The Moth Effect – Are You in need of Clothes Moths Pest Control Advice?
This months news article takes a look at how you can prevent becoming a victim or casualty in the war with clothes moths and how you can improve your clothes moths pest control strategies. The Tineidae family of butterflies or clothes moths can be a real nuisance at times. In houses up and down the UK, there is a war being waged against clothes moths. Among other things, it features chemical weapons, smoke bombs and armies of tiny, parasitic wasps.
Reported in The Guardian last year, English Heritage have found a 216% increase in the number of webbing clothes moths between 2012 and 2016. There are numerous reasons for why their population has tripled in five years, including warmer winters, washing our clothes at lower temperatures, and using more sustainable insulation materials such as wool.
Moths are considered a pest because of the damage they can cause to textiles. Indeed, moths are often referred to a “textile pests”, as their presence in your property can cause hundreds of pounds worth of destruction by eating through carpets, curtains, and sentimental items such as a wedding dress or an antique upholstered family heirloom. Avon Pest Control is here to help you understand the problem and offer advice on how you can improve your clothes moths pest control strategy.
Tinea Pellionella
FACT FILE …. moths do not eat your clothes! It is a common misconception that the adult winged moth is to blame for eating our beloved cashmere sweaters and woolly winter hats, but it is in fact the larvae who are responsible. Eggs hatch after a few weeks of being laid, and the larvae eat wool, fur, feathers, and hair, making the distinctive moth hole shape. They then pupate as silken cocoons.
Clothes moths are tiny, 1/2-inch moths that are beige or buff-colored. Their wings are narrow and fringed with small hairs. Often they are mistaken for grain moths which infest stored food items in kitchens and pantries. Unlike some other types of moths, clothes moths are not often seen as they avoid light. They thrive in dark, undisturbed areas such as closets, basements and attics. Similar-looking moths spotted in kitchens and other well-lighted areas are possibly grain moths originating from cereals, dried fruit, nuts, or other stored foods.
The two most common types of clothes moths in Britain are — the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella).
Tineola Bisselliella or a Clothes Moth
More than a Springtime Problem
There can often be peeks in adult emergence between April and May, and late August, but because we keep our houses cosy and warm all year round using central heating, moths are more than happy to breed throughout the year. As each female can lay 100 eggs, this can quickly become a widescale problem.
Avon Pest Control Recommends You follow these simple Clothes Moths Pest Control Guidelines:
- Good housekeeping – thoroughly vacuum your carpets at least once a week, including pulling out furniture and using the nozzle on your vacuum to clean carpet edges and get to hard to reach areas
- Moths dislike disturbance – pull out beds and shake sofa cushions to make sure those pests know they are not welcome
- Store woolly winter clothes in vacuum sealed bags during summertime
- Whilst it is great for the environment, avoid getting wool carpets, or using wool insulation in your attic or cavity walls
- Use lavender bags in your wardrobe to repel adult moths from laying their eggs in your clothes
- If one of your sweaters is showing signs of an infestation, pop it in your freezer for a day to kill the moth eggs, then into the washing machine on the label’s recommended temperature
- Try cedar – using a cedar oil in spray can help to repel moths
- Scrubbing infested areas with vinegar has been known to help
- Call a reputable pest control company – many moth infestations are too difficult to control with prevention and home removal techniques… then its time to call for back up!
If moths and their larvae are eating you out of house and home, call Avon Pest Control today on 01926 632 929 or 01789 293 463 or click here to visit our website for more information on all our services. Our qualified, responsible technicians will happily discuss your pest problem and provide friendly, expert advice.
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