Carpet moth - looking for professional treatment

Thank you all for advice and experiences - I have bought a few things from Amazon and will see how that goes. I'm due for heart surgery in a few weeks so I'll put getting professionals involved on hold until after I've recovered.

The more I read everyone’s post I realise I am in good company !!

I agree with birds nest being the main hideout for carpet beetles.

We first noticed the little pests when pigeons had built a huge nest of sticks and laid eggs behind a satellite dish on the side of the house between two of the bedroom windows. This was the boiling hot summer 2 years ago. We knocked the nest down as soon as they started building the next year but they would not give up.

NotSpaghetti

I have just looked this up MT62 and yes, bird and animal nests are the primary "nursery" for the little blighters in nature...
The larvae live in bird nests, squirrel dreys, rodent burrows, or wasp nests etc where they eat leftover feathers, fur, skin flakes, animal hair and feathers, carapace and dried remains.

Yum!

👍🏻

I used a company called Borough Pest Control who seem to cover most of the south-east region, and came recommended by the local authority. I found them on the internet and used the local phone number. The operative was very professional arriving early after checking that it was convenient with me. It was quite expensive but covered two treatments a fortnight apart.

J52 we have a couple of pieces of furniture which are difficult, well impossible for us now, to move so I spray as far as I can around them too.

I must spray around the edges of ours. A couple of the little varmints have appeared recently.

Allira

^and I constantly spray with Lavender in areas they were found.^

Yes, I found a spray online - Cedar and Lavender Carpet Spray. Cedar is effective to kill eggs/larvae and lavender to repel the adults, I think.

I’ve just ordered some, thanks for mentioning it. We haven’t got carpet moths as far as I know, but I’m so paranoid about getting any, clothes or carpet that I always on the look out for preventative ideas.
We recently had a wool stair carpet fitted and the fitter said that they now treat wool carpets with anti moth preparation.

I've used this product successfully and is really easy with no effort involved. You just press down and hold the spray button after putting it in the middle of the room and close the door for a couple of hours. There's no after smell but I did open the windows to freshen the room. To be sure, I used one every 3 months for a year. Not seen any since. I appreciate that it may not be for everyone with it not being a natural product but sometimes needs must.

pest-expert.com/pest-expert-formula-p-carpet-beetle-killer-fogger-150ml-324-p.asp

and I constantly spray with Lavender in areas they were found.

Yes, I found a spray online - Cedar and Lavender Carpet Spray. Cedar is effective to kill eggs/larvae and lavender to repel the adults, I think.

I have always had Wool carpet but last year was the first time, the little blighters got me. Found them in 4 rooms, around the skirting boards but the worst area was they munched a patch under a bed.
I read they like wool plus moisture I found them only a few weeks after I had all the carpets professionally steamed cleaned.
So we used loads of moth spray killer, moth repellent block placed through out the area and I constantly spray with Lavender in areas they were found.
Repeated frequently for months, so far do good, fingers crossed.

The moth sprays are quite effective but we also use pherenome sticky papers near the carpets/rugs and in wardrobes to kill off the moths. We also put woollen items in sealed bags.

The moths seem to prefer pure wool.

Just found one larva on the sitting room carpet.

The little so and so's are persistent.

It might be easy to attract some of the males with pheromone traps?

I do that. I change them quite often.
They are inexpensive and effective.
Mine are made by entopest.

fortproducts.co.uk/product/entopest-10-x-plastic-holders-for-moth-pheromone-control-pads-holders-for-moth-killer-pads-reusable-plastic-holders-for-a-range-of-moth-traps-and-carpet-moth-killer-pads-moth-killer-for-wardrobe/

These are the holders - the sticky cards go in them. Now the ones I hang up I just use a paper-clip to hang them and don't bother with the plastic case.
I change mine every 3 months as a precaution.

Thanks everyone for your input.
Not sure but I think I've learnt there are carpet beetles as well as moths but I think I've only got moths.
I've decided for the moment to stick my head back in the sand (although I might spray some white vinegar or get a steamer.)
I've heart surgery scheduled for next month so will leave it until I have recovered from that🤞. 🫣

We’ve had the little buggers for years. Just the other day, since we were going to be out for several hours, we left an anti moth smoke bomb in each room - two in bigger rooms - and are hoping that will put paid to any that are matching out around now.

Took this this morning at my friends house, next to it was the most beautiful bouquet of flowers.
They definitely come in via the flowers as they are classed as pollen eaters.

You have my sympathy. The trouble with any treatment is they get in everywhere. They say carpet moths but they are not fussy. The odd one seems to flutter out of everywhere
Am I correct that you are the lady who previously had a discected aorta If so get back to me as I found something on the net that might interest you concerning your problem but can’t find it now. Relating to your current issue

My mum got rid of them by thoroughly spraying the carpets with a lavender oil solution. They hate it, it seems.
Lots of info online.

Love your description of war on moths SORES. I am paranoid about getting any clothes or carpet moths since DS brought a jacket back from university with a city of moths hiding in it.
He went travelling and one day months later I opened his wardrobe to find a skeleton of the jacket completely infested. I dumped it in a bin bag and fumigated the fitted wardrobe. I threw everything at it, pest destroying spray, washed it out with bleach and repainted the inside!
I now hang moth repellent in every wardrobe and if I see one, very rarely, immediately spray the wardrobes.

I have just looked this up MT62 and yes, bird and animal nests are the primary "nursery" for the little blighters in nature...
The larvae live in bird nests, squirrel dreys, rodent burrows, or wasp nests etc where they eat leftover feathers, fur, skin flakes, animal hair and feathers, carapace and dried remains.

Yum!

Sorry, MT62, I was actually referring to moths - but it could make sense for carpet beetles too - as naturally there won't be carpets outside (and they obviously have a strategy and a "home" in the wild)!

NotSpaghetti

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

What carpet beetles?
That would make sense, as we had a bird flying around our loft & it was full of that rockwool insulation. Now boarded so not exposed.

Primrose53

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.

I was speaking with a pest controller about these carpet beetles. He said he gets them in his house & thinks they come in via his dogs coats
You are right Primrose, it’s about this time when I’ve seen any.
Also, they are attracted to white surfaces.
I changed out my Jacaranda carpets for wood flooring upstairs. Our bedroom is the room that I have seen one, or two crawling ever so slowly up the wall, we have carpet in this room.
It’s just a matter of hoovering regularly.

Just a brain wave Allira.
Bought it to steam my new curtains.
Actually I have a big shark & thought about running that over my whole carpet with out the cloth attachment.