Hungry Moths

Moths can do an extraordinary amount of damage to wool rugs.  One of the most remarkable things about moths is that they have strong preferences for certain wools.  Notice how the "carved" out areas (actually the areas eaten by moths) are all concentrated in what was once the light blue curvilinear motifs.  The dark blue background, also made of wool, was largely unaffected.  The white warp and weft (the white grid like structure), which are made of cotton, didn't entice the moths' appetites either.   Repairing this kind of moth damage is possible, after a thorough professional cleaning to ensure that the active moths and their larvae are eliminated.  However, prevention would go a long way to ensure that this moth damage doesn't occur again.  We've written about this before but we can't stress enough how just a few steps can help owners minimize the risk of moths damaging their valuable rugs:  (1) always professionally clean any rugs or kilims before storing them; (2) never store rugs in plastic or in dark humid areas such as closets; (3) periodically inspect rugs for active larvae; (4) expose your rug to sunlight and well ventilated areas; and (5) never place your rugs where there is a known moth infestation.  --http://www.traditionalrugrepair.com/rug_cleaning