Has Your Carpet Got Bald Patches?

Have you ever noticed any bald patches on your carpet – or somebody else’s? like the picture above, areas of missing fibres. Have you ever wondered why the fibres are missing? Or noticed little bits of what look like shreds of wood or paper near the bald patches?

Well it’s not your carpet disintegrating! It’s actually an infestation of carpet moth / carpet beetle. Don’t worry, your not a dirty person, far from it, and can it happen to well, anyone.

Well, it’s not just carpets, it can be clothes and curtains too and they are attracted to natural fibres i.e. Wool and silk. The moths/beetles have the ability to digest keratin protein in these natural fibres, so if you have a silk or pure wool carpet, or a wool rich carpet, then you certainly could become victim to them. They also like areas that hold some moisture within the natural fibre – even sweat and dirt (in clothes etc) as they feed off this too. But in carpets they enjoy dark corners and spaces under units etc. The adults lay eggs in these areas and when the larvae hatch in to adults themselves – this is when they leave behind there larvae casings on the carpet.

How Can You deal With Them?