How to Identify Clothes Moths and Carpet Moths: Key Features and Tips
The most common clothes moths are the Webbing Clothes Moth, easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length, and the Case-Bearing Moth, which can be identified about ½ inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few smaller indistinct black spots.
These moth species can attack clothes and other home textiles, and are commonly known as clothes moths or carpet moths depending on where their larvae are found causing damage.
Webbing Clothes Moth & Case-Bearing Clothes Moth
It is important to note that Clothes Moths and Carpet Moths are not separate species - the species of moths that attack clothing and carpets are the same - they are commonly called ‘clothes’ or ‘carpet’ moths depending on where they are found and what fabrics they target.
It's also important to note that these moths are looking for animal-based fibres to lay their eggs - think wool, merino, cashmere, silk, feather, fur.
The reason that it is animal-based fibres only is that the larvae of clothes moths and carpet moths feed on keratin - a protein found in animal fibres, and also in dust. A large proportion of dust is made up of human skin cells and hair shed day to day in homes. There are two main moth species that cause most of the damage to clothing and home textiles. They are the Webbing Clothes Moth and the Case-Bearing Moth.
There are two main moth species that cause most of the damage to clothing and home textiles. They are the Webbing Clothes Moth and the Case-Bearing Moth.
The Life Cycle of a Carpet Moth & Clothes Moth
The carpet moth has a very similar life cycle to a clothes moth. The adults do not live long and the mated adult female lays hundreds of eggs in her short life time. The eggs will be laid in the quieter, darker and undisturbed areas of carpets and rugs and lay dormant for approximately 4 to 10 days before hatching.
The larvae can live for up to 2 years which accounts for continued damage as they eat through the winter months, but in warmer periods they will pupate within 2 months of hatching, resulting in a number of cycles through the Spring to Autumn months. The pupation stage will last up to 2 weeks before the adults emerge. The adults are relatively harmless and only live 2-3 months, but the issue and risk to property is clearly the risk of further egg laying and the infestation getting out of land, hence the need to deal with both adult and larvae stages of the carpet moth lifecycle in treatment routines.
Clothes Moth Traps
Hayden Hill Clothes Moth Traps combine functionality with a sleek, discreet design that seamlessly blends into your bedroom and closet spaces. These traps are thoughtfully crafted to complement your aesthetic while effectively targeting male Webbing Clothes Moths and male Case-Bearing Moths using specific pheromones. Unlike those needed for pantry moths, such as the common Indian Meal Moth, these pheromones are tailored for clothes moths, making proper identification crucial for effective pest control and prevention.
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