Varied Carpet Beetle

Indoors within households (carpets, clothing, furniture, baseboards) and outdoors in bird nests, animal dens, and flowering plants.

Larvae feed on natural animal fibers like wool, silk, feathers, fur, and leather, as well as dead insects and dried food products. Adults feed on nectar and pollen.

Adults are attracted to light and often found crawling on walls or near windows in spring. Females lay eggs near larval food sources. Larvae are slow-moving and covered in bristly hairs, avoiding light.

Harmless to humans as they do not bite or transmit diseases, though larval shed hairs can cause allergic skin reactions or respiratory irritation (carpet beetle dermatitis). They are household pests capable of damaging natural fabric items, clothing, and carpets.