Subject: Not sure what this is.
Location: Cincinnati, OH
February 5, 2017 1:50 pm
I’ve seen a few of these little bugs. They don’t seem to cause any harm. At first I thought they were ladybugs until I was able to hold onto one long enough to examine it. What I thought were spots now appear to be jagged stripes instead. It does fly but not far. Please examine it and let me know what you think it could be.
Signature: Brian Wiesman
Dear Brian,
This is a Varied Carpet Beetle, a common Household Pest, but it is not the adult Carpet Beetle that is problematic. Adult Carpet Beetles feed on pollen and probably want nothing more than to get out of the house once they mature and lay eggs. Larval Carpet Beetles will eat a wide assortment of organic materials in the home, including accumulated pet hair.
I have those ( or similar) in Youngstown. I want them to be free!–outside of my home…