These immature pests also have bristly hairs that can irritate skin. How serious are carpet beetles.

Carpet beetles are found throughout australia and can handle lower humidity than clothes moths so are also found inland from the coast. The most common carpet beetles in new zealand are the varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci and the black carpet beetle attagenus unicolor.