Moths are family members of the insect family Lepidoptera. The same family as butterflies. However, it’s fair to say that not many people consider moths to be as pretty as their cousins. Butterflies are also less likely to invade your home. And if they do, you’re less likely to be worried or want to get rid of them quickly. You might even take a moment to admire their beautiful wings, before helping them escape. Something, we suspect that very few of you reading this would do if it were a house moth or clothes moth in your home. That is why we are here to talk about the problems of carpet moth damage.
Moths are irritating, that’s something we all know and understand about them. For example, house moths are the flying insects that flap around lightbulbs. Plus they land on you when you are least expecting it.
However, carpet moths are different. They are more than just annoying. The main reason most people can’t stand carpet moths has nothing to do with their irritating qualities. It’s down to the fact of the damage they cause.
Carpet moth damage, like that caused by clothes moths and food moths, can affect your home and belongings as well as your finances. In the following post, that’s what we are going to discuss.
What Causes Them?
Rather than it being the adults you need to worry about, it’s the larvae of the carpet moth who cause all the damage. They are attracted to natural fibres and materials like silk, wool and fur. They will also eat the keratin proteins present in hair and skin.
Adult moths don’t wreck carpets and clothes – it’s their young. Even if you only have synthetic carpets in your home, the larvae will, as noted, happily eat the dirt, debris and any hair and skin found trapped within the pile’s fibres.
What Carpet Moth Damage Can You Expect?
If you spot even just one moth flying around your home, there’s a good chance it has already caused some damage. Even if you can’t see it yet. Look carefully around your home and especially the room where adult moths tend to be present. There may well be a nest full of eggs hidden somewhere.
Common carpet moth damage inflicted on carpet and clothes includes:
Holes in Fabrics
This is the type of carpet moth damage you will come across most often. It might just be a couple of small-sized holes. But if you look hard enough, you will also find much larger holes too. Especially if the larvae have been allowed to dwell undetected for some time.
Sometimes, the damage caused even just by holes, is very extensive. The clothing or carpet moth damage can’t be repaired and needs to be replaced.
Destruction of Items
Their chewing can lead to the destruction of large amounts of clothing. This is particularly true if you have a large-scale infestation. Again, while some of your clothes may be salvageable, most of it could well be consigned to the rubbish once hungry larvae have filled their bellies.
Financial Cost
Carpet moth damage eventually leads, rather obviously, to financial damage. Think of all the money you might need to spend out on repairing and replacing damaged items around your home. From carpets, curtains and upholstery to clothes and linen, the bill can get exceptionally high.
The financial side of carpet moths and the damage they cause doesn’t stop there though. If you want to effectively get rid of carpet moths and avoid the same thing happening again, you may wish to hire a professional company. At the very least, you might entertain spending some money on carpet moth removal products and techniques. Either way it will cost you more money the worse the infestation gets.
Stop Future Damage by Carpet Moths
If you really are serious about getting rid of carpet and ensuring the don’t come back, we would recommend you hire a professional. It’s always best to seek professional advice for carpet moth problems. Typical DIY moth control strategies seldom work. Getting support from a professional moth control expert like Empire Pest Control will help you find the best way of treating moths in your residential or commercial premises.
Our team are qualified and very experienced. We are members of the BPCA, and also members of highly regarded professional bodies like NPTA, SAFECONTRACTOR and SAFE4SITE. We are also pleased to have such positive reviews on CheckATrade from many satisfied customers.
Trained pest control technicians, like our Empire pest team based in East London know precisely how to look for the tell-tale signs of infestation, no matter what type of pest you have.
If you are based in or around London and have any sort of pest infestation, contact us at any time of day or night. We are available to give you help and offer advice on 0203 633 2143 – 24 hours a day.
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