The main pests of clothing are indoor clothes moths and furniture moths. To fight them, you need to learn more about them. This article discusses the similarities and differences between clothes moths and furniture moths, as well as ways to get rid of them.
Distinctive features of clothes and furniture moths
Moths destroy clothes in the wardrobe. House and furniture moths are pests that spoil things, wool products, carpet pile and upholstered furniture. Furniture moths prefer lint and fluff, while clothes moths prefer natural threads from which summer dresses are sewn.
But these two types of moths are completely unpretentious in food. They can easily change their food preferences while flying around the apartment. Thus, house moths can gnaw wool fibers, and furniture moths can chew on crepe de Chine.
House moths and furniture moths are similar. Butterflies of both types of moths are small in size, only 5-9 mm with folded wings and a faded dark yellow hue. House moths are much lighter in color than furniture moths, and furniture moths have small dark spots near the beginning of the wings. These differences are so slight that it is almost impossible to see them from a distance.
Male house and furniture moths fly around the room, while females do not fly at all, although they have wings. In addition, the wings of males are not much larger than the wings of females. Female moths can fly, but they don’t need it. Males fly up to them, mate with them and fly away. Male house moths find their females intuitively. First, the male fertilizes the female, and then after some time the female lays eggs. House moths lay much fewer eggs (about 50) than furniture moths, whose number of eggs can reach several hundred. Females incubate eggs without moving.
In the photo: clothes moth and moth caterpillars The male house moth is practically no different from the female. How do you differentiate food moths (such as barn moths) from clothes moths? The barn moth has distinct patterns on its wings, while the clothes moth has a single color. House moth larvae can quickly ruin things. But moths are not as big a pest as house moth larvae.
House moth larva is a formidable enemy of clothing
These larvae are small in size, inconspicuous and inconspicuous. The main pests that destroy things are moth larvae. This larva manages to extract useful substances from woolen products with the help of a pair of strong and long mandibles, which are sharp scissors designed for cutting hair. There are also teeth on the mandibles, thanks to which the larva increases the speed at which it chews things. The larvae of house and furniture moths have excellent chewing ability and a very large stomach in proportion to the body. Large reserves of food can be stored in the stomach and intestines of the moth.
This is what a moth larva looks like House moth larvae love the dark. During the day they try to hide in the folds of things. If the moth larvae eat only cotton fabrics, they increase in size and within 12-13 days they molt 12-13 times and then turn into a pupa. If there is a lot of acetate in food, they are not able to grow actively and reach required sizes within a couple of months. And they can grow in 6 months.
The effect of temperature on moths and their larvae
Cold weather also negatively affects the growth of larvae. At low temperatures, the larvae again decrease in size, return to the cocoon and remain hungry.
Eggs of house and furniture moths, white or light yellow color, small in size, only half a centimeter. To lay eggs, the female chooses best clothes and lays several dozen eggs there, so that later the larvae have something to eat. Within 5–6 days at normal temperatures, moth eggs are ready, but at low temperatures the process of egg maturation slows down. At a temperature of 0°C the larvae deteriorate.
Moth butterflies are short-lived. They live mostly for a couple of weeks and do not feed. For moth larvae that eat wool products, free movement through the fabric is difficult. That part of the threads that they do not eat, they simply gnaw, making a path for themselves.
Methods for exterminating clothes and furniture moths
You can use an aerosol " Raptor" It should be sprayed on clothes. This protects it from moths. Also, all types of moths die in the cold or under scorching sun. After clothes have been left hanging in the heat or cold, they should be thoroughly shaken.
Rinsing items at high temperatures, using special fumigators, as well as lavender flowers and orange peels scattered in the wardrobe are quite effective means of killing moths. And most importantly: all new clothes must be carefully checked and ventilated.
The moth is becoming more and more tenacious, experts say. Now getting rid of it is much more difficult than before. Accustomed to anti-moth products, it continues to fly and poison your entire life. In addition, if you incorrectly identify the type of moth, you will not be able to get rid of it.
