Carpet Moths in Kensington and Chelsea's Period Rooms
Formal rooms in Kensington's grand terraces
Many of Kensington's largest terraced houses still have a formal drawing room or dining room that sees occasional use, furnished with an original wool carpet or rug that's rarely moved and rarely vacuumed underneath. That combination of natural fibre and low disturbance is exactly what carpet moth larvae need, and damage can be well established along the skirting edges before anyone notices it under the furniture.
Chelsea townhouses with original rugs
Chelsea's townhouses carry a similar pattern in their upper floors, where guest bedrooms with older rugs go weeks without a visitor. Larvae avoid light and movement, so a rug that looks fine from a doorway can be thinning badly at the edges nearest the wall, where nobody ever checks.
Signs to Look For
- Irregular bare patches in wool carpets, rugs or upholstery, often under furniture
- Small cream larvae or silken tubes in carpet fibres or skirting edges
- Adult moths — small and golden-brown — seen low to the ground rather than near lights
- Damage concentrated in quiet, rarely disturbed rooms
Protecting Kensington and Chelsea's Period Carpets
Regular vacuuming under furniture and along skirting edges is the simplest way to catch a problem before it spreads across a room.
