Varied Carpet Beetles in Bramhall, Handforth and Stockport.
March 20th, 2010The Varied Carpet Beetle Beetles in My House – The Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) is a relatively new pest to the north of the U.K. having been largely restricted to the south but now pest controllers in Cheshire, Lancashire and Manchester are increasingly being called out to infestations of this insect pest.
It is a very distinctive, easily identified beetle that can be a serious nuisance in the house. Its larvae feeds on natural fibres and can damage anything of natural origin, such as woolen carpets, fabric furniture and clothing made from natural fibres.
The larval form is known as a woolly bear, a nickname it shares with the young of Pyrrharctia isabella or the Isabella Tiger moth.
The Varied Carpet Beetle was the very first insect to be identified to have both a circadian and an annual cycle and to date remains the classic example of circannual cycles in insect species.
The larval form of A. verbasci are about 4-5 mm in length. The body is covered in a pattern of alternating light- and dark-brown stripes. The body is usually wider at the back than at the front and has three pairs of hair tufts along its rear abdomen that can be used for defending itself
Adult insects range from 1.7 to 3.5 mm in length. Their elytra or wing case has scales of two colours, whitish and yellowish-brown. White scales are concentrated along the lateral margins of the pronotum. In addition, their antennae are 11-segmented with a three segmented club.
A Verbasci or The Varied Carpet Beetle has a very strange life cycle for an insect, the development from larvae to adult can take anything from one to three years, depending on the environment in which it finds itself.
Larvae hatch from eggs in the spring, often they are associated with birds nests or around stored natural fabrics Larvae feed on natural fibres throughout their development, eventually emerging as an adult. A. verbasci adults emerge between March and early August, and feed on pollen.
These pests cause both physical damage due to their larvae devouring natural fibres and psychological upset from the huge numbers of these pests which can be found in houses.
When attempting to deal with these pests it is important to check for the presence of birds nests and remove any nests and feathers etc. from the affected area before treating with an appropriate insecticide.
It is important to note that in The British Isles legislation affects the removal of birds nests, including sparrows and starlings which are the two most common birds which have an association with A.verbasci so professional advice should be sought to avoid breaking the law.