As a rule, moths are divided into 2 types: kitchen and indoor moths. It is not so difficult to distinguish them if you look closely at them.
How to distinguish kitchen moths from indoor moths
You can distinguish food moths from clothing moths by appearance and color. So, for example, the food is darker - gray and dark gray individuals. The same moth that prefers to eat wool is the sand moth. In addition, the dressing room will be slightly smaller than the kitchen one.
You can also navigate by the location of the moth. For example, if it is more common in the kitchen, then it is definitely food. If you often catch insects in the room, most likely these are clothing insects.
What is the harm of moths?
Both food moths and clothes moths cause very serious harm. Moreover, panicking at the sight of moths and trying to destroy them quickly is a futile task. After all, the main problem is the larvae. The main thing is, if you see a moth, start cleaning. Plus, you should understand that only males fly, which, in principle, live for several hours. Females usually hide and simply crawl around, laying eggs.
It is their larvae that are the most dangerous, because... For their own food, they begin to eat wool or cereals (depending on the type of moth).
The clothes moth actually feeds not on wool, but on particles of skin and sweat of the person who wore these clothes. It’s just that in the process of eating they bite through and damage the tissue at the same time.
How to get rid of moths
You can get rid of moths - both food and clothes - only through cleaning. As soon as you find moths in your home, start investigating. Carefully inspect the items in the closet, remembering to check all the joints of the cabinets and shelves. Don't forget to examine the cereals, dried fruits and teas that are stored in kitchen cabinets. Your task is to find the nest.
Experts recommend using a vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean the corners in the closet. Be sure to ventilate the cabinets after cleaning. If you find larvae in your clothes, clean and wash everything you can. And remember that inspection and cleaning will have to be carried out regularly, because... Eliminating moths the first time is not at all guaranteed to work.
Be sure to check the products you brought from the store and pour them into glassware. As for clothing, place moth repellents, such as lavender, near it. This should protect things from being attacked by moths.
The caterpillars are inactive: three pairs of short anterior ones with hooks and abdominal rudiments are poorly adapted for movement.
Development
Despite their sedentary lifestyle, caterpillars are able to move in search of food.
Molting cases consist of remains of food material, excrement and shed skins.
Development time depends mainly on the quality of food. If there is enough nutrition and it suits you, development is completed in 15-20 days.
Struggle
At home
Mechanical method . To kill moths, high and low temperatures, creating low relative humidity, using high purity currents and ultraviolet radiation.
High temperatures have a detrimental effect on moth caterpillars. Warming up to + 60 °C - +70 °C the affected items is carried out using special installations for blowing hot air.
Freezing things is done by ventilating them in winter period or artificial refrigeration units.
Low air humidity in places where fur products are stored is created by frequent ventilation of the premises. Drying things in the sun is effective because ultraviolet radiation detrimental to the preimaginal stages.
Chemical method . To combat moths at home, various tablets, aerosols, and moth traps are used. The range of these products today is very wide. They are usually made on the basis of various pyrethroids.
Preventive control measures
Destructive control measures in grain, products and raw materials
Physico-mechanical methods of controlling pests of grain stocks:
- , products of its processing, etc.
Clothes or house moths are widespread throughout the world, but according to the observations of biologists in the tropics, it is difficult for the insect to adapt. Every person has encountered house moths at least once in their life; furniture moths are known for damaging items made of fur, wool and down, and clothes moths prefer cotton items. Living in an apartment, they easily change their diet. People call both clothes moths, although upon careful examination the butterflies can be distinguished by their appearance.
What does a clothes moth look like - development and reproduction
Clothes and furniture moths are butterflies 5-8 mm long with a wingspan of 9-16 mm. The color of an adult moth is straw-yellow, while that of a furniture moth is slightly darker, and a darker shade is also visible at the base of its wings.
