Two different insects can leave similar holes in wool and carpet. Knowing which one you have makes the clean-up quicker and more likely to hold.
Holes in a jumper or thinning carpet are often blamed on moths without any evidence. In reality, carpet beetle larvae are just as common, and they are found in many family houses across suburbs like Bramcote, where wool carpets, fitted wardrobes and loft spaces are standard. Both feed on natural fibres. The trick is to look closely at what is actually doing the eating.
Carpet beetle larvae are small, brown and bristly, rather like tiny carpet brushes, and they move about freely. Clothes moth larvae are pale and smooth, and they hide in silky cases or tunnels of fibre. The adults differ too: carpet beetles are rounded, mottled little beetles that often turn up on windowsills in spring, while clothes moths are slender, buff and rather weak fliers.
Carpet beetle larvae are not fussy. They eat wool, fur, feathers, dried pet food and even dead insects, so they can establish themselves in a loft with old insulation or in the dust under radiators. Clothes moths prefer clothing and stored textiles in undisturbed cupboards. In a detached house with a spare room full of boxes, either can go unnoticed for a long time.
Pet bedding, bird feeders stored in the loft and old bird nests in eaves can all feed carpet beetles, so it is worth looking beyond the carpet. Checking those places often explains why a clean room keeps being reinfested.
The first steps overlap. Vacuum thoroughly, especially along skirting boards, under furniture and inside wardrobes. Wash or dry clean affected textiles and store valuable wool in sealed containers. After that, the details differ: carpet beetles often need the whole room and any hidden food source, such as a dead bird in the roof void, dealt with, while moths are more focused on stored clothes and rugs.
A treatment may be needed if signs keep returning after a good clean. How long that takes depends on how widespread the insects have become and how many hiding places the house offers.
We can identify the insect, treat the affected rooms and advise on stopping a repeat. Our advice is free with all treatments and appointments are arranged to suit you. Call 0115 937 5117.
It is small, usually brown or striped, and covered in bristly hairs, so it looks a bit like a tiny brush. It moves around freely, unlike a clothes moth larva, which stays in a silky case.
Often the cleaning steps are the same, but treatment differs because the insects hide in different places. Identifying which one you have first helps ensure the right areas are dealt with.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
