When a rug is to be stored for more than a few months, it should be cleaned, sprayed with insecticide, and wrapped in protective plastic or a tough synthetic like “Tyvek”® building paper.
You can use thick brown wrapping paper too. Make sure the rug is completely dry. Store the rug in a clean/dry area, out of reach of squirrels or other rodents. Periodic inspection of the rug is strongly recommended. Think twice about using moth balls or flakes– these materials have little repellent effect and the odor imparted to the rug can be difficult to remove. Cedar scent is useless in moth control.
Flying clothes moths do not eat your rugs, but females lay hundreds of eggs which hatch into larvae who consume wool, fur, feather, and silk fibers. Moths and their larvae thrive in dark, undisturbed areas where a rug gets little traffic and is not often vacuumed. A bad infestation sometimes leaves a cobweb-like veil in the area of the damage, along with fine, sand-like debris.
An infestation often involves more than one rug and can spread to (or from) woolens, furs, or sweaters. A rug damaged by moths is not difficult to repair, but reweaving large areas of the rug can be expensive.
