Why do moths eat clothing

Infested clothing or bedding should not be treated with insecticides. Elimination of persistent infestations in homes or businesses may require the help of a professional pest control firm. Woolens and other susceptible items should be dry-cleaned or laundered before being stored for long periods. Cleaning kills any eggs or larvae that may be present, and removes perspiration odors that tend to attract pests. Articles to be stored should then be packed in tight-fitting plastic bags or containers.

Householders intending to use moth-deterring balls, flakes or crystals should carefully read and follow label directions. The volatile, odiferous products containing naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene can be hazardous if used incorrectly. Never scatter them in open closets or other areas where children or pets can reach them. The vapors from these materials are only effective if maintained at sufficient concentrations. Valuable garments such as furs can also be protected from clothes moths by storing them in cold vaults, a service offered by some furriers and department stores.

Contrary to popular belief, cedar closets or chests are seldom effective in deterring clothes moths because the seal is insufficient to maintain lethal or repellent concentrations of the volatile oil of cedar. Detecting Infestations. Museums, rug-dealers, craft shops, furriers and taxidermists have much at stake in preventing clothes moths. Museum artifacts, in particular, can be irreparably harmed by these pests making prevention a necessity.

To minimize risk to collections, vulnerable items should be routinely monitored for signs of moth activity. Glue traps provisioned with a pheromone lure are also useful for detecting infestations. The lure mimics the sex pheromone of the female clothes moth and is highly attractive to the males. The traps are particularly effective at revealing infestations in the early stages when the pests are hard to find by inspection alone.

In large storage or display areas, the devices can be installed in a grid pattern to help pinpoint infested materials, i. Since webbing and casemaking clothes moths each have their own unique pheromone odor, it is important to know which type of moth you have before ordering. Thermal Disinfestation.

Insecticide sprays tend to be of limited use for clothes moths, since the pests are often within materials where sprays cannot penetrate.

So how can they be eating the clothes in your drawers? Before they grow into adults, moth larvae will need to feed — and they have quite a specific diet.

There are many species of moths living in the UK — over have been recorded — but not every single one will spawn larvae that have a natural taste for tshirts. An adult moth can lay up to 1, eggs — but why do they choose to spawn their young right in the middle of your wardrobe? Moths like to breed in dark, warm conditions. Ideally, too, they will want to provide a nearby food source for the larvae once the eggs hatch; add all of this together and your wardrobe or drawers rise to the top of the list.

Moth larvae are particularly attracted to moist clothes — that includes dirty or sweaty clothes you might have neglected to wash. Putting this together, and considering our busy lifestyles, the following common scenarios show how our homes can easily create the perfect breeding ground for clothes moths: Under the sofa - heavy furniture is difficult to move, vacuuming is often a quick chore, and moths love darker undisturbed places to lay their eggs - furniture often sits on natural wool carpets or rugs.

In the wardrobe in the spare bedroom - through the summer months, heavier winter clothing sweaters and coats in particular are often stored hung in wardrobe or folded in dresser drawers. They are not always stored in breathable, moth-proof garment storage bags, and often lay untouched for months on end.

Often these items lay unmoved in the dark for years, and so creating the perfect environment for a really serious clothes moth infestation. It may be only time before the moths migrate to your wardrobe in search of the soft, tasty cashmere!

Do Moths Eat Other Fabrics? How can you tell if you have or are soon going to have moth damage? So, there are visual clues to tell if you have a problem with moths eating clothes and other home textiles: Can you see any webbing thin, translucent, like spun silk or cases from clothes moths?

Have you seen adult clothes moths flying or more likely resting in dark places? Lambswool vs Merino Wool September 29, Read article ». What Are Mothballs Used For? September 23, Read article ». You Can Do It!

And that problems all starts with some tiny insects known as clothes moths. There are primarily only two species of moths that damage clothes in the U. Both are members of the family Tineidae bisselliella. Many people are under the impression that the adult moths named above are the culprits when it comes to the holes in cashmere cardigans or wool jackets. This is likely because the adult moths are more visible.

Their larvae do, however, and they like to feed on the natural fibers of your wardrobe. But why do the adult moths choose your closet as a breeding ground in the first place?

And how exactly do their larvae leave holes in your clothing? Well, unlike many other species of moths which are attracted to light , adult webbing and casemaking clothes moths like the dark. The second reason is because their bouncing baby larvae require keratin to develop. Keratin is a protein found in your skin, hair and fingernails.

The adult moths lay their eggs — lots and lots of eggs — on keratin-rich materials so that the larvae will have plenty of nourishment as they grow. Webbing clothes moth larvae spin little tunnels that they travel through as they devour your sweaters and coats. These feeding tunnels are often the same color as the material of the clothes the moth larvae is damaging, as the tunnels are made of fabric particles and excrement.

Casemaking clothes moth larvae, on the other hand, have portable cases that they carry along with them as they feed.