What Are These Tiny Black Bugs in My House?

If you find tiny black bugs crawling around your home, don't panic. Take a moment to observe how they look and where they've gathered. Keeping a level head and properly identifying the insects can save you from unnecessary worry—and help you tackle the issue effectively. For instance, if you and your pets aren't suffering from bites, the pests probably aren't bed bugs or fleas. On the other hand, if the bugs launch themselves into the air, you might have an infestation of springtails. But most likely, what you are dealing with are carpet beetles.

Do the mystery bugs crunch when you squash them? While unnecessary bug squashing isn't recommended, it's one way to identify these nuisance pests. If they leave a black or brown smear when crushed, you likely have carpet beetles—a very common, but relatively harmless, pest.

What Are Carpet Beetles?

Carpet beetles are common in homes, but they don't usually attract attention because they don't often appear in large numbers. Carpet beetles feed on carpets and similar products, and they reproduce slowly.

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Carpet beetles have the unusual ability to digest keratin, the structural proteins in animal or human hair, skin, or fur. In your home, they might be eating items made of wool or silk or feeding on cereals stored in your pantry. They tend to wander from their food source, so people usually notice them on walls or floors. Additionally, adult carpet beetles are drawn to light, so they might be noticed around lightbulbs or windows.

What Do They Look Like?

Carpet beetles measure just 1/16 to 1/8 inches long—about the size of a pinhead—and vary in color. Some are black or dark enough to appear black when observed with the human eye. Others might be mottled, with spots of brown and black on a lighter background. Like many other beetles, they are round or oval and convex, like ladybugs. Carpet beetles are covered in tiny hairs, which are difficult to see unless you look at them under magnification. 

Carpet beetle larvae are elongated and appear to be fuzzy or hairy. They leave their molted skins behind, so you might find small piles of fuzzy skins in infested pantries, closets, or drawers.

It's a good idea to identify insect pests correctly before you try to treat or control them. If you aren't sure if the tiny black bugs are carpet beetles, take a specimen to your local cooperative extension office for identification.

How to Get Rid of Them

In large numbers, carpet beetles can do significant damage to sweaters and other clothing, and they might infest pantry items. Using a bug bomb to rid your home of carpet beetles will be ineffective, but professional extermination is rarely necessary. You just need to thoroughly clean the areas where carpet beetles tend to live.

First, clean your pantry. Check all food storage areas—cabinets, pantries, garage, and basement storage areas—for live carpet beetle adults, larvae, and shed skins. If you find signs of these tiny black bugs around your food, discard cereals, grains, flour, and other items where you see an infestation. Wipe down shelves and cabinets with your regular household cleaner. Don't spray insecticides into your food storage areas; it's unnecessary and will cause more harm than the insects will. When you replace the food items, store them in airtight containers made of plastic or glass.

Next, clean out your closets and dressers. Carpet beetles love wool sweaters and blankets. If you find signs of carpet beetles—adults, larvae, or shed skins—take items that can't be laundered in water to a dry cleaner. Wash anything else as you normally do. Wipe down the insides of drawers and closet shelves with a household cleaner, not a pesticide. Thoroughly vacuum the floor of your closet, using a crevice tool on baseboards and in corners. If you can, store clothing you aren't using in airtight containers.

Finally, thoroughly vacuum upholstered furniture and all carpets. Carpet beetles tend to hide under furniture legs, so move furniture and vacuum thoroughly underneath.