Do Carpet Beetles Eat Plants

Where do carpet beetles live.

Do carpet beetles eat plants. Carpet beetles congregate wherever animal fibers can be consumed. Obviously carpet beetles will also eat through the fabrics in your home. For example fur feathers wool silk leather and bed. These types of materials carpet beetles routinely feast on include wool felt leather silk fur and feathers.

Unlike other species like wood beetles that only eat wood carpet beetles will eat almost anything. You may find blister beetles colorado potato beetles or flea beetles on your tomato plants. Beetles are one of those types. They may also feed on plant materials including books grains spices and pet foods.

Carpet beetles can also thrive on lint hair and debris accumulating under baseboards and inside floor vents and ducts. These beetles may also eat synthetic fabrics if they are soiled with food or oils. Carpet beetles don t usually eat cotton linen or other plant based or synthetic fabrics but they may eat fabric blends or fabrics stained with animal products. You ll be able see damage on bed sheets linens clothing drapes and of course carpet.

And almost anything else they might encounter. Clothing furniture wool sisal jute carpets leather blankets pet food pet hair crumbs dead insects. They do not eat man made materials but they have been found in items that have both man made and. Larvae tend to feed in dark corners or under heavy furniture like your living room sofa for example.

In addition to wool carpet beetles can feed on silk hair feathers and fur. Unlike other types of insects that consume organic materials the moth for instance carpet beetle larvae eat in concentrated areas. Carpet beetles can actually eat any animal product that comes into its contact. As the name suggests carpet beetles are important pests in wool carpets and rugs.

These pests enter homes through doors windows and similar entrances. If you see these beetles you will want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Unlike moths carpet beetles typically feed on one portion of fabric at a time. Carpet beetles are found in almost every part of the world however they are basically european based.

They love to eat away the material that carpets are made out of i e. These beetles mainly eat the leaves of the tomato plant leaving behind small and large holes. Their feeding creates large isolated holes in the fabric. Carpet beetles are the most dangerous type of beetle to most homeowners.

Adult carpet beetles can live both indoors and out but females prefer to lay eggs where larval food sources are abundant. As we discussed earlier fully grown carpet beetles won t do much harm.