6 Signs of Moths in Your Carpet

You’re probably already familiar with clothing moths, especially if you keep cherished cashmere sweaters in your wardrobe. But these moths can also destroy your carpets and other household upholstery as they spread. The best way to prevent an infestation is to catch the problem early, so watch closely for these six common signs of moths in your carpets.

Signs of Moths in Carpet

Carpet moths and their larvae can go undetected for several months, if not years, before you have a bigger infestation at hand. Look out for these signs of moths in your carpet to fix the problem as early as possible.

1. Bare Patches

One of the biggest signs of moths in your carpets is bare patches around the carpet or rug. The moth larvae will eat away at the carpet for weeks or months. This can leave behind lines or full patches of carpet that are completely threadbare.

2. Moth Feces

Moths may leave behind their droppings, another telltale sign of moths in your carpets. These droppings will look like small, dark spots around the carpet, especially along edges or in crevices.

3. Visible Larvae

You may need to break out the microscope to look for moth larvae in your carpets. Moth larvae look like small white or cream-colored worms and are as small as 1 millimeter or up to 1.5 centimeters.

4. Visible Moths

You might also see the moths themselves, either running along the carpets or flying, particularly in dark areas. Carpet moths have shiny brown bodies that are 6 or 7 millimeters long and light brown wings that span 1 to 2 centimeters.

5. Fabric Holes

Carpet moths are the same thing as clothing moths (but are different from pantry moths), and they’ll feed on many different types of fabrics. These moths prefer natural fibers containing the protein keratin, so you may notice damage to your vintage wool rug, your favorite cashmere sweater, or your luxe silk drapes. (Unfortunately, these pests have a taste for the finer things over synthetic fabrics, but they’ll eat those, too.)

6. Webbing

Carpet moth larvae may leave behind a silky, web-like substance over your carpets or other fabrics. The larvae spin these strands along the fabric or around themselves to help with movement.

How to Know You Need to Hire a Pro for Moth Control

If you notice any signs of moths in your carpets, no matter how small, you should call in a local pest control pro. Here’s why: Carpet moth females can lay an average of 200 to 300 eggs per day, and some can lay in the range of 400 to 500 per day. It takes only about a week for the eggs to hatch. A small infestation can quickly become severe, and more larvae means far more damage to your carpets, upholstery, and clothing.

Can I DIY Moth Control?

To get rid of moths in your carpet, you can use some DIY tactics like thoroughly cleaning the carpet and other affected fabrics or using commercial moth control products. But again, with how quickly moths can spread, you’ll want to consider pro extermination to quickly control moths before more eggs hatch.

How to Prevent Carpet Moths

There are many things you can do to prevent carpet and clothing moths, including:

• Frequent vacuuming: Vacuum rugs, carpet, and upholstered furniture often, at least once per week. Vacuum the top and bottom of rugs.

• Clean new clothes:  Always wash and dry or dry clean clothes after buying, whether new or secondhand. Also, regularly clean clothes and other fabrics to wash away any eggs or larvae.

Add natural repellents: Some scents, like cedar, mint, cloves, and rosemary, can deter moths. Use homemade sachets, essential oils, or cedar planks near clothes to dissuade moths from stopping by.

How Much Does Moth Extermination Cost?

Moth extermination costs $200 to $370 on average, and pros may use chemical treatments, heat treatments, or fumigation to effectively get rid of the moths. However, after moth extermination, be sure to follow the exterminator’s prevention advice to keep moths from coming back.