To find a clothes moth nest, focus on dark, undisturbed areas where animal-based fabrics (wool, silk, fur, feathers) are stored. Look for irregular holes in clothing, white silken webbing, crust-like spots, and tiny sand-like droppings.
The first signs of clothes moths are small, irregular holes in natural fabrics (wool, silk, fur) and tiny, white, caterpillar-like larvae or silken cocoons hidden in dark, quiet areas like closets or under furniture. Adult moths, which are small, golden, and avoid flying, may also be seen crawling on clothes or walls.
Methods for controlling clothes moths include periodic dry cleaning or laundering, proper storage, freezing, heating, fumigating with dry ice, trapping, or insecticides. Keeping humidity levels low inside buildings creates an environment that isn't favorable for clothes moth development.
Keep clothes brushed and cleaned, especially items that will be stored for any length of time. Clean fabrics stained with food or perspiration before storing them because these items are attacked by clothes moths most often. Sweep or vacuum regularly to remove woolen lint or hair from floors, shelves, and drawers.
Female clothing moths lay an average of 40 to 50 eggs over a period of two to three weeks, and they die once their egg-laying has been completed. Males outlive females and continue to mate during the remainder of their lives.
Freeze Any Items That Show Signs of Moths
Simply place the affected clothing, fabrics, or pantry items in a Ziploc bag and put it inside a deep freezer below 10°F. The cold temperature will kill off any eggs, larvae, or adult moths present, making it a natural solution.
Clothes moths and their destructive larvae are active year-round indoors, thriving in warm, centrally-heated homes. However, they experience major activity spikes during the spring (April–May) and late summer/early autumn (August–September) when temperatures rise. Daily, they are strictly nocturnal and active in the dark.
If you do find signs of clothes moth you will need to tackle them straight away. Start by throwing away garments that are beyond repair. If items can be repaired then clean them thoroughly first either by hand with our Laundry Liquid or at the dry cleaners. Vacuum your empty wardrobe, taking care to clean all the dust.
To lure a moth out of hiding, use light, scent, or physical disturbance. Wait until dark, turn off all room lights, and shine a single bright flashlight or lamp toward a wall or into a transparent container. Alternatively, lure them with a sugar-water or fruit mixture.
The primary source may be a wool scarf or fur/felt hat at the back of a closet, an old rug stored in the basement, or an abandoned bird or squirrel nest up in the attic. Larvae prefer to feed in dark, undisturbed areas where woolens and other susceptible items are stored for long periods.
Iron and steam clothes
Washing and drying clothes won't reliably kill moth eggs, but moth larvae and eggs can be quickly killed with a high heat.
It's October! 🎃 Look out for these butterflies and moths in your gardens and local green spaces Many butterflies and moths spend the colder months as caterpillars, but there are still some that you might spot fluttering around amongst the beautiful autumnal landscape.
To get rid of moths when you cannot find the source, set out pheromone traps to catch active adults and locate their breeding grounds. Then, aggressively vacuum hard-to-reach areas, wash vulnerable fabrics, and inspect hidden spots like old wool rugs, pet food containers, and forgotten pantry items.
Moth season typically spans April to October, with peak activity during the spring and late summer months. Because warmer temperatures speed up their lifecycle and reproduction, you will notice the most moths around April and May, and again in August and September.
The total lifespan of a clothes moth from egg to adult is generally 2 to 3 months, but the destructive larval stage can last from 35 days up to 30 months depending on conditions. Adult moths live for only 15–30 days, during which they do not eat, focusing entirely on mating and laying eggs.
Moths that look like clothes moths are typically tiny (under 1/2 inch), golden or mottled-brown, and avoid light. The most common look-alikes are pantry pests, other species of fungus moths, or harmless outdoor insects drawn to artificial lighting.
During the day, nocturnal moths enter a resting, sleep-like state of inactivity known as torpor. They hide in dark, quiet, and undisturbed places that offer protection from predators like birds and spiders.
Should you touch the wings? No, because they could be damaged. Do they have scales on their wings? Yes, in fact that's what 'Lepidoptera' (the scientific classification of butterflies and moths) means, and the scales do get rubbed off by friction.
For the instant knockdown of adult moths in flight, your best option is an aerosol spray containing pyrethrins, such as the Reefer-Galler SLA Cedar Scented Spray. Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemum flowers and attack the nervous system of the moth, causing it to drop almost immediately.
Textile moths, such as Clothes Moths, are most commonly known for laying their eggs in the fibers of a mattress or bedding made of natural materials.
Killing the moths can break the lifecycle and prevent further infestations however, to tackle the immediate infestation you need to kill the moth larvae. To get rid of moth larvae: Wash at high temperatures over 55°C. Dry clean delicate fabrics.
In general Clothes Moth Larvae do not eat cotton, polyester, acrylic, or other plant-based or synthetic fibers. These materials don't contain keratin, the essential protein the larvae need to grow, so they're simply not a viable food source. However, that doesn't mean cotton or synthetic garments are always safe.
Moths are generally most active in the spring and summer months when the weather is warmer outside. However, due to central heating inside homes, certain species of moths (like the Clothes Moth) can remain quite active in the winter.
The first signs of clothes moths are small, irregular holes in natural fabrics (wool, silk, fur) and tiny, white, caterpillar-like larvae or silken cocoons hidden in dark, quiet areas like closets or under furniture. Adult moths, which are small, golden, and avoid flying, may also be seen crawling on clothes or walls.
Moths and their caterpillars are a vital food source for a vast range of wildlife. Key predators include bats, birds (which feed thousands of caterpillars to their chicks), spiders, frogs, lizards, and smaller mammals like shrews and rodents.