Can I keep wool carpet after an infestation?

Yes, but you commit to 6-monthly treatment and quarterly furniture-moving. If the original source wasn't found, the moths come back. Most clients switch to a synthetic loop or twist and forget about it.

Will pest control alone fix it?

No. Treatment kills adults and exposed larvae but not eggs under the carpet backing. Uplift-then-treat-then-refit is the only fix that reliably works.

How can I tell what's causing the bald patches?

Moth damage is a fine, grazed texture — different from traffic wear (which is smooth). Lift a corner near the damage; if you see small silk cases or pale caterpillars, it's moth.

HIGH URGENCY INVERKEITHING · KY11

Carpet moth in Inverkeithing? Lift, treat, replace — no half-measures

Carpet moth infestations have exploded across Inverkeithing in the last few years — warmer winters plus more wool carpet plus more time indoors. We see it most in family homes where sofas rarely move and edges go unvacuumed. Half-measures don't work — the fix is full uplift, treatment of the bare subfloor, and (usually) a synthetic carpet refit.

5 miles from our Dunfermline base, so Inverkeithing surveys usually happen the same week.

COST

£180 uplift & treatment + carpet refit from £280 per room

TIMEFRAME

1 day per room including treatment cure time

DIFFICULTY

Best done professionally

Book a diagnostic visit 07375 552 452

Why this matters

Moth larvae eat wool, silk and cashmere — a spreading infestation destroys expensive rugs and clothing, not just carpet.

Symptoms we look for

Match two or more of these and it's very likely carpet moth.

01
Bald patches under sofas, bookcases or the edges of the room
02
Fine 'grazed' patches with pile eaten to the backing
03
Small pale caterpillars or silk cases when carpet is lifted
04
Small pale moths flying around lamps
05
Damage worst under low-traffic furniture that's rarely moved

What causes it

CAUSE 1

Warm, undisturbed wool fibres — a moth larva paradise

CAUSE 2

Old wool underlay left in place under new synthetic carpet

CAUSE 3

Infestation spread from a rug or a neighbour

CAUSE 4

Central heating running longer with mild winters

Affects: Wool carpet · Wool rugs · Wool-mix underlay

"Not sure if it's really carpet moth? We diagnose in Inverkeithing for free — no obligation to fix with us."

Free diagnostic in Inverkeithing 07375 552 452

How we fix it

1
Full lift of the affected carpet AND underlay — treatment alone rarely enough
2
Vacuum and treat the bare subfloor with a residual moth insecticide
3
Dispose of the old carpet promptly (bagged, no re-use)
4
Fit synthetic (polypropylene or nylon) carpet where possible — moths ignore it
5
For rooms staying wool: treat every 6 months and move furniture quarterly