How to Get Rid of Moths in Your Home: Signs, Treatments and Costs Explained

Holes in your favourite jumper. Bald patches creeping along the carpet edge. Small golden moths drifting out of the wardrobe at dusk.

If any of that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Moth infestations have risen sharply across the UK in recent years, and homes in the South West are no exception. Period cottages, wool carpets and rooms that stay undisturbed for months give moths everything they need.

The good news? Moths are beatable. This guide covers how to spot an infestation early, which treatments actually work, and when it's time to call in the professionals.

What causes moth infestations in UK homes?

Two species cause almost all the damage in British households:

Clothes moths, which target wool, cashmere, silk, feathers and fur in wardrobes and drawers
Carpet moths, which graze wool carpets from the edges of rooms and under furniture

Here's the key fact most people miss. Adult moths don't eat anything at all. The damage comes entirely from their larvae, tiny cream-coloured grubs that feed on natural fibres for two months or more before you ever see a flying moth.

That's why infestations grow unnoticed. And it's why killing the moths you can see never solves the problem. The eggs and larvae simply carry on.

Modern homes have made things worse. Central heating keeps moths breeding all year round. Mild winters no longer kill them off. And wardrobes full of natural fibres give the larvae an endless food supply.

Signs of a moth infestation

Catch moths early and they're a minor job. Watch for these warning signs:

Small, irregular holes in wool, cashmere or silk clothing
Threadbare patches on carpets, usually at room edges and under furniture
Fine, silky webbing in wardrobe corners or along skirting boards
Tiny tube-shaped cases, about the size of a rice grain, on carpets or stored textiles
Gritty, sand-like debris in drawers and cupboards
Adult moths making short, weak flights in the evening

One moth might mean nothing. Several sightings a week, or damage in more than one room, points to an established breeding population.

How to get rid of moths yourself

For light infestations caught early, a determined DIY campaign can work. It rests on four pillars.

Vacuum daily. This is genuinely the most effective free weapon you have. Go hard on carpet edges, corners and under furniture, where larvae hide. Empty the vacuum outside every time.
Use heat or cold. Washing clothes at 55 degrees or higher kills every moth life stage. For delicates that can't take the heat, seal them in bags and freeze for two weeks instead.
Set pheromone traps. These sticky traps cost a few pounds and catch adult male moths. They won't end an infestation on their own, but they tell you whether your efforts are working. Fewer catches each week means you're winning.
Store clothes properly. Moth larvae love unwashed fibres carrying traces of sweat and skin. Always store woollens clean, and keep off-season knitwear in sealed bags or airtight boxes.

Give this routine two to three weeks of genuine effort. If the traps empty out and no new damage appears, you've likely won.

When DIY isn't enough

Here's where honesty matters. Established infestations usually survive DIY treatment.

Larvae hidden under fitted wardrobes, inside floor voids or across multiple rooms are beyond the reach of surface sprays. Many households spend months buying product after product while the moths quietly keep eating. The carpet damage alone often ends up costing far more than professional treatment would have.

Call in the professionals if:

Damage keeps appearing despite several weeks of treatment
You're finding moths in more than one room
The infestation is in fitted carpets
A previous treatment has already failed

Who you call depends partly on where you are and what you're protecting. In the capital, where flats and period properties make infestations especially stubborn, established firms offering expert moth control in London will survey the property first and quote based on how far the problem has actually spread. That survey matters. Moth infestations are almost always bigger than the visible damage suggests.

For wardrobe-focused problems, or homes with valuable knitwear and textiles at stake, it's worth seeking outspecialists in treating moth infestations rather than a general pest company. Moth jobs succeed or fail on detail. Correct species identification, treatment of stored textiles and follow-up visits timed to the egg-hatching cycle all decide whether the problem ends or returns. A dedicated specialist lives and breathes exactly those details.

How much does moth treatment cost in the UK?

Prices vary by company, property size and severity, but as a rough guide:

DIY products: £30 to £60 for traps, sprays and storage bags
Single room professional treatment: £80 to £150, usually over two visits
Whole house treatment: £150 to £400 for a typical family home
Heat treatment: from £300, killing all life stages in a single chemical-free session

Set those figures against the damage. A ruined wool carpet costs £30 to £60 per square metre to replace. A single cashmere jumper can be £150. Viewed that way, professional treatment is less an expense than an insurance payout you control the timing of.

How to prevent moths coming back

Whichever way you win, a few cheap habits keep moths from returning:

Store clean. Never put clothes away dirty at the end of a season
Seal the valuables. Airtight bags or boxes for cashmere, wool and heirloom textiles
Disturb the quiet spots. Move furniture occasionally, vacuum beneath it, and air stored clothes twice a year
Keep one trap running. A permanent pheromone trap in the wardrobe is the cheapest early-warning system money can buy

Cedar blocks and lavender bags smell lovely and deter mildly. But they won't stop a hungry larva. Sealed storage will.

The bottom line

Moths punish delay more than almost any other household pest. Every week of waiting means more eggs laid, more fibres eaten and a bigger bill at the end.

Act on the first hole rather than the fifth. Fight the larvae, not the flutterers. Whether you win with a vacuum cleaner and a freezer or with professional help, the moths in your home are entirely beatable, and your jumpers, carpets and wallet will all be better for starting today.