Home and Garden
AGRICULTURAL
MU Guide
PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSITY EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
Carpet Beetles and Clothes Moths
Darryl Sanders, Department of Entomology
Carpet beetles They appear to be composed of a series of alternat-
ing light and dark brown transverse stripes. They are
Carpet beetles belong to the beetle family very fuzzy and have three pairs of dark brown bristly
Dermestidae. The adults are harmless and feed on bundles located
plant pollen exclusively. It is the larva (growing somewhat laterally
stage), that causes damage by feeding on items pri- on the segments
marily of animal origin. Carpet beetles will also near the rear end.
attack other materials, such as cotton and synthetic Varied carpet
fibers if these fabrics are soiled with human perspira- beetle larvae feed
tion, body oils, beer, milk or fruit juice. Some carpet on anything of ani-
beetles may become “pantry pests” by invading cere- mal origin, as
al grain products. described for the black
carpet beetle. They are
Black carpet beetle also often associated Figure 2. The adult varied car-
The black carpet beetle, Attagenus unicolor (see with abandoned bird pet beetle, left, and larva, right.
Figure 1), is the most destructive and widespread car- nests. Development time takes from nine months to
pet beetle in the United States. Adults are black with one year.
brown legs, somewhat shiny, oval and about 1⁄8- to 3⁄16-
inch long. Other species
The larva is brown Other species found less often in Missouri homes
and carrot-shaped with a include the common carpet beetle, Anthrenus scrophu-
long brushy tail of brown lariae, and the furniture carpet beetle, Anthrenus
hairs, and up to 1⁄2-inch flavipes. Both species are very similar in appearance
long at maturity. and feeding habits to the varied carpet beetle.
Black carpet beetle
larvae will eat almost
anything of animal ori-
Clothes moths
gin, such as wool, hair, Clothes moths belong to the moth family Tineidae.
feathers, leather, furs, The larval (caterpillar) stage damages items of animal
stuffed trophy animals, Figure 1. The adult black carpet origin, such as wool, fur, silk and feathers. The adult
dead insects or silk. beetle, left, and larva, right. moths do not feed. They are rarely seen because they
They may also feed on cereal grain products and nut tend to hide in the dark during daylight. The Indian
meats. Development from egg to adult beetle takes meal moth, a common “pantry pest,” flies about during
from nine months to two years. daylight and is often mistaken for one of these moths.
Varied carpet beetle Casemaking clothes moth
The varied carpet beetle, Anthenus verbasci (see The casemaking clothes moth, Tinea pellionella
Figure 2), is the most commonly encountered carpet (see Figure 3), is a buff gray color and approximately
beetle in Missouri. The adult beetle is a rounded oval, 1
⁄4-inch long with its wings folded along the body.
convex and about 1⁄8-inch long. The wing cover sur- Each front wing has three somewhat indistinct darker
face is patterned with brown, yellow and white spots of scales.
scales. The ventral surface of the body is covered with The larva is creamy white with a brown head. It
fine, long grayish scales. Larvae are approximately 3⁄16- produces a silken tube-like case in which it lives and
inch long at maturity. carries around for protection. The head and legs are
$.25 G 7372 Printed with soy ink on recycled paper
exposed only Chemical control
during feeding Spray infested carpet or upholstered furniture
and movement. with a light mist, to the point of dampness, or dust
This case is cam- with one of the insecticides listed in Table 1. Do not
ouflaged with bits spray clothing, just the cracks and crevices of the
of the material on clothing storage area.
which the larva has Figure 3. Larval casemaking clothes When treating rugs that are not fastened to the
been feeding. The moth, left, and adult, right. floor, treat both top and bottom surfaces. These pests
larva is approximately 1⁄2-inch long at maturity. like undisturbed locations, so treat all carpet under fur-
Development from egg to adult is highly variable, niture and the under side of upholstered chairs and
depending upon available food and environmental couches. In the case of wall-to-wall carpeting, be sure
conditions. It may be as little as a month. to treat along all baseboard-to-carpet contact areas.
Ready-to-use aerosol sprays containing insecti-
Webbing clothes moth cides, such as allethrin, resmethrin, tetramethrin and
The webbing clothes moth, Tineola bisselliella, is a pyrethrins may also be used to spray carpet, uphol-
uniform buff color, stered furniture and stuffed toy animals. Stuffed ani-
approximately mal trophies may require an an additional internal
1
⁄4-inch long (see spray or dusting. Use a crack and crevice injector to
Figure 4). It has a spray inside or a puff duster to inject an insecticidal
small tuft of red hair dust, such as boric acid, bendiocarb (Ficam), carbaryl
on the top of its head. (Sevin) or chlorpyrifos (Dursban).
The larva is Do not allow children or pets into the sprayed
whitish colored with a Figure 4. The webbing clothes areas until the treated surfaces are thoroughly dry.
brown head. It pro- moth larva, left, and adult, right. Dusts used in open areas should be left for a few days
duces a silk-lined “tunnel” as it eats through or on the and then vacuumed up before children or pets are
surface of a fabric. The moth is approximately 1⁄2-inch allowed in the area.
long at maturity. Its developmental time is very simi- Staining or running of colors is a possibility with
lar to that of the casemaking clothes moth. certain fibers. Test a small, hidden area with the spray
product to check for any adverse effects before apply-
Control measures ing the chemical to the entire area.
Prevention
Vacuum wool carpets often enough to prevent the Application concentration
accumulation of hair, lint and other carpet beetle food Insecticide Spray Dust Remarks
materials. Remember to vacuum under seldom- Bendiocarb Difficult to find except
moved furniture and along baseboards. Upholstered (Ficam) 1% in PCO supply stores
furniture, air ducts and other lint-accumulating sites Boric acid 1 – 99% Many formulations on
also need this cleaning. market
Dry clean or launder woolens and place them in Chlorpyrifos Dust sold as Ortho-
tightly sealed containers for summer storage. Moth (Dursban) 0.5% 1% Klor Ant Killer Dust
balls (naphthalene) or PDB (paradichlorobenzene) crys- Cyfluthrin For use only by Pest
tals may help prevent carpet beetles and clothes moths (Tempo) 0.05% Control Operators (PCOs)
from invading the articles. Use paper to avoid direct Diazinon 0.5%
contact between chemical and the articles. Avoid long-
Lambda-
term and undisturbed storage of susceptible materials. cyhalothrin
Help deter carpet beetle invasion by removing (Commodore) 0.15% For use only by PCOs
abandoned bird nests and bee and wasp nests from Permethrin
attics, wall voids and eaves. Remove dead insects in (Flee) 0.5% For use only by PCOs
light covers, window sills or other places of accumu-
lation to avoid carpet beetles. Table 1. Insecticides for carpet beetle and clothes moth control.
s Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States
University Department of Agriculture. Ronald J. Turner, Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Missouri and Lincoln University, Columbia, MO
65211. s University Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or status as a
Extension
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
Vietnam era veteran in employment or programs. s If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and
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COLUMBIA Columbia, MO 65211, or call (314) 882-8237. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
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