Do carpet beetles attack pets?
They bite “live” animal remains and products, like mounted animals, skins and fibers such as wool and silk. Not live animals. The varied carpet beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, is common in California. The adult is about 1/10 inch long and black with an irregular pattern of white, brown, and dark yellow scales on its elytra (wing covers). In older adults the scales that form this pattern wear off so the beetles appear solid brown or black. Outdoors, female beetles search out spider webs and nests of bees, wasps, and birds in which to lay their eggs. The nests contain dead insects, beeswax, pollen, feathers, or other debris that can serve as larval food. Indoors, beetles deposit eggs on or near wool carpets and rugs, woolen goods, animal skins, furs, stuffed animals, leather book bindings, feathers, animal horns, whalebone, hair, silk, dried plant products, and other materials that can serve as larval food.
