Carpet moths
Stored Wool in Edgware Garages and Lofts
Carpet moth larvae feed on keratin, which means wool, silk, fur, feathers and animal hair. They avoid light and movement, so the best place for them is something made of wool that nobody touches. A garage or loft used for storage, which Pest Control Edgware looks at more widely, often holds exactly that.
Rugs rolled up and put away
A wool rug lifted when a room was redecorated or when a newer carpet went down is often rolled and stored rather than thrown away. Rolled tight, its inner layers are dark and undisturbed, and larvae can work through the pile from within. Why holes appear in a carpet explains the damage pattern.
Clothes, coats and blankets in bags
Woollen jumpers, coats, scarves and blankets kept in bin bags or cardboard boxes are also at risk. Plastic bags are not always sealed, and cardboard is no barrier at all. Can carpet moths damage clothes and furniture? covers what else can be affected.
When it comes back into the house
The usual way a storage problem becomes a house problem is simple: the rug goes back down in the living room, or the coats go back into a bedroom wardrobe, carrying eggs or larvae with them. It can also run the other way, with moths from a carpet indoors laying on things put into storage.
Checking Stored Items
- Unroll stored rugs outside and look at the underside and the fringes for bare patches and silky tubes
- Look for small cream larvae or their cases in the folds of stored clothes and blankets
- Shake out bags in daylight and check the bottoms for gritty debris
- Watch for small buff moths that run rather than fly when the garage light is switched on
The guide to the signs of carpet moths shows what to look for, and what carpet moth larvae look like helps with identification. Bristly brown larvae rather than smooth cream ones point to carpet beetles in Edgware instead.
What to Do Before Booking
- Do not bring affected rugs or clothes into the house until you have decided what to do with them
- Bag anything badly damaged in sealed plastic before throwing it away
- Vacuum the floor where the stored items stood, then empty the vacuum into an outside bin
- Check the rooms indoors where stored items have recently been used
Around the Visit
When you book, say which rooms are affected, whether the garage or loft storage is involved, and what has been brought back into the house recently. Each affected room is counted, and a garage counts as a room; halls, landings and stairs do not. Preparing for carpet moth treatment sets out what is involved in getting rooms ready. Afterwards, how long it takes for signs to stop depends on the rooms and the infestation, and if you still see live larvae or fresh damage after the time you are given, get back in touch.
Storing Wool So Moths Cannot Use It
- Clean clothes and rugs before storing them, since larvae are drawn to soiled fibres
- Use sealed, airtight plastic boxes or vacuum storage bags instead of bin bags and cardboard
- Roll rugs round a tube and wrap them tightly, then check them once or twice a year
- Keep stored wool off the garage floor, where it can pick up damp and dust
How to stop carpet moths coming back goes into more detail. For carpet moths across the borough, see Carpet Moth Control Barnet, or read the Barnet carpet moth advice. Spiders feeding on the moths may be a clue as well, which spider control in Edgware covers.
