Are moths breeding in my carpet?

lalalandgirl

Hey.

I’ve had a moth infestation in my flat. I’ve done 2 rounds of professional chemical pest control but I still see a few here and there. The chemical treatment yes has helped but not 100% eradicated them. Which is surprising. Also doing lots of spraying, moth balls etc etc.

Today I noticed on the carpet - a few short white hair like things. I don’t have white hair, and I don’t have pets or anything. It could be fleece from the sofa or carpet but I can’t help but wonder if it’s remenants of a moth caccoon?

When I googled it, it shows me pics that look like small fluffy rice grains. This isn’t like that. But still?

Any ideas?

lalalandgirl

Bump bump bump bump!

Tom99

Does not sound like it. If you have carpet moths they usually attack under furniture where you will see that the carpet has been eaten away.

Furts

Yes most likely they are moth cocoons. Unfortunately, no, chemical treatment will not have solved your problem. Why? Because moths will get under skirtings and into inaccessible floor areas to create babies, and this is why they survive. And will survive until the planet stops spinning.

Victorian homes are ideal for moths, modern homes with concrete floors less so. In my experience the moths can hang around, unhatched, for years before showing - no idea why and it does not seem logical. But it is what I have experienced.

You need to seal your gaps between skirting and floor to help cure the problem here. Now the cynic in me - or the realist. I bet the chemical treatment companies did not tell you this! Why? Because they get paid for coming back time after time to treat homes. It is a good earner!

JohnB47

The professionals should have left some moth traps - little sticky rectangular pads in plastic fittings, to catch moths as they emerge.

We had the same problem and we're on our third set of traps (we bought our own on the web).

Yes, it seems these little creatures will still be there lurking and need to be dealt with gradually over time using the traps. The cocoons don't look like hairs - they are small tubular things with a grub inside (or empty if the grub has left). About 4 to 5 mm long by about 2 mm.