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Carpet moth - looking for professional treatment

(41 Posts)
readsalot Mon 16-Mar-26 20:48:56

I was advised to use ant powder. I did this three times over the summer and vacuumed the entire carpet after a few days, I think. It killed the white larvae although the expensive rug was damaged.

Primrose53 Mon 16-Mar-26 20:36:56

Now is the time carpet beetles are coming in houses. We had them last year and hoped we had got rid of them. We steamed all round the edges of carpets, sprayed, left lavender bags around and vacuumed like mad. I had all the beds out, took them apart, hoovered mattresses etc.

A few days ago we found the first tiny ones on bedroom window sills. Found 3 again today and destroyed them. I will post a pic of one next time I catch one.

SORES Mon 16-Mar-26 20:29:42

Apparently it’s the larvae which chomp away our carpets.
I spent a fortune in Robert Dyas (struggling at the moment apparently).
My neighbour advised distilled white vinegar around the skirting board where the carpet ends, as this is where the
little blighters nestle.

I bought many small plastic bottles of this vinegar,
35p from Tesco and had fun squirting.
The occasional moth is easily squashed.

We had a leather armchair which we realised too late, harboured a colony, generations of voracious gluttons,
when we tipped it on its back looking for the hamster.
Webbing underneath the chair was loose, a safe hidden
haven from where they attacked, a Trojan horse.
so out that went
We are constantly on the alert

I hooked a couple of plastic cages with sticky strips
on the curtain poles, behind the curtains.
By morning one of them held 11 papery tiny moths,
flown in looking to feast, died trying.

Allira Mon 16-Mar-26 20:04:06

MT62

Thoro

Thank you for your answers. I did use a spray when I first noticed the moths but there are too many now.
I may well have to get a cleaner Allira - I've been holding out but in the current situation I don't think I can keep up.

I would buy one of those hand held steamer & go over the area. The heat will penetrate deep down & kill anything that’s living.

I have got a steamer, however, never thought of that, MT62 and have only used it on hard floors.

NotSpaghetti Mon 16-Mar-26 18:25:23

I was told they are "designed" to live in old feathers in birds nests and can often enter homes via chimneys initially!

MT62 Mon 16-Mar-26 18:22:01

Just had a look, no we don’t have any of those.

MT62 Mon 16-Mar-26 18:19:05

Thoro

Thank you for your answers. I did use a spray when I first noticed the moths but there are too many now.
I may well have to get a cleaner Allira - I've been holding out but in the current situation I don't think I can keep up.

I would buy one of those hand held steamer & go over the area. The heat will penetrate deep down & kill anything that’s living.

MT62 Mon 16-Mar-26 18:16:45

What are carpet moths? We get those carpet beetles, I think because we had the cavity wall exposed whilst work was going on, I think they are attracted to that rock wool insulation.
I have a hand held clothes steamer, what I did was to pull out my bedside cabinet & go over first with strong sticky tape, then a good hoover, finally I steam around that area. Heat will kill anything.
I have seen them in other houses, where I know they buy a lot of flowers.
I haven’t mentioned that have seen them though. Should I ?

Esmay Mon 16-Mar-26 17:49:47

Carpet moths have infested a beautiful old silk Chinese carpet - and I realised that they must have come from a second hand mobility chair
I didn't know what they were at first .
I used ordinary moth sprays .
Then -
I bought carpet moth spray and powder from Robert Dyas and it iis working -but the carpet is ruined around the area of the chair .

Thoro Mon 16-Mar-26 17:38:55

Thank you for your answers. I did use a spray when I first noticed the moths but there are too many now.
I may well have to get a cleaner Allira - I've been holding out but in the current situation I don't think I can keep up.

Allira Mon 16-Mar-26 16:07:02

I used a vacuum cleaner with a nozzle attachment around the edges, vacuum all the rest, then empty the cleaner promptly or throw away the bag if it has one. .

ferry23 Mon 16-Mar-26 16:05:56

I had carpet moths and it was ages before I realised what they were. On recommendation, I bought Lakeland's carpet moth spray - used as directed and never saw another one.

Of course yours may be way more "infested" but for the sake of about £15 maybe worth a try?

Allira Mon 16-Mar-26 16:04:36

No, sorry, only the downstairs carpets in two rooms and I dealt with it myself. It wasn't too bad but they kept reappearing for a couple of years. I still keep a watchful eye.
Can you afford to employ a cleaner? The moths lay eggs around the edges and in dark areas and the larvae look like grains of rice, easy to vacuum up or pick up and flush down the loo!

They are on the increase, I think.

I don't like the sound of harsh chemicals. Steam does apparently work but you have to keep on top of the problem.

MissChateline Mon 16-Mar-26 16:04:36

I had a minor infestation in my only carpet on the stairs. I used moth spray which helped but I also used ant powder which I sprinkled on and left for a while. I haven’t seen a moth for about a year now.
Sadly the carpet will have to be replaced but it is 20 years old and has seen better days.

NotSpaghetti Mon 16-Mar-26 15:58:36

Oh dear!
How horrible.
I have wool carpets and do worry about them...

I hope you find someone. 🤞

Thoro Mon 16-Mar-26 15:45:01

I've just spent a morning on the phone to various pest control companies and feel like I'm going down a rabbit hole!
I have a bad infestation of carpet moths in my wool carpets throughout the house. It has been here the last couple of years but due to ill health I've not really addressed it until today.
One company said heat treatment was the best but most expensive or chemical treatment which was much cheaper.
Another company said heat was for bedbugs and not good for moth and I needed chemicals.
All said I would need to be out of the house for 8-9 hours, one said my two dogs would need to be out 24 hours, others said not. One well known pest control firm wouldn't discuss anything without a surveyor visit at the cost of £120.
Has anyone had any experience of getting rid of carpet moths with professional treatment and what was the best? Thank you