Collaborative post
If you notice a moth in your closet, you might not give it much thought. But if you spot holes in your wool garments it’s time to take action!
Realising you have a moth situation on your hands, you will probably be wondering where they came from, how to get rid of them, and how to save the rest of your clothes from their hungry caterpillar larvae. This handy guide will teach you all about controlling moth infestations in your home.
Before you can win the battle against moths, it helps to know your enemy. There are a few different moth species that like to take up residence in homes and wreak havoc.
Clothes moths, as their name suggests, like to munch on fabrics. The two most common species are:
Common Clothes Moth. These moths have golden brown wings and are about 1/3 inch long. The larvae are the ones that cause damage to wool, furs, carpeting, and other natural fabrics as they munch with their tiny jaws. They leave behind messy webs and dark specks of excrement known as “frass.”
Case Bearing Clothes Moth. The larvae of these moths make themselves snug little sleeping bags out of your clothes fibres. They drag these protective cases around as they feed.
Pantry moths invade your food storage areas and can contaminate dried goods with their larvae and messy webs. Watch out for:
Indian Meal Moth. Identifiable by their reddish brown wings, these moths love to eat grains, cereals, nuts, dried fruits and more. Indian meal moths lay lots of eggs that hatch into tiny wormy larvae.
Flour Moths. Flour moths, as you might have guessed, feed on flour and other baking ingredients. They leave behind webbing and excrement in infested food products.
White-Shouldered House Moths. These moths don’t eat fabric but instead feed
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