Textile eater
Fighting clothes moths: This is how you recognize the infestation – and take action against it
Circular moth holes in clothing are typical of an infestation
You like to eat textiles: clothes moths love wool, but they don’t stop at mixed fabrics either. What many do not know, however, is that it is not the moths that cause the damage, but their larvae.
The clothes moth is a butterfly, but – from a purely visual point of view – has nothing in common with its brightly patterned relatives. On the contrary: the butterfly has yellowish or brown wings that are folded over its back like a shiny roof. A full-grown moth measures just six to nine millimeters, and its eggs are barely visible to the naked eye. However, their presence does not go unnoticed for long once they have attacked an item of clothing that is regularly worn. Because the larvae eat small, circular holes in the textiles. Then you can be sure that you have clothes moths in the apartment. Why the pests like to eat clothes and how to get rid of them is summarized below.
This is why clothes moths love textiles
As already mentioned at the beginning, it is not the clothes moths that feed on the textiles, but their larvae – and this is for the following reason: They need keratin in order to grow. And that’s in animal hair, not just wool, but also leather and furs. Clothes that are made from purely vegetable and synthetic materials (including linen or cotton) therefore normally do not appear on your menu. They cannot be digested by the larvae. The same goes for paper and wood. In nature, the larvae are found in bird nests or breeding grounds for mammals and feed accordingly on the animal hair there.
Since clothes moths react strongly to the smell of wool, fur and leather (or sweat), they also fly into numerous households. The attraction is so great that they squeeze through every crack, no matter how small, to get to the textiles. In summer, of course, the pests have a particularly easy job when the windows are open: a female can lay 100 to 250 eggs, the larvae hatch two weeks later and pupate after three months – preferably in a warm, dry and dark place. Speak in the closet, in holes or cracks. After about 60 days, sometimes it takes several months, they transform into a moth and then only live for 18 days.
This is how you can fight clothes moths
The tricky thing about a clothes moth is that its flight time lasts from May to September – that is, the entire summer when most of the windows are open day and night. In addition, a full four generations can follow in one year from just one female butterfly. That’s loads of eggs and hungry larvae. If you have noticed a possible infestation on your textiles, you can fight the clothes moths with the following home remedies:
Classic trap
Non-toxic Glue traps contain so-called pheromones, i.e. sexual attractants for male clothes moths. The insects stick to the glue surface and die there, so that they can no longer fertilize female moths. The trap has an effective time of up to three months and can be set up, hung or glued on. Preferably in a dark, draft-free place such as the wardrobe at a height of two meters. Keep the windows in the room closed to avoid attracting additional moths from outside.
Natural defense
Count to the natural moth repellent Lavender sachets. They are simply put in the closet and give off a pleasant scent that the moths don’t like. The same goes for things left in their natural state cedar – there are special rings here that you can attach to the hangers. The wood not only drives away clothes moths, but also absorbs odors and moisture. By regularly sanding the rings, the wood retains its effectiveness for several months.
Biological control
Parasitic wasps are natural enemies of clothes moths – and can be used like a kind of biological weapon: the insects are only a few millimeters in size and target the eggs of the moths. It is best to place the delivered wasp eggs in the form of small cards next to or directly on the clothing so that the animals reach their destination as quickly as possible. If there are no more clothes moths, the parasitic wasps automatically disappear again. Repeat the process three times.
Heat and cold
Clothes moths like it dry and warm, but cannot tolerate heat – or cold. For this reason, all textiles that may be infected should be set to 60 degreesto wash. On the other hand, you can store delicate items of clothing made of wool, leather or silk in a plastic bag in the freezerstore for several days. Or you can take a small piece of leftover wool, put it in a box, cut a hole in it and wash the wool in hot water after a week to kill the eggs.
A clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) looks extremely enlarged
© ConstantinCornel / Getty Images
Preventing clothes moths: this is how it works
You can take preventive measures to prevent clothes moths from nestling in your closets and damaging your textiles. This applies not only to your clothes, but also to your carpets and upholstered furniture, which the pests do not stop at (provided they contain wool, leather or fur). These are the mistakes you should avoid:
- Do not keep worn clothes in the closet, as clothes moths are also magically attracted to sweat, hair and flakes of skin.
- Moths prefer dark and dry places, so you should change your clothes regularly and avoid hanging them too close together.
- Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture that contain materials of animal origin regularly. Hair and flakes of skin also collect here.
- Ventilate your cupboards and shelves where textiles are stored regularly – and wipe them out with lavender or vinegar water.
- Use linen or cotton sacks to store expensive clothes made of, for example, silk or leather. Clothes moths cannot digest these materials.
- If you want to store or keep clothes in boxes, wrap the textiles in newspaper beforehand. For reasons that have so far been inexplicable, the moths avoid printer’s ink.
- The longer clothes are stored, the more undisturbed clothes moths can multiply in them. It is all the more important to regularly check the textiles for infestation.
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