About a week ago a reader asked us if it was possible that she has “cloth worms” living in her carpet. She wrote that she noticed a cocoon of sorts hanging from her ceiling, but didn’t think too much of it. However, she then realized there were small white things in her carpet, and that these small things were in fact worms (or organisms that looked like worms). She thinks they may be eating her carpet and wonders if these creatures could be inhabiting her carpet. She signed off by informing us that she was going to have the carpet removed and replaced for peace of mind, but is curious if an exterminator should come take a look before the new carpet is put into place.

We don’t have a photo to use in order to confirm the identity of these small white specimens, but we think our reader is on to something. We suspect she is confusing “cloth worms” with “clothes moth larvae”, which match the description of the creatures our reader found. These tiny white larvae eat on plants when they are outdoors, but if they find their way into a house they munch on clothing and carpeting. Getting rid of her carpet is a good first step to take when getting rid of these larvae. However, our reader might also want to check out other areas of her home that these creatures might have gotten into. Clothing, linens, upholstered furniture, and other carpeted areas are a good place to start. If her house is carpeted, vacuuming can suck up eggs and larvae that are in the carpet. In general, keeping a clean house is the best way to keep away pests.

In summary, a reader asked us if we thought her carpet could be inhabited by clothes moth larvae. We think there is definitely a possibility that this is the case, but we cannot confirm for certain without a photo.

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