Insects like places that are dark, where they won’t be disturbed, what could be more perfect than under a rug?  Insects like the Clothes Moth and Carpet Beetle can quickly and quietly cause holes and threadbaren areas, this permenant damage ruins your rug.  

The female adult moth lays an average of 40-50 eggs during a 2 to 3 week period and then die once they complete the egg laying process.  Male moths outlive females and continue to mate during the remainder of their lives.  Next the eggs hatch and the larval period begins which can last 35 days to 2.5 years.  The larval stage is where rug damage occurs because the worm like larvae eats anything that contains protein like wool, silk, animal hair, fur, feathers, leather.  These materials contain keratin, a fibrous protein they can digest.   After hatching the larvae spins a fragile silk webbing or cocoon.  The larvae then turn into flying adult moths and the cycle continues to repeat.

How to Identify Clothes Moth Damage on Rugs

• Moth casings which look like lint or small cocoons on the back side of the rug.
• Divets, holes, bare or bald spots.  This is because the moth ate the wool pile (a protein fiber), but not the cotton foundation (a cellulose fiber), leaving you with bare white spots.
• Flying moths – small, 3/8″ long or less, and is usually silvery tan or soft brown in color.
• Cocoons — 1/8″ diameter x 1/2″ long slightly fuzzy cylinders
• Larvae in the pile — slender, white, worm-like moth larvae about 3/8″ long can sometimes be seen just after hatching, before they’ve constructed cocoons.

Other Insects that Damage Rugs and Textiles

• Carpet Beetles are small oval shaped dark brown or brown-black insects whose larvae feed on natural fibers like wool, silk and cotton.  They damage rugs in a similar way to moth’s by chewing holes and leaving behind shed skins.  Strategies to prevent or treat moth damage will be effective against carpet beetles as well.
• Silverfish and Firebrats are slender silvery insects that are attracted to moisture and starch.  They feed on carbohydrates found in textiles with natural fibers, as well as the glue or paste in rugs and backing materials.  Over time, they can cause fraying or irregular wear in your rugs.  
• Termites primarily feed on cellulose, making them a threat to rugs with natural plant based fibers like jute or cotton.  They can weaken the foundation of a rug by consuming the structural fibers, leaving it fragile and prone to further damage. 
• Fleas themselves do not eat rugs, but they can hide in rug fibers and lay eggs.  Their presence often indicates nearby hosts, such as pets. 
• Dust Mites feed on skin flakes and thrive in humid environments. They are microscopic, eight-legged creatures that are invisible to the naked eye.  While they don’t chew on rug fibers, dust mite feces can trigger alleriges.  A dust mite will produce 200 times its own body weight in feces during its short lifetime! 

How to Treat Moth & Insect Damage on Rugs

Depending on the severity, rugs with active infestations can be treated by:

• Contacting a Pest Control professional – They can provide options and a plan to kill the bugs and destoy the eggs.  In the Fort Wayne, IN area contact Jackson Pest Control
• Heating for at least 30 minutes at temperatures higher than 120°F’
• Freezing for several days at temperatures lower than 18°F
• Spray with an insecticide.  Find a product that lists clothes moths on its label, and follow the directions exactly. Insecticides for clothes moths usually contain pyrethrins, which provide quick knockdown of clothes moths and don’t leave persistent toxic residues.
• Clean rugs to remove dead insects.  

How to Prevent Moth and Insect Rug Damage

• Vacuum – Thoroughly vacuum the front and back side of your rug regularly.  Also vacuum the rug pad and floor below.
• Clean up spills promptly – Other bugs not known for eating wool, will still eat sythentic or natural fibers if there is something spilled on the fibers that they find appetizing such as food or beverage stains, blood, urine, perspiration or other sources of nutritional protein.  The fiber is just the holder of the “meal” for them, and gets eaten away in the process. This is why it is always very important to clean up spills quickly.  Find a helpful spot removal guide here.
• Clean Your Rugs – Insects are more attracted to dirty rugs than clean rugs.  In addition to eating the natural fibers mentioned above they also like to eat dead insects, pet urine, food crumbs, lint, and soiled fibers.  Regular rug cleaning will remove the nutritional contaminants that can attract and support insects.  The eggs of moths and insects are microscopic, but can be removed with a thorough full immersion washing, Distinctive can professionaly clean your rugs.
• Apply Moth Repellent –  To prevent moth and insect damage, we can apply a repellent after cleaning.  The repellent changes the taste so it is bitter and less appetizing.  While there is no guarantee that moths will never return, cleaning and applying a repellent is the best way to prevent damage.  Contact Distinctive to have moth repellent applied to your rug for $1 per square foot.
• Properly Store Rugs – Bugs like dark, undistrubed places.  Rugs under furniture or rolled up in the basement, garage or storage unit are easy targets for moths and insects because they like dark, undistrubed places.  It is especially important to apply a moth repellent before storing a rug, Learn more tips about properly storing rugs here or store your rugs at Distinctive Rug Cleaning.
• Proper Humidity Level – Many insects thrive in humid environments so keep your home or rug storage area below 60 percent relative humidity — ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent.  If needed a dehumidifier can help achieve this level. 
• Traps Provide Detection – Easy to use pheromone traps are available to trap both the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. Pheromones are chemicals an organism produces—in this case a sex attractant—to affect the behavior of other members of the same species. The sex pheromone specifically attracts male clothes moths into the trap where they get stuck on the sticky sides alerting you to their presence.   
• Keep Insects Outside – Keeping screens in open windows or doors, closing chminey damper when not in use, sealing or insulating to close up cracks or gaps in the structure and attic access to living space can help keep insects outside your home.  Check that insects aren’t hitching a free ride inside by making sure anything entering your home is clean such as pets, plants or furniture.  

Learn more about Clothes Moth https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7435.html 

Learn more about Carpet Beetle https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html