Moth-proofed wool carpets - any positive/negative feedback?

[lulabel]

Hi,

I am one of many Londoners who has moths in my Victorian terraced house. The carpets were ripped out when we bought the house so we've been living with bare wooden floors for the last few years. Wood floors are fine but not the cosiest type of of floor. The moths are still there no matter how much I spray the floors with nasty moth spray - they've attacked our nice wool mattress since we have no carpet to munch on. We're now keen to get carpets upstairs and I'd rather get wool carpets if at all possible, I haven't been grabbed by the synthetic ones I've seen.

It seems many wool carpets nowadays are moth-proofed. Has anyone installed a moth-proofed carpet? Good or bad feedback very welcome!

Thanks

[PokerTime]

I would be keen to hear on this one too. Am just ripping up the only carpet I have left, after finding a cashmere cardigan that no longer looks like cashmere :D

I've been lucky to not be affected by the moth plague so far (mothballs have always seemed to work), but given they seem to have eaten just about every one else's wool and cotton in South London, it was only a matter of time before they got me.

[Penguin68]

You might want to check your loft insulation - if it's some form of natural fibre (not fibre-glass or other man-made material) then moth can get into it.

And the caterpillars (which is what do the damage) can live a long time without food.

[PokerTime]

I'm washing all my clothes Peguin. Is that enough to get rid of any eggs that may be in those clothes? I then intend to put them in those vacuum bags to keep any new moths off them. I did read that some people freeze the bags (and washed clothes) to kill everything off, but is that necessary? Anyone know?

[Siduhe]

  Quote

I'm washing all my clothes Peguin. Is that enough to get rid of any eggs that may be in those clothes? I then intend to put them in those vacuum bags to keep any new moths off them.

According to the guy who does my dry cleaning, who pointed out a pesky moth hole in a much loved dress recently, only if you wash them at 60 degrees or above. Dry cleaning does the job too as well as long as the cleaner isn't using eco friendly solutions.

[Penguin68]

I'm afraid that moth eggs are quite hardy little things - probably a sustained boil-wash would see to them, but it would also see to the wollen etc./ clothes that they will be deposited in. They can also handle low/ freezing temperatures for a little time (they will have evolved to be able to do that) so it is only a relatively long sojourn in a freezer that will end them.

The various chemical specifics against moth (not camphor balls, which just smell bad to them) do seem to work - but if you have a real 'heavy duty' infestation then licenced pest operatives are the best - they can use chemicals which you can't buy, and they know the hiding habits of the little beasts - I had a house which was refurbished and had no carpets or curtains for 4-5 months (or any clothes!) - but as soon as new curtains and carpets were installed, they made their presence felt. They must have been deposited on floor boards etc. to have done that.

[hpsaucey]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm afraid that moth eggs are quite hardy little

> things - probably a sustained boil-wash would see

> to them, but it would also see to the wollen etc./

> clothes that they will be deposited in. They can

> also handle low/ freezing temperatures for a

> little time (they will have evolved to be able to

> do that) so it is only a relatively long sojourn

> in a freezer that will end them.

>

> The various chemical specifics against moth (not

> camphor balls, which just smell bad to them) do

> seem to work - but if you have a real 'heavy duty'

> infestation then licenced pest operatives are the

> best - they can use chemicals which you can't buy,

> and they know the hiding habits of the little

> beasts - I had a house which was refurbished and

> had no carpets or curtains for 4-5 months (or any

> clothes!) - but as soon as new curtains and

> carpets were installed, they made their presence

> felt. They must have been deposited on floor

> boards etc. to have done that.

Yup - I think we're about to head down the 'calling in the 'experts'' route. Thinking they'll know where to hunt for eggs. I don't like killing anything, but the language is blue regarding clothes moths and I'm taking great delight in each one squished to a pulp!

[The Minkey]

The kind of moths we are talking about love dark conditions and their larvae can subsist on dust so they may well be living on the detritus under the floorboards.

[PokerTime]

Wow, sounds like I'm in for fun and games then. Typical that the clothes I can't wash at 60 are they ones they most like. But if dry cleaning works then that's what I'll do with those. Thanks for all the info and advice everyone x

[FatherJack]

Are the caterpillars too small to see? I thought/hoped I'd got a handle on this but I've seen a couple of moths...just hoping they weren't born in my home...but flew in. Crosses fingers!

[lulabel]

Thanks for all the advice. If anyone knows of anyone who has installed a moth-treated wool carpet I would love to hear from them.