If you have noticed the first signs of a moth infestation in the carpet, you must act quickly. We show you how to spot moths in carpets, fight them and prevent them from coming back.
An infestation of moths in the house is something nobody wants. But if it does happen and your favorite carpet is infested with moths, action must be taken. Because the little pests will no longer pull away on their own. Luckily, there are some effective, natural ways you can get rid of moths in the carpet and save your favorite pieces. In this way you can in most cases avoid reaching for the chemical club or going to the exterminator.
Where do moths come from in the carpet?
Most often, moths get into the house via carpets and furniture that have been bought second-hand or second-hand clothes. Moths in carpets are mostly clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella), which not only prey on carpets - mainly made of real wool or silk - but also on clothing. However, it is not the small butterflies themselves that are problematic, but their larvae. They feed mainly on keratin, a protein found in animal and human hair, feathers and horn parts, for example. In nature, carpet moths find plenty of food in animal and bird nests. But since the nocturnal moths are attracted by light and find optimal living conditions in houses without predators and temperature fluctuations, the way from the bird's nest to the house is usually not far. Moths can also infest carpets in this way without the insects having been brought in.
Recognizing Moths in Carpet
At the latest when you see the first moths flying into your home, there is an urgent need for action to avoid worse damage. The moths can be recognized relatively easily by their tumbling flight, glossy and ciliated wings, and dark brown to yellowish coloration. Other indications of moth infestation on carpets arefollowing:
- Very small black globules on your carpet; this is probably carpet moth droppings.
- Carpet moth larvae found on carpets or in clothing; these are white-yellow and can be between 1 mm and 1 cm long depending on their age.
- The shells of the larvae, as the animals shed their skin several times before pupating.
- Thin patches or holes in the carpet.
Note: You will probably not find the moth eggs in the carpet as they are only 0.6 mm in size.
Pheromone traps such as our Plantura clothes moth traps are ideal for detecting a moth infestation as early as possible or for monitoring the number of moths in the event of an infestation. These moth traps are equipped with special sex attractants that attract male moths. Since the traps are also sticky, attracted males stick to the trap, so that a moth infestation can be detected early and monitored during control. As a rule, one trap per room is sufficient. It is best to place this in a dark, sheltered place, as this is the moth's preferred location during the day. For example, the rolled-up rug in the corner or the piece of rug under the closet are ideal habitats.
However, when using pheromone traps, it is important to remember that they are only used for detection and surveillance, not for combating serve moths in the carpet. Since only males are attracted by the pheromones, female moths can continue to lay up to 250 eggs in carpets, and the eggs themselves and the larvae of the moths in the carpet are not affected by pheromone traps.
Fighting Moths in the Carpet
Since the moths have usually already nested in the whole room when you discover the infestation of a carpet, simply removing the carpet often does not help. Instead, combating it on the spot is a good way to get the entire room moth-free.
If you store clothes or similar in this room and they are definitely not infested yet, the clothes can be packed in airtight boxes and be isolated for a few weeks. If clothes are also infested, see our article on moths in the closet for more tips on how to get rid of them.
Furthermore, moth-infested carpets should be vacuumed thoroughly on both sides. The dust bag is then packed airtight anddisposed of immediately.
If your carpet cannot be saved, you should also pack it airtight and dispose of it immediately. Unfortunately, there is a high probability that you will still have moths in your house, so further moth control is essential.
Tip: Continue to set moth traps during control to monitor moth numbers and determine when control can be considered successful.
Parasitic wasps are natural enemies of clothes moths, so they can be used to permanently and, above all, permanently eliminate moths from carpets. At first it may sound strange to bring more insects into the house to control insects. However, certain parasitic wasps have specialized in parasitizing moth eggs and thus killing them. Due to their specialization, parasitic wasps are harmless to humans and other animals and you need not worry about using them indoors.
Parasitic wasps are so small that literally only dust remains when they can no longer find any host eggs and themselves therefore no longer able to multiply. If you decide in favor of our Plantura parasitic wasps against clothes moths, you will receive a card with parasitic wasps six times at intervals of two weeks. This is necessary to cover the entire life cycle of moths in the carpet. With large carpets and a heavy infestation, it may be necessary to deploy several maps at once to get rid of all the moths in the carpet.
Moths don't tolerate extreme heat or extreme cold, so a hot wash for smaller rugs and a sauna treatment for larger rugs can help. Moth eggs in particular are better at dealing with extreme cold, which is why carpets should be stored in the freezer for at least four weeks for cold treatment.
Tip: Cracks, for example behind skirting boards, can be heated several times with a hair dryer to kill any eggs that may be present.
If none of the above measures work, there are still exterminators or chemical agents to kill the moths in the carpet. However, the active ingredients in these often form pyrethroids, which are also toxic to our nervous system. Natural active ingredients such as pyrethrins from chrysanthemums usually lose their effect more quickly or they have been made more effective by additives, but also unhe althier. onIn any case, you should air infested carpets for a few days after chemical treatment so that the substances, which are often poisonous or irritating to people and animals, can evaporate.
Prevent Carpet Moths
There are a few simple things you can do to deter moths from choosing your carpet as a new home. This includes regular vacuuming and checking areas moths prefer - especially dark corners under furniture. Cracks between wall and floor or behind skirting boards should be sealed with silicone. Fly screens on the windows prevent moths from entering the house and moth traps, which are replaced every three months, allow you to identify an infestation at an early stage and take appropriate control measures before moths become a nuisance. When buying carpets, also look for the wool seal, which confirms that carpets have been pre-treated with insecticides to prevent infestation.
Rolled up carpets in the corner provide ideal living conditions for moths. Since the little pests can quickly spread throughout the house from there, these pieces should be given special attention. Clothes moths don't like the smell of lavender or cedar wood - so soap or scented sachets, for example, can effectively prevent the small moths from settling in your carpet. However, there may be some habituation effects when using this method, which is why this method does not cause a permanent, long-term deterrent.
Prevention of carpet moths at a glance:
- Vacuum regularly and check dark corners
- Seal cracks with silicone
- Attach fly screens
- Set up moth traps for control
- Buy pre-treated carpets that prevent infestation
- Distribute soaps or scented sachets with lavender and cedarwood
If moths have spread beyond just your carpets, check out our articles on moths in the car and moths in the closet for more helpful tips on dealing with those places.