Carpet moths
Rugs, Runners and Rooms Rarely Used
Carpet moth larvae eat wool, silk and other animal fibres. They avoid light and movement, so they feed under heavy furniture, under rugs that never move and along the edges of a room. A large Edwardian house might have a formal dining room, a guest bedroom and a study that are rarely walked across, each with a wool carpet or a good rug. These are the rooms where damage builds up. The signs of carpet moths explains what to look for.
Rugs over wooden floors
Many period houses have wooden floors with large rugs laid on top. The underside of a rug that has not been lifted for years can be badly eaten while the top looks fine. Check the back of rugs and the floor beneath.
Stair runners and landings
A wool stair runner or a landing carpet is walked on daily in the middle but not at the edges, and larvae can feed along the sides and under the stair rods.
Wardrobes, chests and a house full of things
A family house lived in for decades tends to collect wool coats, blankets, cushions and spare rugs in wardrobes, blanket boxes and spare rooms. Moths move between them. When a house is being cleared, divided into flats or prepared for sale, rugs that have been rolled up in a back room are often where the problem is found. If you inherit or buy old rugs, check the back before laying them in another room.
Signs to Check
- Bare patches or thinning pile under furniture or at the edges of a room
- Small, pale larvae or silky tubes in the carpet pile
- Small, buff-coloured moths that run rather than fly
- Damage on the back of a rug
- Holes in wool clothing or blankets stored nearby
What carpet moth larvae look like helps you identify them. Similar damage can be caused by carpet beetles in Golders Green, and carpet moths or clothes moths explains the difference between two kinds of moth.
What to Do Now
- Vacuum thoroughly, including under furniture and along edges, and empty the vacuum outside
- Lift rugs and vacuum both sides and the floor beneath
- Store wool clothing and blankets in sealed bags
- Do not put an affected rug into another room or into storage without dealing with it
Booking and Preparing
When you book carpet moth control, tell us which rooms are affected, the type of carpet or rugs and whether there is damage on the stairs. You will be told how to prepare. Preparing for carpet moth treatment covers the usual steps. The time it takes to clear depends on how established the moths are. Get back in touch if you see live larvae or fresh damage afterwards.
Keeping Carpet Moths Away
In a big house the rooms nobody uses are the ones to put on a routine. Open the curtains, let light in and walk through them now and then; vacuum right to the skirting and under the sideboard and beds a few times a year. Heavy furniture that never moves is worth shifting slightly each time, so the pile beneath it is not left alone for years.
Move furniture occasionally so the carpet beneath is vacuumed. Lift and turn rugs. Have valuable rugs cleaned before storing them, and store them wrapped. Stopping carpet moths coming back has more detail. Fleas can also hide in rugs, especially in homes with pets: see flea control in Golders Green. For carpet moths across the rest of the borough, see Carpet Moth Control Barnet.
