Carpet beetle
Carpet beetle larvae, known as woolly bears, are now the main textile pest in British homes. The adult varied carpet beetle is tiny, about 2 to 4mm, and looks like a small mottled brown, grey and cream ladybird. The adults feed on pollen and nectar outdoors and do no harm. It is the larvae that cause the damage.
Adults lay eggs in old birds' nests, fluff, felt and fabric. The larvae feed on wool, fur, feathers, silk and hair, and often wander from the loft along pipes into airing cupboards full of clothes and blankets. Their life cycle takes about a year, and larvae can survive for months without food.
Signs of carpet beetle
- Small, hairy brown larvae that curl up when disturbed
- Shed larval skins, often the first thing people find
- Neat round holes along the seams of fabric, or bare patches at carpet edges
- Adult beetles on windowsills in spring and early summer
How we treat carpet beetle
Check the loft and eaves for old birds' nests and remove them. Vacuum fluff and debris from airing cupboards, shelves, floorboards, carpets and upholstery, and lift carpets to clean underneath. We then treat between floorboards, under carpets and into the cracks where fluff collects with a professional insecticide.
Woodlice
Woodlice are one of the few land-living crustaceans. They have grey, oval, segmented bodies about 10 to 15mm long with 14 legs. They feed on rotting wood and plant matter, live under stones, logs and pots, and wander indoors into damp, dark corners.
Woodlice are harmless, but lots of them indoors usually means damp. The best long-term fix is to reduce moisture, clear debris and plant pots away from walls, and seal gaps around doors and airbricks. Where they keep coming in, we can apply a barrier treatment.
