Restoration
Moth Damage Repair
Clothes moth larvae eat wool. Not the dye, not the cotton — the protein in the pile itself.
Method
How it is done
Damage is assessed by area and depth: grazed pile can sometimes be evened and left, but anywhere the larvae have reached the foundation needs new wool knotted back in, colour-matched to the surrounding field. The rug is washed first, because eggs and larvae have to be gone before repair or the damage simply resumes underneath the new work.
Why It Matters
What happens if it waits
Moths work in the dark and the still — under furniture, inside a roll, in a closet. By the time damage is visible from standing height it has usually been running for a season or more.
Tell-tale sign: Fine sandy grit under the rug that is actually frass, or pile that pulls away in a tuft when you touch it.