Preservation · 9 min

Preventing and treating moth damage in wool rugs

Editorial team · updated 2026-10-03

Signs

  • Bare patches where pile is grazed
  • Silky tubes or casings
  • Small larvae or moths when the rug is moved

Prevention

Vacuum under furniture, rotate rugs and avoid long dark storage. Store rugs clean, rolled and wrapped in breathable fabric.

Treatment

Isolate the rug and ask a specialist about freezing or controlled treatments. Repairs should be done by an experienced reweaver.

A note on this guide

This guide is general information from the CraftPersia editorial team and has not been reviewed by a specialist. Prices, workshop locations and practices change; check current details before travelling or buying.

Related photographs

Related photographs: Wikimedia Commons photograph
Author unconfirmed; Commons attributes Fabienkhan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image source ↗
Related photographs: Wikimedia Commons photograph
Unknown tribal weaver; photograph by auction house (per Commons) · Public domain (per Wikimedia Commons) · Image source ↗
Related photographs: Wikimedia Commons photograph
Sr3207 / Farwayart · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Image source ↗

Representative photographs, not of any specific catalogued object. Sources on the credits page.