How to Identify and Prevent Moth Damage on Oriental and Persian Rugs

Bugs and moths eat holes in oriental and Persian will rugs and can cause severe damage. In order to identify if there is moths in your rug there are 2 things you can look for.

1.When you flip the rug on the bottom you might see moth larvae , which look like spider webs.

2. Bare bright white spots on the surface of the rug and dips

that show the cotton foundation of the rug (after the moths ate the wool pile) or entire holes when it is a wool on wool rug and the moths ate through the rugs.

3. If there is an active infestation you will immediately see it and should call pest control before bringing the rug in for an immersion cleaning and detailed oriental rug cleaning

If there is severe moth damage on your rug the knots have to be rewoven in order to recreate the pile which was eaten through by moths. This is a very time consuming and expensive repair process.

However, there are ways to prevent moths and consecutive moth damage /bug damage and expensive repair of the holes in your oriental rugs caused by moths.

1. Moths like dark places e.g., they will sit in the areas of your rug placed under. furniture. Therefore, you should move the rugs regularly and check their bottom. Ideally you put them outside in the sun for a couple of hours on a regular basis.

2. Also, regular vacuuming of the back and front of the rugs prevents the oriental & Persian rugs from infestation and moth damage. Vacuuming will help to prevent moth damage of moths on the surfaces. However, it can not eliminate moth larvae (moth eggs) which sit in the very foundation of the rug. Therefore, every 2 years we recommend oriental &Persian rug cleaning / immersion rug cleaning in order to prevent moths.

3. Another important element which prevents moth damage is to have a good quality rug pad which eliminates air pockets and areas where the larvae can settle.