When you find holes in your clothing, it’s easy to blame all moths for your wardrobe misfortune. However, before you start pointing fingers at every moth you see, you should know that adult moths don’t actually eat clothing. In fact, the majority of adult moths don’t eat anything at all. Some moths don’t even have mouths! When it comes to your clothes, only one species eats clothing: the clothes moth. What’s more, it’s not even the adult clothes moth that is responsible for damaging your belongings, it’s the clothes moth larvae.
What do Clothes Moths Look Like?
While clothes moths may look similar to common household moths, such as thepantry moth, their food preferences differ. Instead of grains, flour, pasta, and cereal, clothes moths feed on animal fibers containing keratin. This includes wool, fur, silk, feathers, and leather. For the most part, clothes moths do not feed on cotton or synthetic fabrics unless they are blended with animal fibers or are heavily soiled.
One thing that is important to note is that the damage caused by clothes moths is similar to that of the carpet beetle. Since carpet beetles feed on similar materials as clothes moths, it is common to lay the blame on clothes moths when in actuality; you could be dealing with carpet beetles. As a result, proper identification is key.
Identifying clothes moths can be difficult, especially given their small size. For the most part, there are two types of clothes moths that cause problems for homeowners – the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. In addition to a similar size, the webbing clothes moth and casemaking clothes moth look similar in appearance as well. The major difference is that a webbing clothes moth is golden, tan in color and the casemaking clothes moth has wings with dark specks on it.
Adults clothes moths lay between 40-50 tiny eggs on susceptible materials. These eggs will then hatch into fabric-eating larvae. Clothes moth larvae look like small creamy-white caterpillars. As the larvae develop and graze along the clothing surface, threadbare spots will occur.
Where do Clothes Moths Come From?
Unlike the moths you see fluttering towards a light source, clothes moths actually hate the light. Instead, clothes moths prefer dark secluded areas. Clothes moths can get into your home by simply flying through an open door or window. Given their small size, it is easy for clothes moths to get into belongings without you noticing them. If you’re a fan of consignment stores and thrift shops, clothes moths may get into your home by way of second-hand clothing or furniture. Furthermore, clothing and furniture kept in storage, sheds, or garages are susceptible to clothes moths as well. However, no matter how they get into your home, there are a number of ways to prevent clothes moths and if you do have them, get rid of them.
How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths
To determine whether you have a clothes moth infestation, you must first thoroughly inspect any susceptible items. This could be anything from a wool scarf, an old rug, a second-hand sofa, or a taxidermy stuffed animal. If you find clothes moths in your belongings, you should take the following steps:
Dispose of items that have been destroyed by clothes moths, or are past the point of repair.
Thoroughly clean your clothes by taking them to a dry cleaner or washing them in hot water.
Deep clean and vacuum carpeted areas, rugs and closets thoroughly. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag immediately.
Freeze any items you cannot wash or dry clean for 72 hours.
Call a pest control expert.
Unfortunately, when you are trying to get rid of clothes moths yourself, it’s hard to be successful on the first try. If you find yourself with a clothes moth situation, your best bet is to call a pest control expert such as Aptive Environmental. An Aptive pest specialist will be able to identify vulnerable materials and problem areas in your home, and can determine the most effective treatment option based on your needs.
Start protecting your home bycalling your local Aptive Environmental branchtoday.
FAQs
Most moths in the home are actually feeding on plants. Anything longer than 1 cm is likely not eating your clothing. Only two moth species can damage your textiles: The casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) most commonly infest clothing (PDF).
What moths don't eat clothes? ›
Adult webbing clothes moths are a uniform, buff-color, with a small tuft of reddish hairs on top of the head. Casemaking clothes moths are similar in appearance, but have dark specks on the wings. Clothes moth adults do not feed so they cause no injury to fabrics.
Are all moths pest? ›
While some are harmless and others are known to be beneficial for their silk and nutritional value, most moths and caterpillars are considered nuisance pests. A few, including the Io moth, the saddleback caterpillar moth and the southern flannel moth, are more concerning because the larvae can sting.
How effective are clothes moth traps? ›
Moth traps can reduce the spread of infestation by reducing the numbers of active breeding pairs, but the impact is so minimal that it's barely worth mentioning.
How many moths actually eat clothes? ›
There are primarily only two species of moths that damage clothes in the U.S.—the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth. Both are members of the family Tineidae bisselliella.
Are all holes in clothes from moths? ›
Moths are a prime suspect when it comes to holes in your clothes, especially if those clothes are made of natural materials like wool, silk, cashmere, and so on. However, there are some other bugs to keep an eye out for as well like silverfish, co*ckroaches, and carpet beetles.
How to tell if moths are eating your clothes? ›
The first symptom you'll probably spot is tiny holes in your clothing, or thinner patches in your carpets, curtains, rugs or furnishings. These holes get bigger over time as the larvae grows and eats more. Clothes moth larvae also produce white webbing, which they feed under. They may leave trails of this behind.
Are clothes moths still a problem? ›
But, even though they don't do damage, they are still a problem. Their purpose is to lay eggs. The more eggs they are able to lay, the more eggs you'll have hatching inside your home, and the more fabric-eating larvae you'll have crawling around.
What temperature kills clothes moths? ›
Freezing infested woolens can work to kill clothes moths if there is an abrupt change from warm (70° F; 21° C) to freezing (0° F; - 18° C) and leaving the items for at least 72 hours once the material reaches 0° F.
What is the best deterrent for moths? ›
Cedar wood rings in your wardrobe or drawers can help deter moths. Spritz carpets with lavender. Make a natural repellent by adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to water in a spray bottle. Shake well then spray your carpet and clothes lightly.
Insectrol Insect Killer Powder is a fast and effective insecticidal powder that kills moths.
Do some moths not eat? ›
1. Some moths don't have mouths. For example, the beautiful Luna moth does not have a mouth—so cannot eat—and will live only for about one week, with the singular purpose of mating!
Why are my clothes moth traps not working? ›
If you move the traps and still don't catch any moths, it means that either the infestation is under control or there are no adult male moths active at that time. Don't remove your traps just yet! Immature male moths could still be present and won't be attracted to the trap until they have fully matured.
Why is my moth trap not working? ›
Why are my traps not catching anything? There are no active male moths in the area - that's good news! Make sure your traps aren't near moth repellents as this will reduce their effectiveness. For example, if you have lavender sachets or cedar wood in your wardrobe it should be removed before placing a trap in there.
What keeps clothing moths away? ›
When it comes to moth prevention, mothballs are considered the classic technique, and for good reason. Mothballs contain paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene, substances that are lethal to moths. Line your shelves and drawers with these to keep the critters away.
What is the difference between clothes moths and pantry moths? ›
A: These two types of pests can be difficult to distinguish, because the moths are all about ½ inch long. Pantry pests have wings with sections that are different colors, while closet moths are a single color (beige or tan), and their wings end with furry-looking hairs.
Do pantry moths eat holes in clothes? ›
Adult moths don't eat clothes, but their larvae do. Webbing Moth Larvae emerge from the eggs and eat through natural fabrics. They can damage clothes, carpets, blankets, and all kinds of home textiles. Things like wool, cashmere, leather, silk, and fur are particularly tasty to moth larvae.
How to tell if holes in clothes are from moths? ›
Moth holes typically appear as small, irregularly shaped openings in your clothing. They can range in size from tiny pinpricks to larger holes, depending on the severity of the infestation. Moth holes often have a frayed or jagged edge, distinguishing them from holes caused by other factors like wear and tear or snags.
