Moths â€“ a manageable menace Moths are both a menace and a myth for carpet retailers and manufacturers according to the industryâ€™s response to our survey in the summer in which 46% of retailers said that complaints had gone up a lot, especially in the last two or three years. MO â€œWe as an organisation cannot dictate what manufacturers do (and donÂšt) do, but we are certainly getting more and more calls from consumers. Part of the problem I think is the confusing terminology that manufacturers use. Consumers assume that words like â€˜moth resistantâ€™ and â€˜moth proofâ€™ mean that their carpet is immune from moths. Manufacturers insist it is a small problem but I have no doubt it is growing and our fear is that it could become a â€˜bad newsâ€™ story in the media,â€? he added. But the actual number of complaints is still so small that the tabloid mythology of a moth menace is over-stated and many manufacturers are happy to deal with the issue on a case-by-case basis, offering replacements where carpets have been well maintained and still suffered damage. And this is at the heart of the issue.Vigorous and more regular vacuum cleaning is proven to be an almost complete solution to the problem â€“ especially vacuuming in the dark recesses behind furniture where moths larvae likes to lurk. â€œ...retailers should encourage their customers to buy the best vacuum machines available and use them more frequently to reach the parts where moths are likely to lay their eggs.â€? Kevin Hockney, SEBO â€œCenturies' old advice remains strong - It is important to ventilate your home, clean regularly - so keep the vacuum cleaner Â active under beds and furnishings and ensure your wardrobe is not over full providing a hiding place,â€™ says Bridgette Kelly of the Campaign for Wool. â€œMoths love dark, stuffy and undisturbed quarters. Just remember, moths are discriminating against manmade fibres in favour of wool because it is clearly better and safer for them - there is something to be gleaned from that.â€? The other weapon against moths is pesticide treatment of the wool fibre in carpets and this was once an almost universal solution across the industry. But environmental regulations have restricted the ability of wool spinners to treat the fibre in this way with water authorities strictly controlling chemical discharge and only a few manufacturers are still able to apply the treatment. 48 December 2017 new M oth Gua rant ee Vie w in TH TH GU EN EW AR AX M R E INS PL T ?M IZM AC E R [W K E A CA IV M W \PQK VĂ…LM NY RP V IT K PWQK \ WN \P CA ETS 5W M P M \P \P RP M I\ _ QOP Y M[X XZWWĂ… ET A K ]I MKQI M ZM V N][M TQ\a W TTa Q O KPM DA E T U N W V V \PM ]Z X M_ J QKIT[ K MA HE QLM ZW ?M WV\I I W WZV _MTT GE PL IZM N IL L]K\[ [ QV J ) V IV E LQV D MQV JMQV \PMZM L \P O P O W `UQV[\ IXP\P BY DGE NWZM O L M V QOP N W IU Wâ€ŤŮşâ€Ź I\] ]Z K MZ +I ITMVM Ta \ MO TO _Q\ I ZIT M W Z O ] _ ZQV `QK XM\[ ML [\WU P \P P KWU KP TH