Are Bugs Eating Holes in Your Clothes? Clothes Moths Are Probably at Work
Dealing with Clothes Moths and Their Larvae is Easier Than You Think
There are two species of clothes moth, but they are similar enough in what they do to clothing that I won't take the time to distinguish between them for the purpose of this article. Suffice it to say that the females of both species lay as many as 50 eggs and then die. The eggs, or larvae, attach to the fabric and feast their way into adulthood; from there, the cycle repeats itself.
Not every home is infected with clothes moths. They generally breed outdoors and are brought indoors, or into your home from another source, by accident. If they are fortunate enough to find fabrics to feed on, they will reproduce.
It used to be that packing clothes and wool blankets away in cedar chests or using moth balls in storage areas were the way to prevent clothes moths and protect clothing. But moth balls are not only toxic to children and pets, they smell bad. Cedar chests are less offensive in terms of an unpleasant odor, but they are not very effective in killing anything but very small larvae. For some reason, large larvae don't seem to be adversely affected by the aromatic red cedar. Today, therefore, neither moth balls nor cedar chests are considered the best way to protect your clothing from clothes moths.
Prevention, of course, is best. Keep closets and storage areas clean and free of dust, lint and hair. Clothing should be washed or drycleaned before being packed away for storage because clothes moths seem to be attracted to dirty clothes, particularly those soiled with urine or sweat. In other words, packing away dirty clothes is asking for trouble.
If you've done what you can to prevent clothes moths, but find evidence that some little critter is feasting on your clothes, the most effective way to get rid of them is to put your affected clothing in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer for 48 to 72 hours. Freezing kills both the adult clothes moth and its larvae. Then thoroughly clean and vacuum the storage area and be sure to use tight, clean containers in the future.
Published by Sussy
I'm retired and living in the country where I enjoy my family and my many animals: horses, donkey, goats, cats, and dogs. I love the outdoors and reading and writing about serious matters. View profile
- Healthy Eating to Avoid Cancer, Diabetes and Heart Disease Healthy eating can be confusing. What you need are tips to focus your efforts so you can lose weight, feel great and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
- Power Eating A meal by meal guide to power eating in order to boost your productivity and alertness level.
- Help for Eating Disorders in Chicago Overview of the types of eating disorders that exist and a brief listing of treatment facilities within the Chicagoland area that specifically address related conditions.
- Good Eating Habits in Your Family Learn how to get your family on the right track for eating healthy. You can take precautions, such as trimming fat from your meat, and make varied choices, such as on juices and cereals, so that you will be able to ke...
-
Eating by the Numbers in McDonough, Georgia
McDonough, Georgia is growing with leaps and bounds and so is its eating options. There are three main exits off Interstate 75 that will lead you into the heart of McDonough, bu...
- Natural Ways to Repel Ants, Moths, and Fleas
- How to Properly Store Your Winter Clothing
- How to Create a Seasonal Closet
- It's Time to Get Rid of Those Mothballs
- Seasons Change: Time to Store Clothes
- Storing Summer Clothing the Right Way
- Self-Storage Locker Tips: Storing Your Possessions Safely
|
|
25 Comments
Post a CommentI have holes in my merino wool clothing. What do I do the holes don't get anymore bigger?
I forgot to mention important fact that I DID FREEZE some clothes for a long time and that did NOT get rid of pests eating seams and label threads. Any other suggestions? Desperate!
I have pests eating seams of everything and esp. the threads that hold labels. I've tried heavy chemicals, moth balls, natural sachets. I've tried high heat dryers and now I'm trying steaming clothes. They are in everything...underwear, bedding, clothes, towels, drapes, upholstery. I'm losing my mind and prob. making my cats sick. They are now scratching themselves a lot and crying a lot more. I read soem think they are parasites from China. How do you get rid of them? All my clothes, bedding, etc.. are in plastic bags. Doesn't help. PLEASE HELP!!!! They itch and sometimes sting me when in clothes I'm wearing.
its carpet beetle larva get growth regulators for every room from exterminator vacume like crazy remove bag every time and throw it outside I had problem for year and a half its a nightmare
I had this problem for a year and a half it was carpet beatle larva eating all my cotton shirts I saw the cast skins behind my dresser %26 in my furnice filter I vaccumed like crazy every day got growth regulaters from exterminator it was a nightmare%21 finally no activity since May good luck
i Just pulled out my $300 wool Suit to find it utterly destroyed by these stupid creatures that God should have never created! Oh i am so pissed off!!!
It's a pestilence from China. These are cotton eating parasites not moths. They are exporting cotton bugs via walmart, hanes, fruit of the loom etc... anything cotton which sucks! Also, China manufactures poor quality clothing on purpose to America. Ever buy a tee shirt only to find flaws in the seams and the irritating scratchy tag on the side seem?
i have this problem for a few months now i up on a shirt and there are little holes in them and i dont know why well in my bathroom there are these little moth looking bugs and i know that they arent flys and i was juat thinking maybe they are eating my shirts?
I am having the same problem with all my cotton blouses. When I am going to wear them there are little tiney holes in the front of my blouses only cotton and only in the front of my cotton tops. HELP ME TOO!!!!!!
It was probably a mouse one of them chewed the side of my slipper off they use stuff like that for there nest.