Stop Moths From Eating Your Clothes
Have you opened up your closet to find the smallest of holes in your favorite sweater? If you have not ripped or torn this article of clothing it’s likely you have a clothes moth infestation. This type of moth harbors itself near clothing and love feeding on cashmere sweaters. Usually found in closets where they can easily feed on wool and cashmere along with other natural fibers, in no time at all adult clothes moths will be seen fluttering around when disturbed. Obviously, clothes moths are a problem but, what does it take to stop moths from eating your clothes? First, we must understand the nature of clothes moths and in this post we are going to educate you about them so you can save your wardrobe.
How To Get Rid Of Clothes Moths
There are two main types of moths that damage clothing – the webbing clothes moth, and the casemaking clothes moths.
What’s worse the adult, eggs or larvae?
What’s important to remember is that the adult clothes moths you see flying around do not damage the fabric of your clothing. The larvae do this type of damage as they feed on natural fibers readily supplied to them in your closets.
Unlike pantry moths, which feed on grains and other stored products in or near your kitchen, the webbing and casemaking clothes moths prefer hiding out in the dark of your closets or storage chests. This type of moth can be found frequently in attics and basements as well. All that is needed is a dark place where you store clothing made from natural fibers. Another reason these clothes moths seek refuge in closets is because clothes moth larvae need keratin to fully develop. Keratin is a protein found in skin cells. This same protein is found in animal based products such as leather.
The females clothes moth lays her eggs on keratin-rich materials. Once the eggs hatch, larvae have plenty of food to feed on and mature. The Webbing’s moth larvae spin feeding tunnels to travel through as they feed. These web tunnels are the same color as the material they feed on.
Casemaking moth larvae spin a tiny case they carry with them as they feed. Like the webbing spun from the Webbings moth, this tiny web case will be the same color as the material they feed on. Due to their size, there is no sense in looking for the larvae because they are almost impossible to find. Pest professionals like the ones with Around The Clock Pest can help determine if these moths are present in your home.
PREVENTING CLOTHES MOTHS (Clothing Care)
More often than not, pest control services will be needed to properly get rid of clothes moths. But there are ways to care for your clothing as well as knowing how to store clothing. Taking these steps will help prevent clothes moths from eating your shirts and sweaters. Below you’ll find three ways to help prevent clothes moths from becoming a problem in your home.
Cedar: Placing small blocks of cedar wood in drawers and closets help repel clothes moths but, keep in mind they do nothing for clothes moth larvae. It’s a good idea to gently sand the blocks of cedar every two-three months, or you can simply wet the surface of the wood to release its aromatic repellent.
Storage Bags: Before storing clothing for the summer or winter, wash or dry according to the manufacturer to kill any larvae that might be present. One natural way to kill adult, eggs and larvae is to place articles of clothing in plastic bags and freeze for 10 days. You may also wash or dry clean your clothing before storing.
Storage: To prevent adult clothing moths and their eggs and larvae from getting into clothing, use storage containers. They must be airtight. Airtight storage containers lined with cotton work well for seasonal storage.