The primary culprit of insect damage in Oriental rugs is the carpet moth, Tineola bisselliella. A female moth will lay up to 200 eggs in her short lifetime, and it is these larvae that cause the damage to the fibres of a rug. In their larval state, carpet moths have an appetite for the keratin in the natural fibres of wool and silk, and will happily live in the warmth and dark of the pile, eating what they need in order to grow. The carpet moth is small and unassuming and very often, one does not notice a moth infestation until the damage has been done.
If your rug has been damaged by moths, take heart! Moth damage can be both repaired and prevented. As these animals tend to prefer soiled animal fibre, an important preventative measure is to keep your rug nice and clean. Rugs in storage are particularly vulnerable. The carpet moth prefers both darkness and dirt, and rugs in storage are more vulnerable to damage than rugs in use. It goes without saying that a rug must always be thoroughly cleaned before it is placed in storage.
At the Oriental Rug Repair Company we can repair all levels of moth damage – and regularly return seriously damaged carpets and rugs back to their original condition, meticulously replicating the exact design and weave. If a hole has been made, we will reweave and re-knot, returning the rug to its previously undamaged state. Sometimes this involves building a small hand loom around the damaged areas to apply the necessary tension before the traditional weaving and knotting techniques are applied.
