Damage where nobody walks is the tell. Edges, corners and under furniture are exactly where larvae want to be and exactly where wear does not happen.
Very often, yes. Carpet moth larvae need darkness and no disturbance, and the strip of carpet along a skirting is the least disturbed part of any room.
Damage where nobody walks is the diagnostic. Ordinary wear happens in doorways and on the middle of stair treads, not along a skirting behind a sofa.
The same logic explains the other classic locations: under the sofa, behind a permanently open door, under a rug, and at the sides of stair treads.
| Fabric pest | Ordinary wear | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Edges, corners, under furniture | Doorways, walked routes, stair middles |
| Pattern | Irregular patches, sharply defined | Gradual, diffuse |
| Pile | Grazed to the backing | Flattened and matted |
| Webbing | Sometimes present | Never |
| Larvae or skins | Sometimes present | Never |
| Progression | Spreads outward over months | Stable for years |
Wear is where feet go. Fabric pest damage is precisely where they do not. Once you see that, most cases identify themselves.
See our full carpet moth treatment service, published room prices and what treatment covers.
View Carpet Moth Control Kenton →On the damp point: if the edge feels damp, deal with the damp. It is a building question rather than a pest one, though the two can coexist.
| What is present | Which |
|---|---|
| Silk webbing and smooth cream larvae | Carpet moth |
| Brown bristly larvae and shed skins | Carpet beetle |
| Small pale moths scuttling at the skirting | Carpet moth |
| Small mottled beetles on the windowsill | Carpet beetle |
| Damage only, nothing else visible | Either — treatment is the same |
Both are £180 for the first room and £60 for each additional. The distinction changes where we look, not what it costs.
Read nextCarpet Beetle Control Kenton →Not for pest reasons. Treatment does not require lifting or replacing it.
Along continuous wool carpet, yes, over time. A threshold bar slows it considerably.
Months. Visible bare patches mean it has been established for a while.
Damage at a soffit rather than a skirting can mean wasps — £90 fixed in Kenton, guaranteed.
Very often. Larvae need darkness and no disturbance, and the strip along a skirting is the least disturbed part of a room.
Wear happens in doorways and on walked routes. Pest damage happens where nobody walks — edges, corners and under furniture.
Damp at a skirting rotting the backing, a pet scratching, old gripper damage, or sun bleaching at a window.
Run a hand along the edge, look for silk webbing or shed skins, lift the carpet edge at the gripper if you can, and photograph it to see whether it spreads.
Silk webbing and smooth cream larvae means moths. Brown bristly larvae and shed skins means beetles. Both are £180 for the first room.
No — eaten wool does not grow back. A fitter can sometimes patch from an offcut, but deal with the infestation first.
Along continuous wool carpet, yes, over time. A threshold bar slows it considerably.
Play mats, rugs, under-bed storage and toy boxes left in one place for months create exactly the conditions larvae want.
Photograph it and check for webbing or shed skins. That usually tells us which pest before we arrive.
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