Larder Carpet Beetles

Larder beetles get their names from the place they are often found in your larder which is an old word for your pantry or cupboard where you store food especially grains and meat.

Larder carpet beetles. They are small in size only about to long and oval shaped. They can also sometimes cause an allergic reaction. How serious are larder beetles. They overwinter near food sources particularly in kitchen pantries.

Larder beetles enter homes through open doors or cracks in walls during the late summer and fall to escape cold weather. The larder beetle larvae are about an inch in length. It actually prefers to feast on animal skin commonly found on skeletons in museums. The usually clubbed antennae fit into deep grooves.

Larder beetles overwinter as adults in protected places. Vacuuming carpeting and washing your clothes and other fabrics frequently at least once every 2 or so weeks is the best way to prevent a carpet beetle infestation. There are approximately 500 to 700 species worldwide. Here s what you need to know.

While they can harm home support. Keratin is the main protein found in animal feathers and hair and this kind of carpet beetles can digest this keratin easily. Other common names include larder beetle hide or leather beetles carpet beetles and khapra beetles. These pests are responsible for damaging your upholstered furniture the most.

The adult larder beetle is brown colored and has a light to yellowish mark on the midsection of their bodies. They can range in size from 1 to 12 mm. Key characteristics for adults are round oval shaped bodies covered in scales or setae. Treat spills and stains immediately as well.

Skin beetles are great resources and are commonly used by museums to remove or devour skin as the latin name implies. The larvae have two small pincers at the end of their body. When larder beetles gather in hundreds or thousands damage can become significant. Food and sweat stains on fabrics can attract carpet beetles.

Their name comes from the practice of ages past where before refrigeration households had larders to store cured meats cheeses and the like along with other. Close relatives of the larder beetle are used to clean the flesh from skeletons used in museums. Larder beetles are less commonly known as skin beetles. The entire life cycle of this pest requires around four months to a year the time period depending on the temperature.

Larder beetles really common in homes especially during the colder months since they search out warmer living arrangements like most bugs when the deep freeze of nature rolls around. Larder beetles are a type of carpet beetle but they only attack woolens that have been soiled with blood fish oils or other high protein stains. The wings are covered in small yellow hairs. They may eat through your clothes rugs and furniture.

The adult larder beetle is about 1 3 of an inch in length.