Examples of Moth Damage in a Hand Knotted Wool Rug
It is hard to believe with snow still on the ground, but spring is just around the corner. It is the perfect time to refresh our houses, do a deep cleaning, and inspect all of our woolen treasures. A springtime inspection is a perfect opportunity to spot any current or past moth infestation that may have damaged your rugs during the cold winter months.
We get asked quite often how to spot moth damage. Sometimes moths are easy to recognize because they're still living and devouring your wool. However, other times, moths have died away for one reason or another, but the damage they caused is left behind. All of these photographed rugs are examples of moth damage. In the photo above, you can see how the moths have eaten away the woolen pile at the edge of the rug but have left the cotton warp and weft untouched. Moths clearly have no interest in devouring cotton when so much wool is available. Below, the moth damage is more subtle - the hole was caused by something else, but the white sticky areas are evidence of a past moth infestation.
Below, the white glue-like areas are examples of a live moth infestation in this Persian rug.
