One of the biggest issues for rug owners is the wool moth. Most people who own rugs have dealt with moths, either on their own rugs or those belonging to family members. The rug industry is constantly working to find the best ways to fight against moths. As experienced experts say, to defeat your enemy, you must first study it. Appearance & Life Cycle: Wool moths (also called clothing or rug moths) are very small ivory-colored worms that turn into small golden flies later in their life.

The moth goes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, & adult. Egg: The egg can hatch within a month or longer, depending on whether the environment is suitable for the egg to develop. Moths lay their eggs in undisturbed areas, inserting them deep into the fiber so they cannot be easily removed. The eggs are very tiny, white and usually clustered together. Note that the tiny black specks that look like eggs are actually waste left behind by the moth, not the actual eggs.

Larva: In the larva stage, the worm is about half an inch long, cream-colored, with a body divided into nine segments. The three segments after the head have tiny arms attached & the next four have tiny legs. Moths have a transparent body structure, so the color inside their body reflects the color of the fiber they have eaten. At this point the moth’s function is to eat and get enough nutrients to make its cocoon casing and begin the transition into a fly.

These little worms can feed for as little as three weeks or up to several months. When they are ready they spin a full web casing and seal it off. They actually begin making their cocoon early in the larva stage & drag it along with them as they feed until they are ready to seal it. Pupa: This transition stage lasts from eight to twenty-five days, depending on the temperature. In warmer environments, this process is completed faster.

Adult Moth: The adult moth is a very tiny golden-colored fly. You can still see the rings under the wings, but the upper rings now have six legs with smaller attachments for gripping. The fly also has two long antennae. The adult moth is a fly that migrates from location to location as it lays eggs. On its first day as an adult, it can lay anywhere from 40 to 200 eggs.

Adult moths can live about two to four weeks. During this time, they do not feed on anything and simply focus on laying thousands of eggs. The adult female moth dies after it is done laying eggs. Habits: While moths are known for eating wool, they can also eat other fibers such as silk, fur, feathers felt, and leather. Simply put, they eat hair that has protein, usually not plant-based or synthetic fibers.

They might go undetected for months or even years as they work very slowly. Moths thrive in dark & undisturbed areas as they avoid direct light. They tend to live in garages, basements, under couches, or even under furniture legs. The presence of moths is much more likely in humid and moist areas.

Moths usually don’t feed on clean wool alone. They gain nutrients from fibers filled with soil food stains cooking oil, salt, body oil, and sweat. All these items add nutrients to fibers, which then become the feeding ground for moths. While they can only digest animal fibers, other fibers such as cotton and rayon can be damaged by moths as they cut through them to get to the mixed wool blend or the food particles and oil absorbed by the fibers.

Detection: Detecting moths is not impossible.

You just have to pay close attention & train your eyes. If you notice areas in your rug where wool is missing or coming off when scrubbing, that could be a sign of moths feeding on the rug. You can also see their webbing or tiny eggs stuck together, usually on the back of the rugs, although they sometimes lay them on the face of the rug, usually deeper inside the pile. If you also see tiny golden flies around your closet basement, and living room, you should definitely check your rugs for moths. This is different from seeing pantry moths around your kitchen.

Prevention:

While there is no way to prevent moths from entering your home, you can easily prevent damage by creating an unwelcome environment for them. Regular vacuuming of the general area around the rug once a week to two weeks, and under couches, beds, and other inaccessible areas about once a month, is highly recommended. Professional cleaning of your rugs about once every year to two years & other wool products removes their food source and doesn’t give them the opportunity to complete their life cycle. Even unused rugs should be professionally cleaned with specific attention paid to signs of moth infestation.

After cleaning, they should be wrapped with acid-free or breathable paper, which allows for air circulation to prevent moths. Moths can be a nuisance and cause damage to fabrics like rugs & clothes. To prevent moth infestations, it’s important to take some precautions. First, using rubber rug pads with a net-like structure can help. These pads elevate the rug slightly allowing air circulation underneath & creating an environment that moths find less appealing. Without a pad moth eggs can stick to the back of the rug & the floor and moisture can build up, which moths prefer.

Another preventative measure is to apply moth repellents, especially on fabrics that are in frequent use. These repellents like Magnesium hexafluorosilicate, are not pesticides but rather change the taste of the fabric, making it unappealing as a food source for moths. Finally before sealing a package containing fabrics, placing a few mothballs inside can help kill any remaining live moths, as the vapor released by mothballs is lethal to them. By taking these simple steps, you can help protect your fabrics and prevent moth infestations in your home.

For a free no-oblgation quote for on location organic oriental rug cleaning or organic moth treatment and prevention, anywhere in Princeton, Yardley and surrounfing areas   contact AllstateCleaning.Com now or ring 609-586-5833 today.