In the photo you see a clothes moth.
And this is already a furniture moth.
The differences are not big, but they still exist.
If you see a flying moth in your apartment, it is a male; females have wings, but do not use them at all. By destroying a flying individual, you will not save yourself from the problem, because the main pest is not the adult insect, but the larvae. The caterpillars emerging from the egg are translucent, white, the length of the already developed larva is 12 mm. Their mouthparts are designed specifically for gnawing food; these are teethed outgrowths and powerful jaw muscles. They also have a large stomach and an impressive intestine, which can accommodate a lot of food.
It is possible to distinguish between the larvae of furniture and clothes moths. Clothes moths have a whitish-yellow color.
The larva of the furniture moth is white; where it moves, it creates a strong corridor that is visible to the naked eye.
All moth caterpillars are not very active; if there is enough food, their movements are insignificant. With sufficient and suitable nutrition, the larvae develop very quickly and pupate in twenty days. If their diet consists of synthetic tissues, the development period is 2-6 months. Their development is also affected by air temperature; at low temperatures, caterpillars develop slowly, become small and even stop feeding, hiding in a cocoon.
House moth eggs are on average 0.5 mm in size, white, sometimes yellowish. Moths deposit them mainly in damp places in the folds of clothing. Egg laying continues for 2-3 weeks, the maximum the female can lay is 221 eggs, in groups of 50-80 pieces. The duration of development is 7-37 days depending on the air temperature, and at zero degrees they die.
Males are ready to mate as soon as they emerge from the pupa; when searching for a female, they rely on smell. After mating has occurred, 3-4 hours pass and the female is ready to lay eggs. Clothes moths reproduce and develop in apartments all year round.
Harm from house moths
Adult moths do not eat at all; they do not even have a mouthparts for absorbing food. Their life is short; 3-4 days after pupation, the female lays eggs and then dies almost immediately. The main damage is caused by the larvae; they feed on all natural tissues. They do not disdain museum stuffed animals; moths are a frequent neighbor in textile warehouses. Moth caterpillars may not even eat the fur, but simply trim the hairs, as they need it for convenient movement.
Synthetics are not suitable for feeding clothes moths; they eat them, but then the caterpillar develops extremely slowly.
In general, in search of food, moth larvae are capable of damaging book bindings, insulating felt, various fabrics and other poorly soluble substances.
How to get rid of clothes moths in an apartment
Aerosol insecticides
Moth control is most effective if you use aerosol insecticides. They operate according to the following principle - after spraying the solution, the poison enters the body of insects (with the air or through the integument), as a result of which they die.
Before using the aerosol, you need to inspect your closet and go through all your clothes. Then treat fur and woven items, corners of furniture and places where insects may live with insecticide. Leave the room for a few hours and then clean it. The process is labor-intensive, but the effect of processing is amazing. Popular insecticidal products against moths are “Foxide”, “Antimol”, “Raptor”, “Armol”, “Dezmol”, “Moskitol”, “Extramit”.
Fighting moths using fumigators and sections
Fumigators are an electrical apparatus into which an insecticide is placed. After the device is plugged in, the insecticide strip heats up and evaporates. According to manufacturers, the moth disappears forever within a few days. The most common fumigators on sale are “Raid”, “Raptor” and “Moskitol”. The poison kills both butterflies and larvae, but it is completely safe for human health.
Disadvantages of this moth repellent:
- There are very toxic fumigators, the manufacturer reports this in the instructions for the device; such fumigators must be turned on for two hours a day;
- Electricity is required to use it;
- In cabinets when it is used, the concentration of insecticide is usually not high.
Moth sections do not destroy insects, but only repel adult moths from clothing; they do not affect caterpillars. The most the best sections“Raptor” and “Moskitol” are considered.
