Help I have Carpet Beetles

Question:
What are carpet beetles my friend was helping me do some cooking and opened up a container of curry powder and there were tiny insects inside. The date was good on the packaging, she said they can attack any dried foods, also clothing and dried flowers. Is this true and where do they come from?

Answer:
They are probably not carpet beetles but the larvae of the good old Indian Meal Moth.
They are certainly found in all sorts of dry goods especially pastas, pet food, bird seed and so on. The larvae are the things which cause the damage. The adults are moths which tend to fly around the home. They have usually laid their eggs (up to 300) by the time you see the adults. The trick here is to kill the eggs before they develop; so, if possible keep your dry goods in sealed containers in the fridge or at least the coolest place possible.
Now, Carpet beetles are another story; there are many varieties with names like carpet beetle, larder beetle, leather beetle etc., They can cause a lot of damage not only to rugs and carpets but pretty much any natural material. They often feed on dead rodents. I come across them in attics, most often when something has died there.
Identification is the key. Send or bring a sample to our office or call for a free inspection.
If you have or suspect you have any of these bugs don’t ignore them.