Varied carpet beetles are round and about the size of a ladybird (2 to 4mm long). They are mottled black, white and gold. Each female will lay up to 100 eggs in spring and early summer on furs, wool and natural fibres. These eggs hatch into hairy, brown larvae, commonly known as woolly bears.
The woolly bears avoid light and curl into a ball when approached. It is the larvae that cause damage to natural fibres, as they feed and grow.