Why You Should Be Wary of Moths & Rug Damage in Sedona AZ
You may think that moths aren’t something you need to be worried about – how much damage can one little moth do anyway? But it isn’t about what that one little moth you saw flying around your home once can do. It’s about what their offspring can do, especially when it comes to your fine Oriental or Persian rugs that are made from wool or silk fibers. The photo I have posted her is just ONE SECTION of a rug that has suffered sooooo much damage that repair no longer was a cost effective option.
The damage that can be done by those little pests is unbelievable when compared to their tiny size. And not all moths eat wool and silk, there are specific types of moths that eat wool and silk fibers.The moths that you really need to worry about aren’t the ones attracted to bright lights. When it comes to your rugs, you need to worry about the moths that prefer dark, quiet and undisturbed areas. These are better known as “clothes moths” because they love all of the protein fibers that are in your home – especially wool and silk rug fibers. Your synthetic area rugs are also subject to moth infestation if they have protein spots from urine, fecal, or vomit staining, food and drink spills, blood, and yes, even perspiration.
Out of all the varieties of moths, Casemaking Moths and the Webbing Moth are the two you should be concerned with. Adult moths are about ½” long, but as I said before, the ones flying around the bright lights of your home aren’t the ones eating your wool and silk fibers. These adult moths instead find a dark and quiet spot that will provide plenty of protein to keep their larvae alive and well. One moth can lay as many as 150 eggs, which will then hatch into larvae that have an insatiable appetite for the proteins mentioned above.
Left undetected, an infestation can last from 2 to 3 months and result in damage that can measure up to a hole of 5 to 6 inches. Rugs that have wool foundation and face fibers will result in the larvae chewing a hole straight through the rug. If your rug has a cotton foundation but wool face fibers, the larvae will chew around the cotton fibers and leave that intact while eating away the wool (they’re pretty picky eaters).
Moth larvae often hide at the base of a rug because there it is dark and they can go undetected while they eat at the knot level. Looking at the top side, you may not even realize any damage has occurred or that there is an infestation at all. Once the damage is done, however, the fibers are no longer attached to the rug itself and will be released when you wash or vacuum your rug, revealing the damage to its fullest extent and leaving bald spots on your rug.
Moth prevention is ALWAYS a better solution than trying to restore a moth damaged rug, which can get expensive fast. Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care in Prescott AZ offers a moth treatment to be applied on clean rugs after they have been washed and protein spots like food and urine removed. This treatment is more effective than old-fashioned cedar blocks and not poisonous like moth balls have been found to be. A new technology has been developed to create this treatment that is odorless and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. This treatment does not kill the moth larvae (you’ll have to contact your local pest exterminator for that), but it does alter the taste of the fibers so that it tastes disgusting to moths and they will go seek an alternative place to lay their eggs.
Remember – wool and silk are like an all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet to moths. Especially in dark and quiet places of your home. Arizona Oriental strongly advises our clients to NEVER store area rugs that have not been first cleaned and protected and then wrapped for long-term storage. Simply throwing your rugs on a shelf in a storage room, closet, garage, or under the bed can be disastrous!
Also make sure you frequently check the places you may not think of as obvious. Check on the rugs that are in rooms that don’t get as much traffic, as well as the corners that have been tucked under a sofa or other piece of furniture and thus don’t get walked on or vacuumed. Stay on your toes and be proactive when it comes to searching for an active infestation – ESPECIALLY IN SPRING AND FALL. Think like a moth – where in your house is dark and quiet? These are the places you need to check most often!
Whether you’re looking to prevent future moth damage or have found that an infestation and damage has already occurred in your area rugs, Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care in Prescott AZ is here to serve you! We offer free estimates for cleaning and also offer expert repairs on all types of rugs.
Till next time, enjoy your beautiful art for your floor and remember a clean rug is a rug that can last you a lifetime!
Arizona Oriental & Specialty Rug Care serves Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and much of the Northern Arizona areas. We meet the highest standards in professional cleaning of area rugs with rug wash specialists having earned the highest training which includes certification as WOOLSAFE FIBRE CARE SPECIALISTS through the WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION. Such extraordinary certification ensures the area rugs of our client’s receive the utmost in care.
Call us for additional information on moth damage and preventing moth damage in area rugs and quotes at 928-445-1718, visit our website at www.ArizonaOriental.com, or stop by Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at our rug washing facility at 565 EZ Street, Prescott, AZ 86301 (pick-up and delivery also available).
