What They Cannot Do
- Bite. Neither adults nor larvae. There is no mouthpart involved that could
- Sting
- Feed on a person or an animal. Larvae eat keratin in fibre — wool, silk, feather, fur. They are not parasites and a living host is of no interest to them
- Transmit disease to people or pets
- Get into food. That is a pantry moth, which is a different insect found near kitchen cupboards
- Harm a baby or a small child by being in the room
If somebody is being bitten, it is not this. Bites point at fleas, bed bugs or mites — different insects, different treatments. Worth separating early, because families sometimes spend months treating a carpet for something that was never the cause.
The Two Real Qualifications
1. Carpet beetle larvae are not the same thing
This is the one worth knowing. Carpet BEETLE larvae — small, brown, visibly bristly, often called woolly bears — have fine hairs that can cause skin irritation in some people. Carpet MOTH larvae are smooth and cream and do not.
If a child has unexplained skin irritation and the assumption has been moths, it is worth establishing which insect is actually in the house. They are treated similarly but they are not the same, and it changes what you are looking at.
2. Dust, in a heavy long-running case
A large population leaves shed skins, silk and frass in the carpet, which adds to household dust. Some people with existing asthma or allergies find dusty environments aggravating. That is a general dust point rather than anything specific to moths, and vacuuming addresses it.
W
e
a
r
e
p
e
s
t
c
o
n
t
r
o
l
l
e
r
s
,
n
o
t
m
e
d
i
c
a
l
p
e
o
p
l
e
.
I
f
a
c
h
i
l
d
o
r
a
n
y
o
n
e
e
l
s
e
i
n
t
h
e
h
o
u
s
e
h
o
l
d
h
a
s
a
s
k
i
n
r
e
a
c
t
i
o
n
o
r
a
b
r
e
a
t
h
i
n
g
p
r
o
b
l
e
m
y
o
u
a
r
e
w
o
r
r
i
e
d
a
b
o
u
t
,
t
h
a
t
i
s
a
q
u
e
s
t
i
o
n
f
o
r
a
p
h
a
r
m
a
c
i
s
t
o
r
y
o
u
r
G
P
,
a
n
d
i
t
s
h
o
u
l
d
g
o
t
o
o
n
e
o
f
t
h
e
m
r
a
t
h
e
r
t
h
a
n
t
o
u
s
.
W
e
c
a
n
t
e
l
l
y
o
u
w
h
i
c
h
i
n
s
e
c
t
i
s
i
n
t
h
e
h
o
u
s
e
.
W
e
c
a
n
n
o
t
t
e
l
l
y
o
u
w
h
a
t
c
a
u
s
e
d
a
s
y
m
p
t
o
m
.
Pets
- No direct risk to a dog, cat, rabbit or other pet — they are not parasitic
- A pet that eats a larva has not been poisoned; it is fibre and protein
- Pet bedding, especially wool blankets, is at risk as a material — check it
- Shed pet hair collecting in undisturbed corners is genuine food for the larvae, which is another reason to vacuum edges rather than only the middle
Treatment, With Children and Pets in the House
This is usually the real question. It is a routine domestic treatment and it comes with instructions that exist for a reason.
- Everybody and every pet out of the treated rooms while the work is done, and for the exclusion period given on the day
- Fish tanks covered and pumps switched off; birds and small animals out of the property
- Ventilate the rooms once the exclusion period is up
- Do not vacuum until the specified period has passed, then vacuum normally
- Toys, bedding and anything a small child mouths should be out of the treated rooms or covered — say so and it will be planned around
- Tell us beforehand if anyone is pregnant, if there is an infant, or if anyone has a respiratory condition
- Ask what is being used and for the aftercare in writing if you want it
Raise it at the booking, not on the day. A household with a baby, an asthmatic child or a house rabbit is entirely normal and entirely plannable — but it is easier to plan around than to work around once somebody is standing in the hall.
Treatment starts from £220. Tell us who is in the house when you book and the visit gets arranged to suit it.
Carpet moths in Wokingham? Pest Services Berkshire treats carpet moths from £220. Carpet Moth Control in Wokingham has the full detail, or call 0118 336 1366.