Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Wool Eaters

Last winter teeny flying insects showed up in the house. They were minuscule little things which I couldn't identify because of the size. I had a dead one I put on a finger and took a photo, but they were so small I just couldn't figure what they were. It would seem they were some sort of moth. In the spring I had moved the chairs to do the periodic vacuum under them and found this. Yesterday I was steam cleaning the rug and decided everyone should share in my misery. Photos seemed appropriate. I like this rug and I can still use it as long as the chairs stay where they are, which in this small space is about the only choice. As unhappy as this made me, I feel grateful to the little bastards for not eating my other wool rugs. I have checked. I found mothball sachets I can put under furniture throughout the house.




We have a long stretch of pleasant weather showing as far into the month as my app goes. We desperately need rain, not happening. I'm continuing the window washing and rug cleaning over the next couple of days. If I stop to work outside I likely will just stop. I need to get things sorted inside for a reason other than it should be done. I have a house dust allergy. Not barn dust. House dust. Poetic justice. These past few years the minimal has been done in the house. My sinuses have been very unhappy, worse than I can remember for some years. I have air purifiers throughout the house, which helps, but a good cleaning helps even more. In the meantime, I'm kicking up a lot of allergen. Happy days. 




20 comments:

Boud said...

After eating that much rug, I should think the moths would be big enough to see. Dangit. I wonder what they are, or were.
I'm allergic to dust, too, and cleaning kicks it up. I've done much better since I replaced the wall to wall carpet in most of the house.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I need to scrub all the tile in the house after I am done with leaves. Move furniture etc...not a fun job. Really dry here too. Too bad about your rug... darn moths anyway I did not know there were really tiny ones:(

Rita said...

I remember the smell of moth balls! My grandparents used them when they stored seasonal clothes in cedar-lined wardrobes. As a kid I asked Grandpa what that smell was and he told me all about the little moths that love to eat fabric. I seem to remember he said they especially loved wool...which was much more popular long ago when I was a kid. I never actually saw any of the moths or what damage they can do! Wow! So sorry about the beautiful rug!

CheerfulMonk said...

That's too bad about the rug, but I'm glad they didn't do more damage. Kaitlin finally convinced me to hire Merry Maids to do my cleaning. The apartment needed it after I was gone for over six weeks and I was hobbling around on a walker. Now they come every other week for a couple of hours. I keep the place looking neat, and they keep it clean. The joys of being an octogenarian.

Sandra said...

You’d think! I looked them up. There are two types of teeny moths. Flour moths and moth moths I had cloth I don’t know if there are larger cloth moths too. It said they don’t like the smell of lavender so I sprayed it with lavender. Now I’m suffering. I also sensitive to scent. Delicate flower.

Sandra said...

Now you know. Hope you don’t ever have first hand knowledge.

Miss Merry said...

Oh I am so sorry and LIVID on your behalf. Nasty little creepy things.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Such nasty little creepy things

Lori Skoog said...

You are still on a roll!!!!

Ami said...

I had a lovely wool coat many years ago. Had it dry cleaned, bagged it and hung it in a closet in the spring. When it got cold in the winter I got the coat out. I have no idea still how it happened, but there were moth holes all over the damn coat. It's somewhat consoling that even if I still had it, I'm too big to wear it now, so I can't miss it?

Sorry about what the munching monsters did to your beautiful rug!

Val Ewing said...

Now I know what to keep an eye out for. I recall opening up the chest each summer where our clothes were stored in the little house we stayed in and it reeking of moth balls.
I also use moth balls to deter critters in the sheds.
Also just an FYI, the scent of a lot of moth balls in an enclosed room will make you ill.

Sandra said...

Rita, this is my first experience and hopefully my last. They really did a number on the rug.

Sandra said...

You made a wise decision listening to Kaitlin. You were in no condition to do cleaning.

Sandra said...

The bright side is, they left the handwoven rugs alone. I would have been devastated if this happened to one or more of them.

Sandra said...

They are very tiny, Jo-Anne. Who would think something that small could do so much damage.

Sandra said...

I don't know about a roll, Lori, but maybe a stumble along!

Sandra said...

That was an unwelcome surprise for you. I still have a few of those never-to -fit-again items hanging around. Maybe you can miss it a little?

Sandra said...

If you see a very small, almost translucent, double winged insect flitting around quickly, go on the defense. They make lavender scented moth ball sachets. I'll start slow and see how we feel. I don't want this happening again.

Anvilcloud said...

We have little moth tents that we have put in our cupboards. They do the job, but we can’t get rid of them entirely. This is also a new thing in our lives.

Sandra said...

All our lives and we never suffered moths. I'm sure you as well as I could have gone the rest of our lives without them, AC.