Holes in your favourite jumper, bare patches along the edge of the carpet, or small moths fluttering out of the wardrobe? Moth control is one of my specialist areas, and I carry out carpet moth treatment and clothes moth control in homes and businesses across Bexley and South London. I’ll find where the larvae are feeding, treat every stage of the problem and show you how to protect your clothes and rugs. Call me for a price over the phone.
In the UK, “carpet moths” and “clothes moths” are usually the same insects: the common clothes moth and the case-bearing clothes moth. They get their name from what they damage rather than being different species. The adults are small, around 6 to 7mm long, with buff or golden-brown wings. Unlike most moths, they avoid light and tend to run or flutter short distances rather than fly around lamps.
The adult moths don’t eat anything. It’s the larvae, small cream-coloured caterpillars, that cause the damage. They feed on keratin, the protein in wool, silk, cashmere, fur and feathers, and they prefer items that are dark, undisturbed and slightly soiled with skin or food.
Irregular holes in woollen clothes, suits and knitwear are the most obvious sign. On carpets and rugs, look for thinning or bare patches along the edges, under furniture and behind doors, where the pile has been eaten down to the backing.
Look closely and you may find the larvae or their cases. Case-bearing moth larvae build small silky tubes that look like grains of rice, often stuck to carpet fibres or walls. You may also see fine silky webbing, gritty droppings the same colour as the fabric, and small moths that flutter up when you move furniture or open a wardrobe.
Moths lay their eggs where the larvae will be left alone. The most common places are under beds and sofas, along the edges of wool carpets and underneath rugs, inside wardrobes and chests of drawers, and in clothes, blankets and textiles stored in lofts or under the stairs. Larvae can also feed in the gaps between floorboards and in carpet underlay, where fluff and hair build up.
Sometimes the source is somewhere you would never think to look, such as an old bird’s nest in the loft, a forgotten wool jumper at the back of a cupboard, or a stuffed toy or feather cushion.
Clothes moths used to be a spring and summer problem. With central heating, many homes are warm enough for them to breed all year round. A single female can lay dozens of eggs, and larvae can feed for weeks or months before turning into moths, so a few moths you notice in the bedroom can mean a much bigger population under the bed.
Lavender bags, cedar blocks and shop-bought moth sprays can help keep adult moths away from a small area, but they rarely reach the larvae feeding under furniture and along carpet edges. Pheromone traps catch male moths and are useful for monitoring, but they don’t clear an infestation on their own. That is why moths often seem to disappear, then return a few months later.
Every treatment starts with an inspection to confirm what you have, find where the larvae are feeding and check how far it has spread. I’ll show you what I find and explain what the treatment involves before we start, so you know exactly what to expect.
We treat affected carpets and rugs, focusing on edges, under furniture and the areas where the larvae are active, along with floorboard gaps, skirting boards, wardrobes and other soft furnishings where needed. The treatment targets the larvae and eggs as well as adult moths. As with our other insect treatments, it’s carried out over three visits, so we can deal with any moths that hatch after the first visit and confirm the problem has gone.
Treating the room is only half the job. Before treatment, wash affected clothes and textiles on the hottest setting the fabric allows, or have them dry cleaned. Items that can’t be washed can be sealed in a bag and frozen for a week or two to kill eggs and larvae. Once they’re clean, store woollens in sealed bags or boxes.
After treatment, vacuum regularly along carpet edges, under beds and under furniture, as this is where larvae feed. Move and air clothes in the wardrobe from time to time, and don’t put worn woollens back in storage without cleaning them first. We’ll give you full instructions when you book.
Carpet moths are a common issue in rented homes, particularly where wool carpets have been in place for years or a property has been left empty. Who is responsible usually depends on when the problem started and what the tenancy agreement says, so it’s worth raising early. We work with tenants, landlords and letting agents, and we explain what caused the problem.
For shops, hotels and businesses with carpets, textiles or stock at risk, our commercial pest control service includes regular inspections. We cover all of Bexley and South London, including Kingston upon Thames, Merton and Orpington. For other insects in the home, see our insect control page.
It depends on the size of the property, how many rooms are affected and how widespread the infestation is. Call us with a few details and we will give you an estimate over the phone.
Our moth treatment runs over three visits, which allows us to treat any moths that hatch after the first visit. Keeping up with vacuuming and cleaning stored clothes between visits makes a big difference to how quickly the problem clears.
Moth larvae feed on natural fibres such as wool, so pure synthetic carpets are much less at risk. Wool blend carpets can still be damaged, and larvae may chew through synthetic fibres that are soiled with food, hair or skin.
No. They don’t bite or spread disease. The problem is the damage they do to clothes, carpets, rugs and upholstery, which can be expensive to replace.
Probably not. Small moths flying around the kitchen and near food cupboards are usually pantry moths, which live in flour, cereal, nuts and dried food. They need a different approach, which is covered on our stored product insect control page.
We plan every treatment around the people and animals in the home. We’ll tell you how long to keep pets out of the treated rooms before we start.
Rentokil-trained and Level 2 certified, so you know you’re in safe hands.
We don’t just show up, treat, and leave. We walk you through exactly what we found, why it happened, and what we’re doing to fix it.
Pests don’t work 9 to 5, and neither do we. We’re available when you need us most.
We are Level 2 certified technicians, fully insured, and members of BPCA, BASIS Prompt and RSPH. You’re in safe, qualified hands.
Hundreds of satisfied clients across South London have trusted us to get the job done right, and we back every job with a satisfaction guarantee.
We’re not a faceless national company. We’re local, we care about our community, and we treat every property as if it were our own.
Call us or fill out the contact form. We’ll assess your situation and give you a straight, honest estimate over the phone.
Our technician visits your property, carries out a thorough on-site inspection, and begins treatment right away.
We carry out a 3-visit treatment programme to make sure the problem is fully resolved, not just temporarily patched.
Job done. Your property is protected, and you’ll know exactly what was done and why every step of the way.
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