Carpet moths can be an annoying problem in any home or business. Carpet moths can cause significant damage to carpets, rugs, and other furniture. The larvae feed on the natural fabrics of these items, damaging them in the process. Woollen carpets and rugs are expensive, so having an insect invade your home and turn your expensive flooring into a snack can be heartbreaking to property owners. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what causes carpet moths and how to get rid of them quickly and effectively.
What is a Carpet Moth?
If your carpet is being attacked by moths here in the UK, it will probably be Common Clothes Moths (also called Webbing Clothes Moths) or Case Bearing Moths that are doing the damage. Both types of moths feed on the same stuff – keratin, and they don’t discriminate between clothes and carpets. All keratin-rich fabric is equally delicious and nutritious to them.
Case-bearing clothes moths and webbing clothes moths are attracted to natural carpeting, rugs, and other keratin-rich materials. Commonly in the UK, these moths tend to be called ‘carpet moths’ whenever they attack someone’s carpets, but when they attack clothing, then these same moths tend to be labelled as ‘clothes moths.’
The other interesting thing is that the moths you see fluttering around the house don’t actually eat your carpets. It’s in fact their larvae that do all the eating. Yep, that’s right, it’s the caterpillars that do the damage rather than the winged adult moths! However the adult females are the ones that lay the eggs so you still need to get rid of them from your property if you want your carpets to survive.
What causes UK carpet moths
Carpet moth caterpillars and eggs normally come into contact with your carpets with the help of humans or pets. Out in nature, the little creatures are happily munching on animal hair or bird feathers. What tends to happen is, people or pets unwittingly step on them and traipse them indoors as eggs or larvae, where they then discover your delicious carpets and winter woollens. They can enter your building on second-hand furniture, too – so always clean items thoroughly before bringing them into your premises.
How to identify carpet moths
Both types of clothes-eating moths have a four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. It’s worth understanding each of these stages so you can easily identify if you have carpet moths on your premises. Both the common clothes moth and case-bearing clothes moth look very alike as they are part of the same moth family.
Eggs
UK carpet moth eggs are 0.5mm in length, making them very difficult to see with the naked eye. The egg stage of the lifecycle lasts only 4-10 days before they hatch into carpet-devouring larvae.
Larvae
It’s the larvae that do the damage to carpets. They are usually creamy white worm-like creatures with a darker heads, but their colour can change depending on the colour of the carpet they are eating. Larvae are typically only a few millimetres long when they hatch, but they grow to 1-1.5cm in length before they move to the pupa stage of the life cycle.
The larvae stage of the carpet moth lifecycle normally lasts between 2 – 30 months. The length of the larvae stage depends on how abundant food and moisture is in the area.
During the larvae stage, the carpet moth enjoys damp carpets or carpets that have a source of moisture, such as spillages or leaks. This is because they hydrate themselves by consuming moist material.
If you are searching for carpet moth larvae in your home or office, look in the low-traffic, carpeted parts of the floor, like under furniture, desks, or near walls. They like to live in peace, so they will reside where they won’t be disturbed.
Pupa
The pupa stage lasts only 8 – 10 days. During this stage, the larvae spin a cocoon from the silky thread it creates. Inside the cocoon, it will metamorphose into the adult winged moth.
The pupa stage leaves behind very visible evidence of their existence. You might find the white cocoon casings left behind from the pupa stage. If you see these, it’s a red flag indicating you have a carpet moth problem that needs to be addressed.
Adult Carpet Moths
The wingspan is about 1.4cm – 1.8cm. The adult doesn’t eat fabrics, but it does something even worse. It lays 40 – 50 eggs every 4 – 7 days. This means that in under a month, just 2 carpet moths (male and female) could result in an army of over 200 carpet moth larva.
How to get rid of carpet moths
1. Vacuum Regularly: Vacuuming regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of carpet moths. Vacuuming with strong suction removes eggs and larvae. Make sure to vacuum around baseboards, under furniture, and in any other hard-to-reach areas, including under all furniture.
2. Use Insecticide sprays: You can also use insecticides to kill carpet moth larvae. If you choose to use this method, make sure to follow directions carefully and wear protective clothing. Regardless of whether your problem is being caused by carpet moths or clothes moths eating your carpet, moth sprays will kill both species. Always be sure to keep animals and children away from treated areas.
3. Use Glue strips and traps: There are a variety of traps available that attract moths using pheromones, and result in them becoming stuck in glue. Just have a look on Amazon.
4. Clean Up Clutter: Moths like to lay their eggs in inconspicuous places on your carpet. Cleaning up clutter on the floor makes it easier for you to see your carpets, so there are less inconspicuous places for them to live. If a moth problem starts to materialise, you’ll be able to spot it and treat it straight away.
5. Store Off-Season Clothing Away: Off-season clothing, that is made of natural fibres, should be stored properly to prevent moths from getting into them. Make sure to store clothing in containers that are airtight and dry such as vacuum clothing bags.
6. Call Merlin: If you run a textile business or any other business, where moth infestations present a risk to trade, then don’t take any chances with DIY solutions. Call Merlin to come in and make sure your moth problem is fully eliminated using best-in-class commercial moth treatment.