Folk remedies for moths
- Use high or low temperatures to control moths. Shake out your clothes and warm them up in the hot sun. If the temperature outside is below five degrees, take the contaminated objects and things out into the cold.
- Wash your clothes at a fairly high temperature.
- Use herbs as repellents strong odor. Place bags of dried lavender on the cabinet shelves and scatter tobacco. The smell of geranium is unpleasant for moths; a pot with this plant can be placed near the closet. Antimothic agents are wormwood, fir, St. John's wort, and orange peels.
Preventive measures
Clothes, house or furniture moths are from the order Lepidoptera. It is also called clothing, fur coat, carpet. Insects refer to large family real moths, differing in size, habitat and feeding habits.
The area of interest of the clothes moth is clear from the name. Insects actively destroy home textiles: clothes, furniture upholstery, curtains, carpets, as well as products from natural fur. The main damage is caused by caterpillars; flying individuals are not dangerous.
At home there are different ones: clothes, fur coats, and others (). Butterflies differ slightly in color and size, caterpillars are practically indistinguishable from each other. Adult clothes moths have a rather inexpressive appearance.
What does a moth look like that eats a fur coat? A small insect is colored beige-silver, narrow wings are abundantly covered with fringe, whitish fibers are noticeable on the head.
The moth practically does not fly around the room; it can be detected by accidentally disturbing it in its habitat.
Adults females prefer to hide in folds of fabric and piles of things in preparation for reproduction. In secluded corners, moths lay eggs, from which caterpillars hatch, causing major damage to textiles. Fast-growing caterpillars have a developed gnawing mouthpart, which allows them to quickly wear away textile fibers.
IN natural conditions This type of moth feeds on animal hair, plant fibers, and bird feathers. In apartments, the diet of caterpillars is much richer. Their prey is any textiles, fur products, various fabric pads in furniture, and animal bristles.
Moths feed not only on natural but also synthetic products. Often it damages only the inner layer of tissue, leaving the outer layer intact. Defects can only be detected during wear; in damaged areas, the fabric quickly spreads, forming holes.
You can see what a clothes moth looks like in the photo below:
How to protect clothes: preventive measures
Mole attracted by worn clothes with traces of sweat and sebaceous secretions. This is why holes and abrasions often appear on cuffs, collars and other places in close contact with the skin.
Clothes moths are especially partial to natural wool: cloth, drape, woolen knitwear. It also affects fur: fur coats, hats, collars and other products.
The main preventive measure is Frequent washing and cleaning of clothes. IN wardrobe Do not store dirty things. Attracted by the smell of greasy secretions, moths will ruin not only them, but also clean clothes hanging nearby. Items should be washed frequently or taken to dry cleaning periodically.
Thorough cleaning is also necessary for seasonal clothes and accessories sent for long-term storage: fur coats, jackets, hats, felt boots.
Fur mittens, shoe trim, and bags made of fabric or fur need to be cleaned periodically.
Some dry cleaners offer additional service: non-toxic anti-mole impregnation that lasts for several months.
Helps protect clothing Frequent cleaning of the inside of the closet. You need to go through your wardrobe at least once a season. Moth loves nooks and crannies , where it doesn't fall Fresh air and sunlight.
It is important to frequently rearrange clothes folded in piles: sweaters, cardigans, scarves, warm tights. Clothes on hangers should not hang too tightly, between the products you need to leave gaps for ventilation. When going through your wardrobe, it is recommended to shake things, it is better to do this on outdoors.
Wool products are useful hang out in the hot summer sun. Bright rays negatively affect moth eggs and kill already hatched caterpillars. Frost has a similar effect. Hanging fur coats, coats and suits on the balcony in minus temperature Helps prevent clothes moths.
ADVICE! Owners of expensive fur coats, fur coats and stoles are better off at the end of the winter season store products in special refrigerators. This service is offered by large fur salons or dry cleaners.
Consistently low temperatures kill moth larvae, fur remains attractive longer appearance, does not fade and does not become covered with dust.
