People often ask us what causes carpet moths. They don’t seem to have a distinct origin, and not knowing can be frustrating. It makes them so much harder to prevent or treat when you have no real idea of where they are coming from.

It may come as a surprise that the moths that live in your carpets are the same moths that chew holes in your clothing. Clothes moths will do a lot of damage to your favourite cashmere sweaters, but they love to breed in your carpets and eat away at that as well.

Where Do Carpet Moths Come From?

Carpet moths often start life as the offspring of clothes moths that have nested in your carpets. They relish natural materials such as furs, silks and wool. So a wool carpet is a favourite nesting place.

However, carpet moths don’t just like it when you have natural material carpeting. The synthetic fibres that some carpets are made from also make a great place for moths to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae start to eat away at the carpet. This is because case bearing carpet moths like to eat the dirt, skin and hair that builds up in the pile.

There are usually parts of the carpet where dust and dirt settles the most. This could be in the corners, or even behind furniture. These hotspots are a veritable feast for a carpet moth. And because they are hiding in such out of the way places, by the time you’ve noticed damage to your carpets, it may be too late. By that time, you probably have the beginnings of an infestation.

Carpet moths love dark places where they won’t be disturbed. This means that, as part of your housekeeping regime, you should always move pieces of furniture and vacuum behind them regularly. London moth specialists Diamond Pest Control advise that you should pay attention to corners, and carpeting near warm spots, such as radiators and pipes. Rugs should also be taken up and shaken outside.

Carpet moths will also happily  infest leftover carpet and unused rugs in storage. Make sure any carpet and rugs you have put in your garage or attic are stored properly. Keep them sealed up to avoid a carpet moth infestation from originating in out of the way places.

How To Keep Moths Out Of Your Carpet

The key to stopping a carpet moth infestation is to prevent it from happening in the first place. You can minimise the occurrence of moths in your carpet by vacuuming regularly. This stops moths or eggs from becoming established in your carpet. It only takes around ten days for a moth egg to hatch. If you don’t vacuum regularly, you will give the moths enough time to complete their lifecycle. This leads to the infestation becoming much worse and in a very short space of time.

If you’ve spotted moths in your carpet, it’s important to call in the right moth pest control professionals to handle the problem. Not only will moths destroy your carpet, they can also infest your wardrobe and damage your clothing beyond repair. Any signs of carpet or clothes moths in your home or business should be dealt with quickly and efficiently by a qualified pest controller – before it gets to be an overwhelming problem.