Getting rid of carpet moths asap is your first priority once you ve spotted these signs.
Carpet moths uk life cycle.
There are other species of anthrenus which are similar in appearance and habits.
Carpet moth larvae feed predominately on keratin found in natural fibres such as wool and so can live on any carpet with some wool content.
The life cycle of the carpet moths is 1 year when the wings are open the size reaches up to 14 18 mm.
They can do some serious damage if you don t get on top of the infestation.
Turn down the heating.
Between april and october the larvae of the carpet moths develop in animal skins woolen clothes and carpets.
It is hardly conspicuous and lives only long enough to mate and lay between 30 and 300 eggs.
How to get rid of carpet moths naturally.
The eggs will then hatch into the destructive larvae stage of the life cycle which feeds on carpet clothes and other household goods.
Easy steps to remove carpet moths from your home.
Clothes moths go through four distinct lifecycle periods with significant change at each stage.
When the moth appears it has a wingspan of only 15 17 mm and is pale grey to brown with vague dark spots.
Carpet moths and their larvae like warm humid environments.
A carpet moth infestation can be a costly problem as it can cause serious and often irreperable damage to carpets rugs and other soft furnishings in the home.
The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden color 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 smaller indistinct black spots.
Carpet moth life cycle after mating the female will lay her eggs roughly 40 50 over a course of 4 7 days.
The adults do not live long and the mated adult female lays hundreds of eggs in her short life time.
The most important of these is the guernsey carpet beetle anthrenus sarnicus.
Carpet moths beetles although there are several types of carpet beetle the most common is the varied carpet beetle.
The normal life cycle is one to two years.
It is the larval stage of the beetle s life cycle which causes the most damage.
The eggs will be laid in the quieter darker and undisturbed areas of carpets and rugs and lay dormant for approximately 4 to 10 days before hatching.
When they start life they look like worms then go through the caterpillar phase and finally get their butterfly like appearance.
Understanding the clothes moths life cycle is key to knowing how to best deal with moth problems in the home in both eradicating and repelling these destructive domestic pests.