Carpet beetles are small and easy to miss, but their larvae quietly damage wool rugs, upholstery, clothing, and stored natural fabrics. Adults are often mistaken for ladybugs or harmless beetles at windows; the real problem is the fuzzy larvae feeding out of sight.
Adults are tiny (1/16"–1/8"), round beetles — either mottled white, brown, and orange (varied carpet beetle) or solid black (black carpet beetle) — often found on windowsills in spring. Larvae are small, bristly, carrot-shaped grubs with bands of brown hairs that feed in dark, undisturbed areas.
What attracts them: Natural fibers — wool, silk, fur, feathers, leather — plus lint, pet hair, dead insects, and dried food in undisturbed areas: under furniture, in closets, along baseboards, in air vents, and in stored boxes.
When you find damaged fabrics or repeated sightings of larvae or adults — they're hard to fully clear by cleaning alone, and treating the source areas is what protects your rugs, clothing, and furniture.
