Moths can do a great deal of damage especially in the larvae stage which feed on the proteins found in wool, making oriental rugs most vulnerable.  Their life cycle is from 60-90 days, where the female lays anywhere from 30 to 200 eggs.  Thus a small problem can turn into a big problem in short order!

The larvae damage is most often found 12” to 15” from the edge of the rug.  Damage from moths is not always visible on top of the rug, but our staff know exactly what to look for.  We look for warning signs such as larvae casings, cocoons or webbing which indicates the larvae are about to hatch.

Our cleaning process creates a deterrent making the rug not palatable to moths or carpet beetles.  You definitely want to consider getting this treatment before you store a rug. 

It is most common that moths do the most damage when a rug is put into storage before being professionally cleaned. While we cannot guarantee that moths will never return, getting the cleaning treatment is the best method to fix the problem.

Moth Damage Repair

Repairs to moth damage can be done and will be assessed individually according to how much damage has occurred.  Usually it is required to make new wefts and warps (vertical and horizontal) to tie new knots around and add new wool to the knots and fill the bare spaces.  This requires highly specialized repair skills due to the rugs knotting technique and must be replicated exactly with matching threads, colors and textures.