Pests don't wait. Protect your home today.
Carpet Beetles (Anthrenus and Attagenus species)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
$50 OFF your first service + FREE inspectionNew customers · No code needed · No expiration
What Are Carpet Beetles?
Adult carpet beetles feed on pollen outdoors and fly inside through open doors and windows, where females lay eggs near lint, hair and animal-based fabrics. The larvae do the damage. They also shed bristly skins as they grow, which can irritate sensitive skin.
How to Identify Them
Adults are tiny, round and slow, often found dead on window sills. Larvae look like little fuzzy brown caterpillars, sometimes with a tuft of hair at the rear. Damage shows up as irregular holes in wool, felt and upholstery, unlike the webbing clothes moth, which leaves silk webbing.
Life Cycle
Adult females lay eggs near lint, hair and animal-based fabrics. The larvae feed for weeks to months, molting several times and leaving bristly shed skins behind. They then pupate, and the new adults head for windows and light to get outdoors and feed on flower pollen, which is why dead adults pile up on window sills.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Bed bugs: flat, reddish-brown and oval; found in bed seams and furniture and feed on blood.
- Drugstore and cigarette beetles: reddish-brown, found in pantries in spices and dry food.
- Ladybugs: larger, shinier and usually red or orange with spots.
- Clothes moth larvae: smooth and white with silk webbing, not bristly.
Where They Hide in South Florida Homes
Closets and under-bed storage, beneath heavy furniture, along baseboards and carpet edges, inside air returns where lint gathers, in stored wool, feather pillows and down comforters, and near pet bedding, dry pet food or bird seed.
When to Call a Pro
Call if you keep finding larvae, shed skins or new holes in fabrics, if adults keep turning up on sills, or if valuable rugs or heirloom textiles are at risk.
Signs of Carpet Beetles
- Tiny round beetles on window sills
- Shed larval skins in closets, drawers and under furniture
- Holes in wool sweaters, rugs, felt or taxidermy
- Larvae in pet food, bird seed or dried pet treats
Is it dangerous?
- Property damage
Larvae chew wool, silk, feathers, fur, leather and stored animal-based items.
Prevention Tips
- Vacuum often, including closet floors, under furniture and along baseboards.
- Wash or dry-clean wool and silk before storing, and store in sealed bins.
- Check screens and keep doors closed when plants are flowering.
- Toss heavily infested items or have them professionally cleaned.
How Pro-Spray Treats Carpet Beetles
We inspect closets, rugs, furniture and stored goods to find where larvae are feeding, then treat cracks, baseboards, closets and other hiding areas with products labeled for fabric pests, alongside cleaning steps for you. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
New customer offer
$50 OFF your first service
+ FREE inspection
Then stay protected with our $125 quarterly pest control plan, about $42/month.
New customers only. No code needed and no expiration. Mention this offer when you call or text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do carpet beetles bite?
Are carpet beetles a sign of bed bugs?
What do carpet beetle larvae eat?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
Get $50 OFF your first pest service and a FREE inspection & estimate. Ongoing protection is $125 quarterly (about $42/month), with no contracts and no cancellation fees.
Prefer to text or email? Text us · info@prospraypest.com