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Post by navajobug on Feb 28, 2013 7:40:33 GMT -8
We live in Rochester NY and bought a black and white Navajo rug in Tucson AZ over 30 years ago. Recently we found the larva? pictured infesting the rug. After doing my online research, I am guessing this is a case-making carpet moth? The pattern seems to be the same on all of the cases. Is my id correct, and is the pattern unique to a species or does the pattern vary with the environment of the larva? Larva does appear at times to extend out both sides of the case at the same time. We've put the rug (It's quite small) in the freezer. Will that kill these larva? Attachments:
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Post by jshuey on Feb 28, 2013 11:41:23 GMT -8
I've never seen that fancy of a case - but I'm pretty sure that you have IDed it correctly.
Freezing should work, but just to be sure, I would treat it with permithrin as well (sold as a long-lasting insect repelent under several brand names - like permenone). This long-lasting, but pretty mild insecticide should finish off any eggs that might survive freezing.
shuey
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 28, 2013 11:47:18 GMT -8
These do look like moth larvae, but I'm not familiar with the species, as I'm right around the other side of the world.
Putting the rug in the freezer will certainly kill the larvae on the rug, but may possibly not kill eggs. I recommend leaving the rug in the freezer for a week, then take it out for 2 weeks and put it back in the freezer again for another week. Any dormant eggs on the rug that survive the first freezing should hatch during the 2 weeks that they are back in normal temperatures.
Note also that adult moths can reinfest the rug at a later stage, or may likely use alternative food (eg a cloth sofa) in the room if the adult moths are still present. I have a similar type of moth in my house, which eats detritus on the walls of the building rather than cloth and don't seem to cause any damage. No matter how many of the larvae we catch they stil survive, usually in small numbers; and new infestations can occur from outside any time.
Adam.
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