What will be your reaction when you notice your favorite silk clothes having tattered holes? That would be a punch straight to the heart. All this is a work of the cloth moths. As soon as you hear this name you might thin of small-winged creatures seen fluttering near the light source. But you will be surprised to know that there are several categories in this broad group of pests. Some of them even sneak inside the property looking for food and shelter.
These pests may not seem harmful, but in case a few of them get inside the house, it can be very difficult to take them out. Suddenly your clothes and food items may not seem safe at all. You might want to take more care when it comes to cloth moth infestation as they can be seen laying eggs in the pantry. Intriguing, isn’t it? Want to know more about these mysterious pests, then here you will everything related to them. Have a read to understand them better.
What are Cloth Moths?
Moths are a general categorization but you will find many of them affecting your house. Some may harm the food whereas, others may make a nest in the clothes. Having even one of them in the house will make things problematic for you. The moths affecting the food can be seen laying eggs in the groceries. They are not even visible until it reaches the larvae stage. Consuming this type of food can lead to food poisoning in severe cases.
Related Information: All You Need To Know About Clothes Moths
Another variety of moths is the one that affects the garments. They can feed on a variety of textiles, starting from carpets to silk clothes. It is hard to pinpoint any specific place where you will be able to track them. Most of them can be seen hanging on the ceiling once the infestation grows. Talking about the cloth moths, they are a bit different. They seem to hate bright light hence; you can find them in dark places. It can be the chests, wardrobe, closets, etc. These provide an appropriate setting for such moths to flourish. Here, they can feed, lay eggs, and the larvae can start feeding on the fibers as soon as they reach that stage.
These types of settings help them to lead a lavish lifestyle. You can spend some time noticing them find out more about different moths infesting the place. But as we are talking about cloth moths, there are two types of cloth moths that can affect your property. Let’s know a little bit about them.
Case-making Moths
These types of moths are known for enclosing themselves in a tube-shaped silken case. This case is prepared by the mother by drawing the fibers from the clothes available. You can find them dragging the case around and feeding on them as they drag it along.
Webbing Moths
As the name suggests, these types of moths prepare the web-like silken structure and they do so as they consume the fiber from the cloth. While doing so they tend to leave tube-like structures and patches on the clothes that they consume from.
Where do You Find Cloth Moths?
As the name suggests, cloth moths are found in clothes. They usually infect the clothes that are stored for a long time. It is the case with the winter clothes, such as blankets, woolen clothes, silk sarees, etc. are in danger of getting eaten and destroyed by these moths. It is for this reason, that people often put neem balls in between the clothes that are stored away for a long time.
It’s the packing that decides how well will the clothes stay safe from the pests. If you leave them as it is or don’t pack them properly, that could cause the moths to enter them and feed on them. And later when you unpack them, you may find the mothballs or larvae inside them. The wall cavities, basements, or attics are some of the places where you can notice the moths hiding. Cloth moths can be found in the old rugs, garments, and carpets. Even the upholstery and furniture cushions made of natural fibers are also in danger of holding pests.
Tips to Prevent Cloth Moth Infestation?
All these things may have worried you and you might start looking for ways to prevent cloth moth infestation at home. Implementing simple steps will help in keeping these little pests away. Have a look at a few of them.
- Before storing the dress materials such as coats, blankets, etc. should be cleaned thoroughly. Especially the blankets made of natural fibers.
- It is best to disinfect the clothes and check for the larvae or eggs of the moths before packing them up.
- Dry-clean all the expensive designer clothes in case you find eggs attached with them. When you give them to the dry cleaners, they will remove the larvae or the eggs in them without destroying the fibers of the dress.
- One must pay close attention under the collar, back of the sleeves, and seams that are tucked away. You can often find the larvae or the eggs hidden in these parts of the clothes.
- It will be best if you could use tight-fitting, sealable plastic bags before storing them away.
- You can also use vacuum bags to keep the clothes moisture-free. Most of the time presence of the moisture causes the clothes to attract cloth moths.
- Cold vaults are a great option for storing expensive clothes. It is mostly offered by the department stores.
- Crystals and balls are available in the market to prevent the clothes from attracting the cloth moths. They must contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene if you want them to be effective on the moths. It will also put a stop the cloth moths from laying eggs. In case there are kids or pets in your home, then you must place them carefully. They can prove too hazardous to them if you don’t put them carefully.
Conclusion
You can use these ideas to prevent cloth moth infestation, but it will be best if you could take some professional help. For this, hire a pest control company in Gurgaon. For more details, contact them and get the place treated.