''Anthrenus sarnicus'', the Guernsey carpet beetle, is a type of carpet beetle ('Sarnia' is the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

name for

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

). It can be generally found in Great Britain. Its suborder is

Polyphaga Polyphaga is the largest and most diverse suborder of beetles. It comprises 144 families in 16 superfamilies, and displays an enormous variety of specialization and adaptation, with over 350,000 described species, or approximately 90% of the b ...

, the infraorder is

Bostrichiformia Bostrichiformia is an infraorder of polyphagan beetles. It contains two superfamilies, Derodontoidea and Bostrichoidea, which includes the Dermestidae, Ptinidae, Bostrichidae The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 desc ...

, the superfamily is

Bostrichoidea Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder Bostrichiformia. Description The Bostrichoidea are united by the following features: modified cryptonephridism, the structure of the aedeagus in males, and ...

, and the family is

Dermestidae Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,100 species described. Dermestids have ...

. The carpet beetle is shaped like an oval and about the size of a pin.

Description

Diet

Carpet beetles are known for eating away at carpets and rugs. Their diet consists of feathers, furs, insects, dead animals, processed human food, skins, cotton, silk, and wool.

Predators

A variety of predators like ants and spiders will feed on carpet beetle larvae. No predators will exclusively eat carpet beetles and the larvae will hide in dark places to avoid them.

Life Cycle

All carpet beetles will go through metamorphism during their lives. They will pass through the egg, larval, and pupal points to reach full maturity. This can take two months to many years. Female carpet beetles can lay over 100 eggs which can hatch after 10–44 days at temperatures between and , ideally at . Four generations of carpet beetles can develop every year. It can take 9 months to 2 years for a carpet beetle to become a full adult. However, adults only survive for a couple of weeks. The adults are skillful fliers and can live for many weeks without food. In the UK, it was found that between June and September, the beetles mostly stay outdoors, migrating indoors during the rest of the year.

As a pest

Signs of an infestation are spotting their pellets and skin. One should also expect to see the adult beetles and their larvae. Adult guernsey carpet beetles have patches of brown, white, and black. They move slowly and when touched they will roll over. The source of the infestations can be identified by looking for where there are more beetles, skins, and feces.

Outdoor Treatment

First of all get rid of all nests and hives in your backyard. Those are great places for beetles to nest which you do not want. Then, spray liquid insecticide around the perimeter of your house. Make sure so wear proper clothing at all times before you do this.

Indoor Treatment

Vacuum your whole entire house especially where you think the infestation is. Throw away any items that are already infested. Wash all your clothing and fabrics with soap and hot water. If you want, you can go the extra length by steam cleaning your furniture and carpentry.

Prevention

Close your screen less doors and windows at all times to prevent the beetles from entering your house. Inspect all plants and flowers before they enter your house. Store unused clothing in airtight containers and let your clothing get some sunlight every day.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2806078 sarnicus