Black Carpet & Cabinet Beetles

General Description
The black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor, also known as A. megatoma) is considered both a fabric pest feeding on woolens, and a stored product pest that infests both plant and animal products. The larva is up to onefourth of an inch long and carrot-shaped with a fan of long hairs on the tail end. Adults are about one-eighth of an inch long, dark brown or black, brownlegged, bullet-shaped beetles.

Related species known as cabinet beetles (Trogoderma spp.) are similar in shape and color but often have some faint mottling on their wing covers. However, they feed almost exclusively on plant products such as livestock feed, pet food and grain.

General Control
Identification of the adults and larvae often requires the services of a knowledgeable pest management professional or an entomologist. Knowing the pest and its habits can provide clues to help locate the food source(s). Traps can be used to identify new infestations, to pinpoint sources of infestation and to monitor pest activity. When a food source is discovered, it should be discarded. The use of pesticides for control of black carpet beetles or cabinet beetles is sometimes warranted, but sanitation, i.e., removal of the food source, is most important. Pesticides should not be relied upon as the primary means of controlling stored product pests.