To prevent larvae-ridden clothes, your storage needs to be airtight. Vacuum-sealed bags or airtight storage containers lined with cotton work well for short-term and seasonal storage. If moth larvae are really doing major damage to your wardrobe options, you need to get the situation under control.
Our trained technicians can help you do just that by working with you to create a moth control plan that fits your needs. There you have it. You now know why moth larvae leave holes in clothes, as well as ways you can try to protect your closet from a moth infestation. Some beetles and other insects do, too. Be certain to ask your pest control technician what steps you need to take to protect your wardrobe from all critters that damage clothes.
Bed bugs are travelers. Before moving into your mattress or settling down in your nightstand, they may have lived in a hotel, office, school or other place where people gather. Because bed bugs can attach themselves to clothes, furniture, luggage and even your pets, they can also hitch a ride in your car, rental vehicle, taxi or rideshare.
This gives them easy access to anything you transport with you and a free ride to everywhere you go, including your home. But there's a reason why this saying is so old and so well known: bed bugs have been around for a very long time.
These pesky insects have recently seen a resurgence in population and now, it's more likely than ever that you or someone you know will eventually deal with some kind of bed bug infestation. Suddenly, that phrase takes on a whole new significance!
Clothes moths are not specifically into fashion and can be a problem for your whole house. This is because they are attracted to natural fibres and of course these can be found anywhere around your home not just the wardrobe. So, before you attempt to get rid of clothes moths, a good question to ask yourself is what materials do moths eat?
Natural fibres contain a specific protein called keratin which the larvae convert into useful nutrients. Those of us who have battled, and I mean really battled clothes moths, will understand the distress it causes. You clean out your wardrobe, have everything dry cleaned, throw away and replace non-salvageable items at great expense only to find a year later that you have to do the same thing all over again. It is highly likely you have a secret population residing elsewhere in your home waiting to re-infest.
Understanding what clothes moths eat will help you to go through your entire home and find the likely hiding places, bearing in mind there could be more than one. This will help you formulate your clothes moth eradication plan.
Take one room at a time. Inspect all the items that include natural fibres. Moths lay their eggs in dark protected locations where they are unlikely to be disturbed, so to find the moth larva, you have to think like a moth.
Inspect natural wool carpets and rugs. We also can help identify your specific moth species if you are unsure. Learn more about wool moth traps , our powerful pheromone moth traps designed to help prevent clothes moths from eating your precious cashmere. We have a separate blog post on how to get rid of pantry moths and Pantry Moth Traps if that's your concern.
Please remember that if you need any guidance on treatments, identification of Moths or anything else, we are here to help - Contact Us at help mothprevention. We have developed professional grade solutions including proprietary pheromones, not available from anybody else in the USA, and engineered in Germany to the highest production standards.
Why Do Moths Eat Clothes? September 28, That may seem like an obvious statement, but it is important to know that there are a wide variety of moths, and only a subset of those cause damage. Lifecycle Stages Adult clothes moths only live for around one month and their sole purpose is to mate and for the female clothes moth to lay eggs. Why do Moths Eat Clothes? 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. Two complete lifecycles per year are typical in the warm, comfortable climates found in the average home.
Webbing moths are a little easier to spot — the webs, although small, can often be spotted with the naked eye. Adult clothing moths tend to flutter around the area of infestation.
Pantry moths, on the other hand, will fly around your home seeking alternative food sources. The easiest way to spot a clothing moth infestation, however, is from the damage on your clothes. Moths prefer to eat along collars and cuffs or within hidden places along the seams.
Holes vary in size, but there may be several spots in a single garment where the material is eaten straight through. Clothes moths can enter your home in several ways. Newly purchased items can harbor eggs, especially if purchased from resale shops. Perspiration, urine, food stains and moisture attract the adult moths, so cleaning your clothes before storing them is essential. Dry-cleaning wool, silk and other fine fabrics is highly recommended. Not only does the dry-cleaning process avoid adding moisture to the garments, which attracts the moths, it also kills any existing larvae.
Keeping your home clean also prevents moth infestations. Vacuuming living areas as well as closets can reduce or eliminate pests as the vacuum cleaner traps eggs and larvae. Move heavy furniture, including couches, and vacuum underneath. Run a vacuum cleaner over the baseboards in your clothes closet and along the floorboards to sweep up any hidden larvae.
Empty the vacuum cleaner bag in the trash immediately after cleaning to prevent any survivors from emerging and re-infesting your home. There are several steps you can take to get rid of clothes moths.
If you discover clothes moths, clean or launder your clothing, use the methods above and vacuum out the area where your clothes were stored. For a severe infestation, remove all items from the closet. Air them in bright sunlight and have them professionally cleaned.
Or, if you can launder them at home, wash them in hot, soapy water for at least a half hour. Nothing is worse than opening a box of cereal and seeing it squirm with pantry moth larvae. Even the cleanest pantries and kitchens can be infested with the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella. Take these steps immediately to eliminate moths before your food supply is contaminated.
Unlike clothes moths, which tend to stay close to their food source at all stages of the lifecycle, pantry moths can fly great distances around your home to find new food sources. Larvae will also crawl out of containers to pupate in remote places in your home. Most pantry moths enter the home through infested foods. Their favorite foods include any grain products such as flour, cereal, cornmeal, rice and nuts, but they will also infest birdseed, pet food, dried pasta and dried fruit.
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