Upon removal we quickly realized my theory was wrong.
Dead carpet beetle larvae.
Carpet beetle larvae aren t dangerous to people except for the occasional skin rash because of their bristles but are known to damage personal items because of their feeding habits.
Checking window screens doors and vents for durability and removing spider webs dead animals in vents and attics and various nests inside and around buildings.
But carpet beetle larvae also feed on various other things around a home that are either of plant or animal origin such as wool blankets or clothing stuffed furniture animal furs hides or trophies accumulations of overwintering insects like lady beetles rodent or bird nests pet food people food and down pillows to name a few see.
After exclaiming oh my god you think there s a dead rat under my cabinets the customer agreed to let us remove the facing on the front of the cabinet bottom to see if my theory was correct.
Carpet beetle larvae will feed on the dried remains of dead animals.
The varied carpet beetle anthrenus verbasci is a 3 mm long beetle belonging to the family dermestidae they are a common species often considered a pest of domestic houses and particularly natural history museums where the larvae may damage natural fibers and can damage carpets furniture clothing and insect collections.
Carpet beetle larvae eat a varied diet that is composed mainly of animal hair silk plants feathers natural fibers wool cotton and other dead insects.
These skins as well as a lack of webbing are usually good indicators that carpet beetles are the perpetrators rather than clothes moths.