Hazardous Effects of Clothes Moths in the Home

How Do You Know You Have Clothes Moths?

Clothes moth infestation usually happens when articles of clothing, a piece of furniture, carpet or rug that have larvae on them are brought into the home.

They are very tiny and can be difficult to spot. It doesn’t also help that clothes moths stay in dark places and go into hiding when disturbed.

However, you will eventually notice mysterious holes in your clothes or see moths. If you’re sure you don’t have rodents that have taken sanctuary in your home, then the likely culprits are clothes moth larvae.

How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths and Prevent Future Infestation

First, you need to identify what the moths are feeding on. This could be your clothes, beddings or rugs, or furniture. Then, comes the treatment part.

• For affected clothing that you want to keep, you can treat them by washing your outfits in hot water, freezing them, or dry cleaning. If you are concerned that there are larvae all over your closet, you may opt to treat all your clothes. For couches, carpets and other big items, hire a pest control company to help you.
• Vacuum the infested places carefully to suck up any larvae left behind and to avert future infestations. Seal the items and dispose in an outside bin.
• Regularly monitor your clothing and wardrobe and inspect your clothing at least once a year. Vacuum regularly and thoroughly, as well.

There are steps you can take to prevent future infestation of clothes moth.

• Use pheromone traps, which can catch adult male clothes moths (but not case-making moths, sadly). Though traps won’t be able to reduce a population as it only requires one male to breed with all the females, they can tell you of moth presence in your home.
• Control humidity in your home. The higher the humidity, the more moths can thrive. So, consider investing in a dehumidifier where you store your clothes and linens.
• Store your garments in airtight containers for the reason.
• Mothballs. They contain paradichlorobenzene (PBD) and napthalene crystals that produce toxic vapours.

When to Call a Pest Control Company

As discussed above, there are steps you can take to treat, control and prevent clothes moth infestation. You will need the expertise of a residential pest control company when the infestation has spread to larger items like rugs, carpets, sofas and pieces of furniture.

With other pests like rodents, termites, cockroaches, etc. DIY treatment methods are more likely to be ineffective and will only work in the short term. Pest control companies are still the smart choice as they have the knowledge, experience and the right tools and technology to identify, treat and control different bugs that may invade your property.