Are you forever finding holes in your clothes? If yes then your wardrobe could be infested with clothes moths.
There are two main types of clothes moths. The first is the Webbing Clothes Moth, or Tineola bisselliella (pictured above), if you can say it. This little clothes muncher loves to feast on wool, but will nibble on many other animal-based natural fibres like cashmere, angora, silk, leather, fur and feathers.
The Webbing Clothes Moth prefers to live in dark and moist conditions. The females lay eggs that then hatch four to ten days later into near-microscopic white caterpillars. These immediately begin to feed before transforming into adult moths. Once they are fully grown, they no longer feed as their aim now is just to reproduce. The adults are small with an orangey-red head and golden-yellow wings – if you spot one of these creeping into your closet, it’s time to take action.
The second type of clothes moth is the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella). This particular moth is silvery grey to shiny light brown in colour, with dark greyish hairs on the top of its head. Its forewings are a browny colour with one large spot and a few smaller. The larvae of the Case-bearing Clothes Moth mainly eat hairs and feathers. They become a pest when they feed on carpets, furs, upholstery, and woollen fabrics.
So what do you do if you spot one of the above sneaking into your sweatshirts?
It’s going to be a mission but here goes…
Step 1. If you have identified that you have a moth infestation in your closet then step one for you is to set moth traps. To take care of the immediate problem, trap them with pheromone moth traps. These attract the moths and kill them with a sticky substance that they can’t escape from once they’ve touched it.
You can also make your own moth traps with flypaper and fish oil, which attracts moths. Put a bit on some fly paper and hang it inside your closet.
Step 2. Wash your clothes and if possible, put them through a hot dryer. If you have any items that can’t be dried on a high heat, place them in the freezer for a few days to kill any eggs. As well as your clothes, wash any other cloth items stored in your closet like bags or suitcases.
Step 3. Now that everything inside the closet has been removed and cleaned, it’s time to scrub it from top to bottom to get rid of moth eggs that might still be lurking around.
The best way to do this is to use soapy water or a vinegar and water solution to clean the closet floor and walls. Dip a sponge scrubber into the solution and scrub the walls to scratch off all the eggs. Clean especially well in cracks and crevices. This may seem like a lengthy task that you don’t really want to spend your Saturday afternoon doing but it’s better than having holes in all of your clothes.
Once you have completed all three steps you should have successfully eliminated all unwanted guests and your clothes should once again be safe. Mission Complete!
Alternatively if you haven’t got time to do all of the above, give us a call on 01273 775941 or 01444 616832. We will soon sort out those unwanted nuisances.