During these long winter evenings, you’ve probably experienced that ‘ding’ noise of a moth headbutting a light bulb during a moment of quiet. But did you know, moths aren’t always creatures of flight?
The carpet moth rarely flies and spends a lot of its time, hopping around on textiles, namely clothing and carpets. Its larvae love to feed off keratin, commonly found in natural fibres like wool, and thrive on any carpet with some wool content. A carpet moth infestation can be a destructive, costly problem. Sadly we have witnessed irreparable damage to carpets, rugs and home furnishings. If left untreated, they can go on to infest wardrobes and drawers, causing damage to clothing.
To spot a carpet moth, before their damage sets in, they are buff coloured, with three spots on their wings. They’re not always easy to spot in amongst carpet fibres as they are smaller than most common moths, measuring only 5mm long. During the winter months you’ll notice less activity as the larvae develop more slowly until the onset of warmer weather, when development accelerates and population numbers increase.
So now’s the time to start checking for their activity. The top 3 signs to look for are:
· threadbare areas of carpet
· larval cases dotted about around the edges of the room
· hopping movement of adult moths
So, go check that cashmere jumper you were given last year, the one that’s been too good to lounge around in during lockdown … you’d be gutted to find it moth eaten the next time you choose to wear it! And if you happen to find it ruined by moths, give us a call. We can’t replace the cashmere but we can eradicate these monster moths from your wardrobe. And if you’re about to replace existing carpets in your property, it’s worth considering a carpet moth treatment to protect your new investment.
Call iPest today for a free, initial consultation on 07943 725677