It could be an adult carpet beetle, which are quite common. Although they are outdoor beetles, they can often be found in the home because they are attracted by central heating and all textiles such as carpets, curtains and soft furnishings that can make perfect nests for them to lay their eggs in.
The larvae of these beetles are often referred to as woolly bears because of their hairy appearance; they are tanned in colour and they may also have tail bristles.
An adult female carpet beetle can lay up to 100 eggs at a time, which will hatch in around four weeks. The resultant ‘woolly bears’ will then go on a rampage of binge eating until they pupate, which takes between 60 and 70 days, though this could alter depending upon what the temperature is, the humidity of the environment, and what they have been eating.
Carpet beetles will not be killed off by the cold; instead, they simply hibernate and wake up in the spring. Central heating has made many insect life cycles, like fleas, for instance, a year-long irritant. Fortunately, although the larvae of carpet beetles can cause huge amounts of damage to carpets and fabrics, neither they, nor adults, carry germs or disease so they do not present any health risks.
To get rid of carpet beetles, you can use commercial insecticides that are available from hardware stores. Make sure that you follow the instructions carefully and make sure that any applications are out of the way of children and pets. It is also important to see if you can find out where they are coming from, so cracks, crevices and fabrics should all be checked thoroughly.
The larvae of these beetles are often referred to as woolly bears because of their hairy appearance; they are tanned in colour and they may also have tail bristles.
An adult female carpet beetle can lay up to 100 eggs at a time, which will hatch in around four weeks. The resultant ‘woolly bears’ will then go on a rampage of binge eating until they pupate, which takes between 60 and 70 days, though this could alter depending upon what the temperature is, the humidity of the environment, and what they have been eating.
Carpet beetles will not be killed off by the cold; instead, they simply hibernate and wake up in the spring. Central heating has made many insect life cycles, like fleas, for instance, a year-long irritant. Fortunately, although the larvae of carpet beetles can cause huge amounts of damage to carpets and fabrics, neither they, nor adults, carry germs or disease so they do not present any health risks.
To get rid of carpet beetles, you can use commercial insecticides that are available from hardware stores. Make sure that you follow the instructions carefully and make sure that any applications are out of the way of children and pets. It is also important to see if you can find out where they are coming from, so cracks, crevices and fabrics should all be checked thoroughly.
