How do you get rid of carpet moths?

Carpet moths are clothes moths

There is no separate species called the carpet moth. The moths people find in their carpets are the same clothes moths that get into wardrobes, mainly the common (webbing) clothes moth and the case-bearing clothes moth. They simply live where the food is, and a wool carpet or rug is a lot of food in one place.

That matters for two reasons. First, if you have them in the carpet, check your wardrobes and drawers too, because the same larvae will happily eat a wool jumper. Second, the advice for clothes moths applies here as well. So yes, carpet moths do eat clothes.

The adults are small, around 5 to 8 mm long. The common clothes moth is a plain pale gold with no markings. The case-bearing clothes moth is greyish brown with one to three dark spots. Adults do not feed at all. All the damage comes from the larvae, which eat keratin, the protein in wool, fur, feathers and silk.

What causes carpet moths?

Carpet moths turn up where there is wool or other animal fibre that nobody disturbs. A few things make that more likely:

• Wool and wool-blend carpets and rugs. Butterfly Conservation notes the larvae do not eat cotton or man-made fibres, so a fully synthetic carpet is far less at risk, though dirt and hair trapped in it can still feed them.
• Places the vacuum never reaches. Under beds, sofas and heavy cabinets, and along skirting boards.
• Dirt, hair and spills. English Heritage and Lambeth Council both say soiled fibres are more attractive than clean ones.
• Old bird nests. The BPCA advises checking lofts and chimneys for old nests, which can be a hidden source of moths.

A warm, centrally heated home also speeds things up. English Heritage says unheated buildings tend to have one generation of clothes moths a year, heated ones about two, and very warm ones about three.

Signs of carpet moths

Look closely at the edges of the room and the patches under furniture. English Heritage and Lambeth list the same tell-tale signs:

• Bare or thinning patches where the pile has been eaten down to the backing.
• Fine silk webbing or tunnels in the base of the pile.
• Gritty droppings, called frass, in and around the damage.
• Small, empty silk cases left behind by case-bearing moth larvae.
• Small, pale larvae when you lift a rug or move a chest of drawers.
• Small, weak-flying moths that scuttle away from light rather than flying to it.

For a fuller checklist, see our post on the signs of clothes moths.

How to get rid of carpet moths yourself

These steps come from the BPCA, English Heritage and council advice. None of them needs special kit, but they do need to be done thoroughly and repeated.

1. Vacuum hard, especially where you normally skip

Move furniture away from the walls and vacuum the whole carpet, paying most attention to the edges, corners and the area under beds and sofas. The BPCA also suggests vacuuming inside cupboards and the cracks behind radiators. Turn rugs over and do the back too.

2. Seal and bin what you collect

The vacuum bag or canister now holds eggs and larvae. English Heritage advises sealing the contents in a bag and putting it in the bin outside straight away, so nothing crawls back out.

3. Freeze small rugs and textiles

If a rug fits in your freezer, bag it, seal it and freeze it at -18°C for at least two weeks. Leave it sealed for 24 hours after you take it out, as English Heritage and the BPCA advise. Washable items can go through a hot wash instead; Lambeth and Hammersmith and Fulham councils say more than 60°C for 20 to 30 minutes, but only if the label allows it.

4. Use pheromone traps to watch, not to cure

Pheromone traps attract only adult males. English Heritage is clear that they are good for spotting and locating a problem but “will not control an infestation”. Put a couple in the affected room and check them regularly. A falling catch suggests your cleaning is working.

5. Keep it up

Moth eggs can take days to hatch and larvae can live for many months, so one big clean is rarely enough. Vacuum the problem areas every week or two for a couple of months. If you use an insecticide product, follow the label exactly, as the BPCA advises.

DIY or professional: a quick guide

When to call a professional

If you have done all of the above and still find new bare patches or larvae, the infestation is probably deeper than a vacuum can reach. The BPCA recommends using a qualified professional for major infestations.

Firms usually offer a course of insecticide spray visits, spaced a couple of weeks apart to catch eggs as they hatch, or heat treatment, which raises the temperature high enough to kill every life stage. Our page on carpet moth treatment explains the options, and the moth treatment cost calculator gives you a rough price for your home before anyone visits.

We are a free matching service, not a pest control firm. We do not treat anything ourselves. We pass your details to a local specialist who does.

If the damage keeps coming back, ask for a free quote and we will find a specialist who covers your area.