These larvae live a large part of the time in secluded places about the rooms, out of reach of house-cleaning operations, so that they are particularly insidious and are responsible for very many holes, raveling and defects in clothing and other fabrics, which are not even suspected of being insect injury. Small, blackish, hard-shelled beetle, sometimes flecked with white or reddish scales, are often seen in the infested materials or about windows. Most severe injury occurs in materials that have lain undisturbed for some time.

Carpet beetle eat Woolen goods of all kinds; sometime cotton goods; leather, bristles, feathers, hair silk; dried meat, milk or insect specimens; stuffed animal, fur; grain, flout and many other animal and plant products.

Two of the most destructive species of carpet beetles have been imported from Europe, these being the common carpet beetle and the black carpet beetle.