Beetle Facts:
The beetles under go complete metamorphosis; that is egg, larval, pupal, & adult stages. The complete life cycle lasts about 45 days per generation. Adults lay eggs that are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
A few days' later larvae hatch out and begin looking for their first meal. The larvae continue eating and molting 8 times before they reach about 3/4 of an inch in length. This growing/molting lasts around 30 days. It is the larvae that do the majority of the cleaning. The large larvae then find a quite spot and pupate. As they pupate their last outer larvae skin falls off leaving them somewhat yellow in appearance. Seven days later out comes an adult and they begin laying 4-5 eggs a day and the process begins again.
Dermestid beetles can be very destructive if they escape! They will destroy head mounts, clothing, carpet, and other material of organic nature. They are even capable of eating wood and linoleum. They will not eat metal, glass, hard plastic, or plexiglass.
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