Carpet Beetles Eat Hair

When carpet beetles mature into adults they feed on pollen instead of fabric items.

Carpet beetles eat hair.

These immature pests also have bristly hairs that can irritate skin. In doing this they will walk across your body which can leave an irritating rash for some people. They may also eat items such as natural hair brushes with natural fibers hair and other human and animal debris that collects around the house. Carpet beetles feed on organic materials such as animal and human hair plants and any materials made from animals such as wool silk leather and fur.

The adult carpet beetle tends to eat only pollen and nectar from plants there is nothing in your home including humans that the carpet beetle will eat. Carpet beetles tend to eat in one big section. Carpet beetles don t usually eat cotton linen. If you have a lot of hair on the top of your head then you could literally be sheltering a breeding ground for these carpet beetles.

Carpet beetles like the essential oils in your hair this will cause them to get in bed with you and nibble on your hair while you sleep. How serious are carpet beetles. They like to feed and nest in hair just as much as they do in carpets made of wool. Long story short i am now shocked to learn about anthrenus verbasci carpet beetles known as fabric eating insects who feed on fabric wool pet hair human hair carpet fibers and live behind walls baseboards in the attic in birds nests and around windows signaling infestation.

Technically speaking the hair on the top of your head would qualify as organic matter to carpet beetles. What do carpet beetles eat. Most carpet beetle damage results from larvae eating holes into natural fiber items like wool silk feathers dead insects and leather. The pests can also proliferate on bird nests animal carcasses and dead insects cluster flies lady beetles stink bugs wasps etc which tend to be associated with attics chimneys basements and light fixtures.