How To Handle Moth Damage
Discovering moth damage can be a distressing experience. However, there are effective ways to handle this issue.
Clothes moths are the type you should worry about when it comes to carpet. Their Larvae will eat through any textile that contain animal based fibres.
Clothes Moths Larvae eat natural fabrics like wool and silk. In the larval stage of their lives, they feed on just about anything containing keratin, which is a protein found in animal fibres.
The most common clothes moth leaves a sticky web-like substance behind.
So how can you tell if you have a problem with moths? Can you repair the damage moth cause to carpets? The first thing to do is to identify the problem. Then try and find the origin of the infestation. You have to try and eliminate the source of infestation to stop further damage. Then start taking action to repair the damage. These type of moths love dark places. Especially back of your Persian carpet or where the carpet is covered with furniture. They are often in selvedge or under the leather strips that are sometimes sewn to the edges of the carpet.
Finding Moth Damage in Carpet: What To Look For
What does moth damage look like? It really depends on the extent of damage. In most cases it looks like small areas of missing knots. If you notice these start checking for other signs of moths. These signs are:
Dead (or living) Larvae
Moth casing or cocoons
Sticky white web-like substances on the pile or more commonly back of the carpet.
Dead (or alive) adult moths
Identifying Moths
They are usually golden/buff, tan or brown colour. In many cases, they have heads that are darker than their bodies or wings. They are less that a centimetre long as adults.
Can You Fix The Damage
In most cases, carpets can be restored from moth damage, unless the damage is extensive, making it commercially not viable.
Common Moth Damage Repair Solutions
The first thing to do is make sure that there are no larvae left in the carpet and all loose piles are removed using a very hard brush. Then it has to be washed professionally to make sure that it is thoroughly clean. After cleaning and drying a moth proofing course has to be applied. This does not usually last more than a year and for at least three years it has to be repeated annually. Moth traps are a very good means of prevention.
After cleaning any damage can be repaired to stop further deterioration of the rug.
At Sharafi & Co, we have extensive experience in dealing with these situations, providing you with the confidence that your carpets are in good hands.
