Cloths moth damage

Clothes moths lay their eggs in fabrics, which develop into larvae.

Adult clothes moth do not damage clothing. Their function is purely to reproduce.

The larvae can cause great damage to carpets and clothing by eating the fibres. The most common site for this damage is in dark corners or under furniture where there is little disturbance. An infestation is not usually detected until after vacuuming and a section of carpet is found to be bare, or a piece of clothing is taken out of a cupboard and holes are found.

Clothes moth larva

Difficult to dislodge

After inspection it is usually possible to find small larval cases in the vicinity of this damage. These cases are light in colour and 7mm to 9mm long. They are made of silk and can be quite difficult to dislodge.

Treatment

Infested material must be located and treated. The whole property will also need to be treated in order to control the infestation.