Our house is infested with the varigated carpet beetle - some arrived in a large batch of yarn sent for charity blankets. I sprayed them with some now illegal insecticide, many died, but some escaped.

They have eaten carpets, jerseys, skirts. fluffy slippers - at least the larvae have - plus they destroyed some very expensive cashmere yarn.

It is a constant battle. Leave nothing undisturbed, move the furniture, vacuum clean everything - use a steam cleaner on everything that can take it.

They can get under carpets and eat the parts of the pile which are under the hessian backing - then when you brush the top it all comes loose.

Carpet beetles are undeterred by moth repellant substances, and I have found nothing now available as a spray or powder which kills them. So I have resorted to squashing, mashing and otherwise getting physical with them. They crunch.

They tend to make neat round holes which go through several layers - so kilts would be most vulnerable to their work.