It is devastating to find that your area rug has holes or chunks of missing fibers. Upon closer inspection you find that your rug has been home to moths.
Moth damage is one of the biggest concerns for Oriental rug owners. The smallest infestation of these tiny insects can spread rapidly causing extensive damage to your rug. It’s not the adult moths flying around that do the damage. The damage to oriental rugs is actually a result of the larvae that eat away at the wool when they are in the early stages.
One of the reasons why moth damage is usually so extensive is that it goes unnoticed for a long time. Most rug owners only start to suspect that they may be a problem when they happen to see a moth flying around in the house.
What should I look for?
– Missing wool, especially on the back of the carpet or under furniture.
– Black sand-like grit on the floor. Rice sized larval casings in the wool and where the wool has disappeared.
-Some casings may have small white larvae in them.
-The larvae eat the wool, leaving holes like the holes in your wool clothes.
The damage done can be drastic and cross contamination is a big worry. Adult moths flying around do not do the damage; it is the larvae in the early stages that eat away at the wool in a rug and just about anything else in their way. Adult moths do not eat the wool but the females do lay hundreds of eggs at a time, often in dark undisturbed areas. Rugs wich are not regularly moved or vacuumed or areas under furniture can be prime location for nesting. The eggs hatch into larvae which feast on hair, wool or silk fibres and just about anything else they can sink their teeth into. These larvae then create a cocoon before evolving into the small moths you may see flying around your home. Clothes moths are small, around 1cm in size and are generally a silvery or brown colour. They are slow moving but beat their wings rapidly to fly, often when you try to catch them they will fold their wings and drop to the floor. Moth larvae in a major infestation can cause devastating damage to a rug in a matter of weeks.
What should you do?
-First remove the infected rug from your residence.
– Check any other rugs and woolens for infestation.
– Be sure to check under furniture and the backside of carpets. Unlike their moth cousins, wool moths like quiet, dark, undisturbed places.
As with anything prevention is the best cure. The good news is that moth treatment for rugs do not usually occur when a rug is in use. Normally moth damage occurs when a rug is in storage as the months seek out undisturbed and dark areas. However, a rug which is placed under furniture is at higher risk as are large rugs which cannot be moved with ease. Rugs which are not regularly vacuumed or moved are at risk and you can always get unlucky. Prevent rugs from moth damage by vacuuming around once a week, occasionally vacuum the back of the rug as well as this is a prime location for moth eggs. If the rug is too large to vacuum the full reverse try to fold back the sides by a few feet and vacuum the reverse of the border areas. Rug hanging on walls should not be ignored, vacuuming if possible and handling these from time to time should discourage female moths from laying their eggs here.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a moth problem it’s best to act fast. Vacuuming throughly should help to kill off larvae and eggs but you will probably need to use some speciallist chemicals as a vacuum is unlikely to be able to reach deep-lying problems. Ensure to buy made-for purpose spray and spot test it first to make sure there is no damage to the wool or colour-run. Moth crystals, balls and flakes are not a solution! These options offer a minor repellent when it comes to rugs, a rug provides excellent shelter and they are likely to be able to avoid these altogether. They can also be toxic and damage your rug or at the least give it a bad smell.
The one treatment which is 100% safe and natural and guaranteed to kill off any moth infestation is to freeze the rug. The rug should be bagged with the air removed, sealed and placed in a freezer for around a week. It should then be left for several days to thaw out fully before opening in order not to damage the rug. Of course this does not solve the problem of the adult moths and the chance of a re-infestation. A pheromone moth trap can attract adult male moths but does not deal with the females. However, as moths only have a lifespan of 2 weeks to a moth in adult form it should be possible to break the cycle. No male moths means there can be no baby moths and the females will die out within a moth.