Oriental Rugs and Moth Damage in SW Florida

Hand-woven carpets made from natural fibers such as wool or silk provide a tasty snack for moths, and a cherished Oriental or Persian rug can be destroyed in a matter of weeks once moths make a feast of it. 

Weekly, we receive area rugs from clients around the United States with moth intrusion.  The damage in some of the rugs can be repaired while others are a lost cause.  Wool and silk contain keratin, a fibrous protein that the worm-like larvae of the moth can digest.

Moths, especially the Casemaking and Webbing clothes moth, are the worst enemies of any fine rug, especially older and antique rugs.

How Did Moths Make Their Way into My Home?

You might think that your house is moth-free and your rugs are safe and sound, but pests are always looking for ways to enter your home. Using an efficient pest control like Prime Pest Control Toronto can help get rid of them to a large extent. Moths can enter your home easily and be undetected. Mail, pets, open doors, and moving luggage items in and out of hotels and storage are just a few of the ways these insects can invade your home. To them, your home is a paradise. It provides shelter from predators, an excellent source of food, and many nesting spots. With the help of pest control ft wayne one can get rid of the unwanted pests.

Once moths enter your home, they can lay anywhere from 30 to 200 eggs per month. Those eggs will eventually grow up to become adults, and they will also lay 30 to 200 more eggs every month. A moth problem can quickly become a moth disaster for your rugs. Moths love wool rugs. Moths eat wool because the fibers offer nutrition and a comfortable place to lay eggs.

How to Discover Moths in Your Home

One of the easiest methods to indicate whether your home has moths is by using a trap. Make sure the trap you are using is for cloth moths and not another type of moth.  These traps contain a sticky layer with a pheromone additive that will attract male moths, thereby trapping them, rendering them unable to reproduce.  Traps are an effective way to indicate moths’ presence; however, they are not effective in getting rid of them.

How to Prevent Moths If Your Home is Moth Free

If your home is moth-free, it is crucial to make sure that your home stays that way. The best way to prevent infestations is to monitor regularly. Moths can enter your home with no warning. A package delivery, a suitcase from a recent trip, or a piece of mail could be carrying eggs.  Moths reproduce rapidly, and even though they’re not in your home today, it doesn’t mean they won’t be tomorrow.  Moth traps are inexpensive, and if you own wool or silk area rugs, it may prove helpful to hide a trap near the rug year-round.

How To Help Reduce The Effects of Moths and Their Potential Damage

You should, every week, vacuum your rugs – and not just the visible areas. Eggs hide in dark, damp, and quiet spaces with little to no air circulation. This means that areas under your furniture, bed, and even the underside of your rug are all perfect spots for eggs to grow. Be proactive and clean these areas regularly.

You should also rotate your rug 180 degrees at least twice a year. On top of preventing moth growth, rotating your rug will also help distribute the amount of traffic your rug receives due to traffic.

Remember, proper rug protection is one of your responsibilities as a rug owner. When you put in the time to keep your rug in good shape now, you are saving yourself from headaches and a financial loss in the future.

How to Remove Moths If Your Home Has Them

If you have moths in your home, you should act immediately. They can easily do thousands of dollars of damage to your rug. A $10,000 rug can quickly receive $5,000 worth of loss.

First, use a broom and sweep the front and back of your area rugs and then vacuum thoroughly. The broom’s sweeping action will introduce agitation and help dislodge egg casings and larva.  You should then vacuum both the front and back of all of your rugs. Make sure you vacuum areas underneath furniture and behind your curtains as well. Take your area rugs and place them in an area where they can receive direct sunlight. The ultraviolet rays will work quickly to kill any eggs that are still hiding in your rug. Do not forget- the backside of your rug needs to be placed in direct sunlight as well.

Your next step will be to have your area rugs professionally sanitized, washed, and a souring agent applied by Oriental Rug Salon to help prevent moth infestation in the future.  At Oriental Rug Salon, we can determine the amount of damage done to your rug and what steps should be taken next. Small damaged areas of your rug can often be rewoven at a cost that would be far lower than replacement. Large areas can be shaved and sheared to minimize how apparent the damage to your rug is.

In severe situations, your rug may require a large amount of reweaving. Reweaving is generally a more expensive repair option, and the cost can be very high when reweaving is needed for a larger area. In these situations, if the price of reweaving is cost-prohibitive, we may be able to salvage parts of your area rug and create pillows or upholstery material for footstools, chairs, etc.

More Questions?

If you have any further questions on moths and how they can affect your rugs, please feel free to call Oriental Rug Salon anytime at 239-424-8171 or visit us during our store hours; our rug experts would love to help you.

Oriental Rug Salon is a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and an International WoolSafe Approved Service Provider.  Our cleaning efforts are performed by hand, and our cleaning solutions are GOLD-certified, allergen-free, and safe for infants and pets.

For more information about Oriental Rug Salon, please visit us online at www.OrientalRugSalon.com or give us a call at 239-424-8171.

You can also visit us on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/OrientalRugSalon