and woven rugs can last centuries when well cared for. However,when exposed to fiber-eating bugs, they can be destroyed in just a

matter of months.The higher humidity El Niño weather over the past year has made our

region much more bug-friendly. This has led to a dramatic increase in buginfestations happening in in clothing, upholstered furniture, and rugs. In mostcases homeowners have no idea they have a problem until it is too late.

Clothes moths and carpet beetles will eat wool, silk, hair, pet fur, feathers,and leather. Their larvae will also feed on dust, lint, paper, and materials soiledwith oils. Silverfish will feed on cotton, paper products, glue adhesives, andstarches. All flourish in more humid environments. Exactly the weather wehave had over this past year.

Synthetic fiber rugs and furniture are blended with natural fiberingredients, which makes every single rug and fabric item in your home apotential food source for insects.

These bugs thrive in dark, undisturbed areas with a food source. Normallythis means fiber-eating bugs will be found in attics, basements, closets, andstorage units. Places where there is no one disturbing them.

With the higher humidity their reach is extending into the “living spaces”of homes and these bugs are being found feasting in protected areas that arecovered up by furniture. This is especially true with pets in the home as areasthat collect pet hair become feeding areas for these insects.

You cannot mothproof or beetle-proof a home. Moths will fly in throughthe doors and windows, and carpet beetles and silverfish will find their way inthrough cracks and gaps in the home structure.

They will lay their eggs into the middle of the food source and the hatchedlarvae feeds during a cycle that can span from 3 months to well over a year.These worms are hidden so no one knows they are destroying the items they arefeeding on.

Some tips for inspecting for bug activity and protecting yourrugs and furniture:

Immediately inspect all rugs, fabrics, and clothing in storage.Attics, basements, and storage units are the areas where locals are discoveringthe biggest infestations. Depending on the type of fiber-eating bugs the activitywill look like sticky lint webbing, small casings (about the size of a grain ofrice), or clumps of sand (feces of eaten fibers).

Rugs placed into storage must ALWAYS be washed before beingwrapped, and ideally treated with a moth repellent if it will beuntouched for several years. Wool, silk, and cotton wrapped in plasticcan mildew so use Tyvek paper.

Check undisturbed corners in your home. Look in closets, underfurniture, inspect the back corners of rugs, and use vacuum attachments to getto hard to reach areas that are dark and undisturbed. You want to createairflow in these areas to help dissuade bugs from making a home there.

When infestations are found in rugs or furniture, contact a pestcontrol specialist right away for options on killing the bugs anddestroying the eggs. Subzero freezing and high heat treatments are today’spoison free options. Those contents can then be cleaned to remove the deadinsects.

Textiles hung on the wall, especially Navajo rugs, must be takendown quarterly and inspected for bug activity. A light vacuumingwith a hand held vacuum tool, or brushing softly with a horsehair brush, willdust the rug and keep bugs away.

For more education on what bug activity looks like in rugs, and how tosolve the problem, visit www.blatchfords.com/moth.

Lisa Wagner is a NIRC Certified Rug Specialist and international rug caretrainer. Her family company Blatchford’s Rug Cleaning & Repair is located at7848-G Silverton Ave., San Diego 92126. If you have rug questions or needsplease call them at 858-223-0222 or visit www.blatchfords.com.

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Moths, Carpet Beetles,and Silverfish.

Protecting Rugsfrom Bugs.

By Lisa Wagner (NIRC CertifiedRug Specialist and author of

www.RugChick.com)Moth damage happening under the couch.

Bug infestation happening along theback side of the rug.

Carpet beetle damage looks like divotsin the rug pile.

Hatched larvae worms feeding on rug.