bug on windowsill
In the last week (first week of March), we have seen several of these tiny beetle-like bugs on our windowsill. We’re concerned that they might be from possible dampness in the wall – or are they from a house plant. It’s too cold here yet, so you windows have not been open for fresh air and bugs! Thanks for helping us identify this tiny bug. It’s about 2 millimetres long.
Lauren


Hi Lauren,
This is an Anthrenus Carpet Beetle. It and its siblings have probably been living all winter in your home as fuzzy larvae, feeding on wool, feathers or fur, or some other animal product. Carpet Beetle infestations can do major damage to your valuables and are considered one of the most serious threats to natural history museum collections. Adult Carpet Beetles emerge in the spring and are attracted to windows. They feed on pollen as adults and are trying to get outside to feed.
Ed. Note: (04/04/2008)
It seems that daily we have been receiving multiple requests for the identification of Anthrenus Carpet Beetles, hence our decision to make them the Bug of the Month for April. These Carpet Beetles can be extremely destructive to museum collections as well as to natural fibers in the home. The larvae are fuzzy and are the destructive stage of the insect.
Carpet Beetle Larva
(04/13/2008) Carpet beetle larva from MN
Hello Daniel and Lisa.
Thanks to your site, which I visit almost daily now, I was able to identify a carpet beetle larva when I first saw it last year crawling up the wall in my room. Now I found another one this year in the same place and time, and now I have a better camera for getting a decent picture of it. I noticed that you made it the Bug of the Month for April, and the picture you have up there is a little blurry, so I thought you might like some clearer images. I’m still not sure of the species of this one though. I live in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Joel

Hi Joel,
Thanks for providing us with a sharper and more current image of a Carpet Beetle Larva. We scoured the archives for the one we originally posted in the Bug of the Month for April 2008 posting.
Update: (04/12/2008)Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thank you SO much for making the Carpet Beetle April’s bug of the month! We have been in this house for 3 springs now and have wondered what on earth those little things are! It’s nearly impossible to find info online for one bug out of millions! I have a question… I looked up info on what they eat, the larvae that is. It said they like wool carpet. Our carpeting is made from recycled milk cartons! We do have a pet rabbit, but the bugs tend to stay in our daughter’s room, which the bunny is only allowed in on occasion. What could they be eating that keeps them coming back each spring? Again, thanks so VERY much! You have really satisfied a curiosity of mine and my husband’s (who, by the way, thought they were some bizarre kind of tick or flea!) Sincerely,
Crystal
Southern California
Hi Crystal,
Your letter is the second thanks we have received since making the Carpet Beetle the Bug of the Month. That is always a tough decision, and we almost chose the Striped Morning Sphinx. We have also gotten numerous requests for that identification. Your letter did not indicate if you are finding the adult Carpet Beetles or the larvae in your daughter’s room. If the adults, they could fly from the larval feeding source. If you have rabbits, they will probably shed and the larval Carpet Beetles will eat the shed fur. They will also feed on other pet hair and human hair that gathers in corners and under beds.