Bugs Don't Like To Be Disturbed
Bugs like dark undisturbed places where they can grow and live their lives without being disturbed. A rug that is under a sofa or table that doesn’t get moved often is the perfect place for bugs to live.
3 Tips to Help You Protect Your Rugs From Moth and Bug Damage.
1. Vacuum Your Rugs Regularly
Especially under furniture and on the backside. This disturbs these areas and makes it far less likely for a bug infestation to get started. Be sure to regularly flip the corners back and look for the tell-tell signs that bugs leave behind.
If you can, put your rug out in the sunlight for a few hours several times a year. Bugs that eat rugs, don’t like direct sunlight. However, this may not be possible for larger rugs; and if it’s not, regular washing can help eliminate pests from your rug. It’s important to use a good quality pad under your rug. This eliminates air pockets in places where bugs can live and breed.
2. Bugs Like Rugs They Can Eat
Remove the bug’s food source. Bugs like rugs because they eat them, so a wool rug is a giant meal for certain bugs. When they see that much food in one place, they multiply and before you know it you’ve got a big problem. Thankfully, we have a moth repellent solution that makes your rug tastes bad to bugs.
If your rug isn’t a food source the bugs will move on and leave your rug alone. If you’re storing rugs for any length of time we strongly recommend washing and treating the rug prior to storage. Remember, bugs don’t like to be disturbed so a rug that’s in storage is an ideal target for them. Treatment of stored rugs is extremely important.
3. Submersion Washing Removes Eggs From Your Rugs
Remove as many of the moth eggs from your rug as you can. Bugs can lay eggs in your rug and they can lie dormant for years. Eggs can also be transferred from one rug to other rugs and textiles. When conditions are right these eggs hatch and you’ve got a problem. These eggs are microscopic, and although vacuuming helps a lot there’s no way it can remove all of the eggs, especially from the inner foundation of the rug.
Have your rugs washed and cleaned every 1 to 3 years
Nothing removes the eggs from the inner parts of the rug like submersion washing, which is another reason we recommend that you have your rugs washed every 1 to 3 years. But, even after washing, if your rug sits undisturbed for long enough it’s very possible that you’ll have a problem. Bugs can find their way into your house without you knowing about it, and it doesn’t take long for an infestation to begin. The best thing you can do is to know what to look for and have your rugs vacuumed and washed regularly.
This article was written in collaboration with Lisa Wagner “The Rug Chick” and Mark Kennedy
