Varied Carpet Beetle

Found indoors in homes (carpets, closets, attics, museum collections) and outdoors in bird nests or on flowers.

Larvae feed on natural animal fibers (wool, fur, silk, feathers, leather) and dead insects; adults feed on pollen and nectar.

Adults are attracted to light and often found on windowsills. Larvae avoid light and are the destructive stage, feeding on fabrics. They have a life cycle ranging from less than a year to two years.

Classified as a household pest due to fabric destruction. They do not bite or spread disease, but the hairs (bristles) on the larvae can cause allergic skin reactions (carpet beetle dermatitis) in some humans.