After the summer is over, it’s time to get your coziest sweaters out of the closet. But suddenly, you find these annoying holes ruining their look. So, is there anything can you do about moth holes in clothes?
A clothing moth feeds on your clothing fibers and can cost you hundreds and even thousands of dollars in the long run. Although you might not have seen any moths flying around, your closet might be home to this destructive creature. Keep on reading to learn more about moth holes in clothes.
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What Do Clothing Moths Do?
Unfortunately, clothing moths have an expensive taste and prefer to feed on the most expensive natural fibers. The pieces damaged by moths are probably the unique pieces you keep for special occasions. Clothing moths prefer to feed on:
- Cashmere
- Silk
- Feathers
- Mohair
- Camel’s hair
- Fur
- Wool
Moths ignore clothes made of plant-based and synthetic fibers. The bugs will also feed on upholstery, rugs, curtains, carpets, and any other piece of furniture if the fabric covering it is made of animal-based fibers.
Moth Holes in Clothes – Identify the Problem
There are many bugs that feed on clothing fibers, including carpet beetles, but some are easier to kill than others. Moths are more difficult to identify and get rid of.
Bigger moths usually feed on plants, while the ones shorter than 1 cm long prefer to feed on clothing fibers. If you can see holes in multiple clothing items, rugs, and bedding, then you probably have a moth infestation in the house.
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After being destroyed by moths, you’ll probably have to throw away your clothes or spend hundreds of dollars trying to have them fixed. In order to get rid of a serious infestation, you might have to hire a professional pest control service.
You can tell that there’s a problem if you begin to see smaller holes in your clothes and furniture pieces. When the infestation becomes too serious, you will be able to see these bugs flying around in your closet and later on in your house.
There are several types of moths, but only two species will eat the animal fibers in your home. The casemaking clothes moths and webbing clothes moths are small yellow or grayish bugs that feed on the natural animal fibers in your closet.
The adult bugs are difficult to see in dark places. This is why you might have a serious infestation in your closet, but you can’t identify the serious insects.
However, the adult bugs aren’t the ones that cause the damage. Even if you kill all the flying bugs, your clothing items will still be in danger. The larvae feed on the animal fibers in your clothing items until they reach maturity. They usually spend a couple of months feeding on animal fibers because they contain keratin, a protein that helps the larvae reach maturity.
Why Do Clothing Moths Infest Your House?
Moths Can infest your closet and damage your clothing items and carpets for different reasons.
- In most cases, moths can infest your house when you get an old or infested piece of furniture or clothing. Buying clothes from second-hand stores, the flea market, or borrowing clothes from a friend can be the reason why clothing moths found their way into your house.
- If you don’t clean your house often, you’ll be inviting the moths to stay in your closet. Clothing moths hide in the dark corners of your closets and hide in the ignored shelves that you don’t wipe.
- Clothing clutter that is left undisturbed for months or even years will be an excellent opportunity for moths to find a suitable piece of clothing that they can feed on.
- Warm temperatures will be more suitable for adult moths and their larvae. If your house is particularly warm during spring, you’ll probably see more moths in your closet.
- If there’s a leak in the bathroom that affects the wall behind the closet, this might be inviting for clothing moths. Moths prefer humid and wet places.
- Unwashed clothes that contain food residue or body oils will attract moths.
How to Get Rid of Clothing Moths?
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The best way to get rid of a potential infestation is to take serious measures to prevent it before it manifests. Here are a few things that you can do to protect your clothes from moth holes.
- Keeping your home clean and organized is one of the best ways to minimize your risk of getting clothing moths.
- Clean your house regularly. Clothing moths like to live in dusty, dirty spots, so you need to get rid of the clutter and dust as soon as possible. Use a vacuum cleaner, especially around the crevices and corners.
- Give your house a deep cleaning at least twice a year. Disinfect the corners, and wipe all the hidden spots to get rid of any larvae or bugs.
- Check your closet and under the bed for any unneeded clutter. The items that you don’t need will attract negative energy and are unhealthy to keep in the house. At the same, they might benefit someone else. If there’s something that you haven’t used in the past two or five years, it’s probably time to give it away.
- Before the new season begins, check out your closet for items that are no longer fashionable or won’t fit you any longer. Get rid of these items to leave room for the new clothes.
- If you have borrowed any clothes or bought second-hand clothes, clean them thoroughly by following a clothing wash cycle in 100-to-120-degree hot water. If you’re afraid that your clothing items might get damaged, take them to the laundry to have them disinfected.
- Before storing any clothes in the closet, clean them thoroughly. Storing dirty clothes that might have food residue or your body oils will attract moths.
- After cleaning your clothes, store them in airtight or vacuum-sealed plastic bags and containers.
- Use mothballs to kill the adult moths and larvae. Most mothballs can be found in different aromas, so they won’t make your clothes smell bad. However, before wearing your clothes, you’ll have to air them for a few days or even wash them. If you’re storing your clothes for a long time, you’ll have to change mothballs to maintain their potency.
- You can store your clothes in cedar-lined chests as the smell will keep the moths away. You can also store cedar blocks in the closet to keep the moths at bay.
- Moth traps or pheromone strips prevent the moths from breeding. They’re also safer than mothballs because they’re not toxic.
- Ironing your clothes can kill moth eggs and larvae.
- If you know that your clothes are infested, you can store the clothing items in the freezer. The low temperature will kill the eggs and larvae.
- Use lavender essential oil inside the closet. It kills the moths and keeps your clothes smelling nice.
- Peppercorns and cloves can also be put in airtight bags to protect your clothes from moths.
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Moth Holes in Clothes – Wrap Up
A clothing moth infestation can cost you lots of cash. Protect your clothing items, upholstery, and rugs from these annoying fiber-eating bugs and other pests regularly clean your house.
Always wash your clothes and inspect them regularly to see if there are any holes. Get rid of clutter and clean your house thoroughly to protect your precious items. Regular monitoring and cleaning are needed to keep your house moth-free.
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