Do Moths Eat Synthetic Carpets

Even if you don t have wool or silk carpets and most people don t that doesn t mean that they will be moth free.

Do moths eat synthetic carpets.

Alamy rather confusingly most of these moth species will sometimes switch from carpets to clothes and chew any natural fabrics like cotton wool and silk. Adult case bearing carpet moth. Carpet moths can eat their way through thick wool carpets and even manmade fibre carpets at incredible speed leaving your flooring with unattractive patches. If you can count around 5 moths in one room it s considered a serious moth infestation.

They will happily much on a synthetic carpet or a viscose top. So they have a strong attraction to fur silk wool and other high quality and natural materials. Even though carpet moths do not prefer to eat synthetic carpets the fibers of synthetic carpets are still the perfect place for moths in order to hide their eggs. The fibres of synthetic carpets are still the perfect place for clothes moths to hide their eggs.

Carpet moths are mostly attracted to natural fibres and can destroy carpets all around your home. Yes it will be a lot of work to wash everything and clean the house from top to bottom but don t be tempted to ignore it. What kind of moths eat carpets. The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few.

Moths don t eat clothes. The larvae of carpet moths eat the keratin proteins found in skin and hair. When they first hatch they re only a millimetre long and they burrow into your clothes so you don. This means carpets rugs draperies and upholstery made from nylon acrylic polyester acetate and other synthetics can harbor these insects if they contain food or beverage.

When these eggs hatch the larvae may not eat the fibres of synthetic carpets but they will eat the dirt that collects in it. The tiny gold coloured moths with the tell tell spots on their wings. If you don t have silk or wool carpets in your home there s still a chance you will get moths. Regardless of whether you do not have wool or silk carpets and a great many people do not that does not imply that you will have a moth free life.

Clothes moths can digest protein fibers such as wool silk and specialty hair fibers but these insects will also find and eat protein substances on synthetic fibers. Finally if you do find you have moths do not despair.