Remember, it is the carpet moth larvae that hatch from the eggs that do the damage to your clothes-adult flying clothes moths do not eat, but if they are able to mate, the females then lay hundreds of eggs in their short lifetime. Eggs hatch into larvae and larvae pupate into carpet moths .
Carpet moths can lay up to 200-300 eggs at a time and they’re so small you’d hardly notice them. The active larvae though are a little more obvious.
This of course begs the question “How long does it take for Moths to hatch?”
It usually takes 4-10 days for moth eggs to hatch, though this depends greatly on humidity and temperature levels. Larval Stage of Clothes Moths The next stage is where moths are most destructive. With an insatiable hunger, the newly hatched larvae swarm their food source and gnaw away, gaining nourishment that helps them grow.
The Lifecycle of a Carpet Moth Where the environment offers ideal levels of heat and humidity, an egg can develop into an adult moth within as little as 2 months ; however, if the levels of heat and humidity differ, the lifecycle can take up to 2 years.
What do carpet moths eggs look like?
You are unlikely to easily see carpet moth eggs which are white or cream in color and usually fall into the weave or pile of carpets. It is important to distinguish between carpet moths and pantry moths – they are attracted to very different pheromones / moth traps.
Case-bearing carpet moth eggs are whitish in colour. Their larvae are more distinctive as they are opaque white with brown heads; however, the grub weaves a silken case around itself as it grows, which seals when it is large enough so the grub can pupate.
Webbing moths and case-bearing moths both lay eggs amid the fabrics the hatchlings will devour. The eggs are very tiny and hard to spot (about 0.5mm), but they look like small white orbs laid in a line or cluster.
You can hardly see Moth eggs on clothes. Pantry Moth Larvae have a similar life cycle but the adult Moths look for dried foods to lay their eggs.
What do carpet beetle larvae look like?
Instead of elongated thin bodies, carpet beetle larvae have round bodies that are covered in small spiky hairs. So, if they are not carpet beetle larvae, what are they?
The carpet white worms will appear as small white worms, about half an inch in length. They may also be brown or have brown tips. Due to their size and color, they can be very hard to spot in a carpet pile or inside furniture.
They could be spider larvae, moth larvae, fly larvae, beetle larvae, etc. And when they grow up, those worm-like looking things will turn into insects. Depending on the type of larvae that we’re encountering, we’re going to take a different approach to get rid of them.
What are the worms in my carpet?
What you might think is worms in your carpet is most likely the larvae of assorted insect species, such as spider, moth and fly larvae. No matter what type of larvae you are dealing with, it is best to remove them as quickly as possible through meticulous cleaning.
In 99.99% of cases, those tiny worms are actually larvae. They could be spider larvae, moth larvae, fly larvae, beetle larvae, etc. And when they grow up, those worm-like looking things will turn into insects. Depending on the type of larvae that we’re encountering, we’re going to take a different approach to get rid of them.