The attagene of the carpets

The carpet beetle is a small insect.It is oval dark brown or black, and is 3 to 5 mm long.The first parts of the antennae and legs are paler.The adults fly and eat nectar and pollen.The larva of the carpet beetle is more elongated and hairy, and is 10 to 15 mm long.It varies in color from brown to golden. At the end of the abdomen we can see a group of hairs that looks like a small brush.

Latin Name: Dermestidae

Description:Carpet attagen is a small insect.It is dark brown or black oval, and is between 3 and 5 mm long.The first parts of the antennae and legs are paler.Adults fly and eat nectar and pollen.The larva of the attagen is more elongated and it is hairy; it is between 10 and 15 mm long.Its color varies from brown to golden. At the end of the abdomen we can see a group of hairs that looks like a small brushIt is the larva of the attagen that is parasitic and damaging.

Reproduction:Reproduction reaches its maximum at temperatures between15 and 30 °C. Eggs are laid in cracks in walls and through infested materials. The female lays between 50 and 100 eggs and she deposits them at the foot of the walls in the heating system, under the baseboards, in the attic and in the walls.When conditions are optimal the eggs will hatch 11 days later.The larva of the attagen will live from one to two years and it will molt several times, up to 20 times if the conditions of humidity and temperature are not good.The larva will make its cocoon with its last skin and take 6 to 24 days to become an adult. The adult male lives an average of 38 days and the female 36.

Habits:Adults are not pests and feed on pollen and dectar. They enter houses through all openings.Attagens females lay their eggs where the larvae will be able to eat.The larvae will attack products of animal origin mainly:wool carpets, fur, silk, hair (wigs), leather, animal hair, feather ( pillows), insect collections, fishmeal, powdered milk, dry dog or cat food and many other dry foods. They also eat certain vegetable products such as cotton, linen, jute, rayon and especially clothing that has traces of human sweat. Often you can see holes or shedding on objects and this reveals an infestation.

Prevention:Infestations of beetles can often be prevented by a series of simple actions:installing screens, putting screens on ventilation hatches,Plugging holes in the foundation, cleaning clothes before storage, vacuuming where there is a lot of dust and under carpets too. Treatments can be applied but should be administered by specialists to ensure that all sources of infestation are treated.

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