There are several varieties of carpet beetles, the most common being the Black, Varied, Furniture, and Common. The adults of these pests do not actually damage carpet. Adults are pollen feeders and good fliers, and enter homes through open widows and doors in the spring. It is thought that the reason carpet beetles are so abundant in California is due to the number of wasp nests around homes, which these beetles infest.

As with all the carpet and furniture beetles, it passes the greatest part of its life cycle as a destructive larva, which is usually not evident until damage is seen. They will feed on any natural fibers, some also eat grain, seeds, cereals, and flour, and are reported to also eat electrical insulation at times. The adults are small, about 1/8th inch.

Life Cycle:

Females lay many eggs-40 to 90 in the various species. The eggs hatch in about 1-2 weeks and can go through anywhere from 5-20 larval instars over the next 6-11 months, when the damage is really done. Most of their life is spent as larvae. The pupal stage is from 1-3 weeks. Adults only live from two weeks to two months.