Wool Carpet Insects

A carpet moth infestation can be a costly problem as it can cause serious and often irreperable damage to carpets rugs and other soft furnishings in the home.

Wool carpet insects.

While all carpet beetles will eat anything they do have preferences the varied and furniture carpet beetles tend to focus on devouring natural fibres such as wool and leather. Clothes moths and carpet beetles the latter being more prevalent than moths in most areas of the country. Synthetic carpet is not attacked or damaged by carpet beetle grubs. Damage to woolens is actually done by the larvae of two types of insects.

These beetles typically produce four generations within a year. The larvae of the carpet beetle will eat wool carpet and wool rugs can eat lots of it and will permanently damage the carpet. Although carpet beetles don t pose any risk to humans beyond a potential allergic reaction the larvae do chew through fabric doing damage that s often mistaken for moths. As is so often the case it is the larva that does all the damage.

Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth. The beetles live outside but will come inside to lay their eggs on juicy looking carpet any time of the year. Carpet beetles like to live out of sight and feed on the natural fibers in fabrics even living off carpet fibers that are 90 percent synthetic. Both insects lay eggs in secluded spots with plenty of food wool fur down shed pet dander and other animal based materials.

The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few. They hatch more quickly in warmer weather. If possible inspect torn or low hanging fabrics. When a bug takes shelter inside a carpet it causes an infestation.

They tend to live inside fabric furniture or deep inside carpets so look for damage to area rugs around the edges and to carpets along base boards. Others such as fleas can lay 2 000 eggs weekly. Carpet moth larvae feed predominately on keratin found in natural fibres such as wool and so can live on any carpet with some wool content. The black carpet beetle has more refined tastes they tend to feast on dry foods such as cereal oats and dry pet food.

Bugs can carry diseases cause allergies and trigger asthma attacks. In general they. Bugs living in carpets cause skin irritations such as itching and breakouts. The eggs are laid on clothing furniture cracks in flooring and of course carpet.

The carpet moth is a common household textile pest. Female carpet beetles lay around 100 soft white eggs in concealed places that hatch in eight to fifteen days.