Clothes moths: how to spot them, and how to stop the damage

A hole in a favourite jumper is usually the first anyone knows of clothes moths. By then the larvae have often been feeding for weeks in a dark corner of a wardrobe or along the edge of a carpet. Here is how to confirm what you have, where to look, and what stops it.

01Which moths eat clothes?

Of the many moth species in the UK, only a handful damage textiles in homes. The two you are most likely to meet are the common, or webbing, clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella).

• Webbing clothes moth. About 6 to 7mm long, with narrow, plain, golden-buff wings fringed with fine hairs and folded flat along the back at rest. It avoids light and tends to run or flutter low rather than fly about the room.
• Case-bearing clothes moth. A similar size but duller, a greyish brown with a few faint dark spots on each wing. Its larvae carry a small silk case. Our guide to case-bearing clothes moths covers it in detail.

The larvae are creamy white with a brown head and grow to about 10mm. A moth fluttering around a light in the kitchen is more likely a food moth from a packet of cereal, nuts or dried fruit. Clothes moths keep to the dark.

02Life cycle

A female lays somewhere between 40 and 100 eggs, each about the size of a pinhead, directly onto fabric. They hatch in a week or two depending on temperature, and the larvae start feeding straight away. The larval stage is where all the damage happens, and it can last from a couple of months to well over a year, depending on warmth and food. The larvae then spin a cocoon, pupate, and emerge as adults to breed again.

Adult emergence has traditionally peaked in late spring and late summer. In a centrally heated home, though, clothes moths can breed all year round, and several generations can overlap.

03Signs of clothes moths

• Irregular holes in woollens, silk and cashmere, often in hidden spots such as under collars, in folds and along seams.
• Silk webbing or tubes on the fabric surface or along carpet edges, often with fibres and tiny droppings caught in it.
• Bare patches in wool carpets and rugs under beds, sofas and heavy furniture.
• Small cases or cocoons in the corners of wardrobes and drawers, and on the fabric itself.
• Small pale moths in wardrobes, or running across the carpet when furniture is moved.

Carpet beetle larvae cause very similar damage. Silk webbing points to moths. Small, bristly, empty skins point to carpet beetles, which are covered in our guide to detecting and preventing carpet beetles.

04Why clothes moths are hard to get rid of

The larvae feed out of sight, so damage is often well advanced before it is noticed. A single wardrobe can hold eggs, larvae and pupae at the same time, so killing the moths you can see does nothing to the next generation. Larvae can also feed in places that are hard to reach, such as under fitted carpets, inside upholstered furniture, and in wool insulation in lofts and walls.

Conservators have reported clothes moths becoming more common in recent years. Warmer winters, central heating, lower-temperature washes and clothes that sit unworn for long periods all suit them.

05What you can do

• Find the source. Take everything out of the affected wardrobe or drawer and check each item, especially wool, cashmere, silk, fur and feathers.
• Treat the affected items. Wash at the highest temperature the label allows, or have them dry cleaned. Items that cannot be washed can be sealed in a bag and frozen for at least a week to kill eggs and larvae.
• Clean the space. Vacuum inside wardrobes and drawers, along skirting boards and carpet edges, and under furniture, using the crevice tool. Wipe the surfaces down and let them dry. Empty the vacuum into a sealed bag and put it in the outside bin.
• Only store clean clothes. Worn clothes carry sweat and food traces that larvae seek out.
• Seal what you are not wearing. Keep out-of-season woollens in sealed bags or boxes.
• Disturb things. Take clothes out and shake them every month or so, and vacuum under beds and sofas regularly. Larvae do not do well in fabric that is moved and aired.
• Be careful with second-hand textiles. Vintage clothing, rugs and furniture are a common way in. Clean them before they go anywhere near your wardrobe.

Lavender bags and cedar may help deter adult moths from laying, but they do nothing to larvae already feeding, and they are no substitute for cleaning. Pheromone traps catch male webbing clothes moths and are useful for showing whether activity is rising or falling, but they will not clear an infestation on their own.