Covers for fur coats against moths: an effective measure of protection
Covers will help protect clothes - an excellent anti-moth remedy for fur coats. They are needed for seasonal clothing made of drape, mixed fabrics and fur, which moths especially love.
Coats, fur coats, jackets, suits and dresses are stored in covers; they are suitable for transportation and protect clothes from dust.
Products can be purchased at hardware stores (for example, trademark Raptor), best options For storing valuable mink and sable coats, they are offered in specialized fur salons.
The best cases are made from modern synthetic materials that do not interfere with normal air exchange. They are hermetically fastened with a zipper or Velcro tape.
Products may be impregnated with repellent drugs. Such covers are very effective, but anti-moth impregnations are toxic and not suitable for allergy sufferers.
Soaked products should be protected from children and pets; clothes packed for storage should be placed in the closet so that they do not touch other things. It is advisable to allocate a separate section for it. Impregnated anti-moth covers remain effective for up to 12 months.
An alternative could be a product made from thick cotton or thin plastic. You can make a convenient case yourself.
The style is simple: rectangle with a sewn bottom and a zipper along the entire length. The size depends on the length of the product; the coat or fur coat should fit into the case freely, without tucking.
Hand-sewn covers must be washed every year after the end of the storage season. They can be treated from the inside with aerosol preparations that repel moths. At home, it is better to use odorless preparations. They irrigate not only the covers, but also the walls of the wardrobe.
Watch a video on how to properly prepare a fur coat for storage:
Fighting methods: modern and folk
In the closet with clothes? Moth larvae and adult butterflies about to lay eggs They really don’t like strong aromas of citrus and lavender.
You should place fresh orange or tangerine peels in the cupboard, which will have to be changed frequently.
An alternative would be essential oil orange, tangerine, lemon or grapefruit. Strips of fabric soaked in oil are placed in cases with clothes and on wardrobe shelves.
It's important to follow so that the oil does not get on your clothes and leave permanent stains on them.
Healthy place sachets of dried lavender in the closet. Dried inflorescences retain a recognizable pungent aroma for a long time. To activate volatile substances, the sachet needs to be crushed in your hands from time to time.
If you don’t have natural fragrances on hand, scented soap will help. The pieces, with or without cardboard packaging, are laid out in different places in the wardrobe, periodically replaced with fresh ones. The only disadvantage of this method is the noticeable aroma with which things are saturated.
They effectively repel adult moths, but they are unable to influence the behavior of already hatched larvae. Fragrances and sachets should be used only after thorough disinfection of the wardrobe.
More modern version – fumigators. The plates will be inserted into the device connected to the outlet. When heated, they activate volatile substances that are safe for humans and pets, but kill larvae and adult moths.
How to protect a fur coat from moths?
Fur products are threatened by leather beetles and fur moths. But also ordinary clothes are partial to fur coats, hats and collars.
REFERENCE! The larvae gnaw the pile, leaving noticeable bald spots on fur coats. Most often, the sleeves, front and back, as well as the area at the collar are affected.
Insects are especially partial to short-haired fur: astrakhan fur, astrakhan fur, and mink. Mole may damage the lining, leaving holes in it. Noticing the slightest signs the appearance of pests, you need to urgently take measures to save your favorite fur coat.
A moth has eaten my fur coat, what should I do? The product is removed from the wardrobe and placed on wide hangers. The best thing hang the fur coat in a cool room: on glazed loggia or veranda. At first the fur is cleaned with a brush outside and inside. Then you need a fur coat shake thoroughly, removing moth larvae and eggs.
Fur coat sprayed generously with repellent, designed to destroy moth larvae.
For home use Unscented or neutral lavender scented products are suitable. Choose drugs with minimal toxicity.
It is better to carry out work with gloves, protecting the respiratory tract with a gauze bandage. Not only the top of the fur coat is processed, but also the lining and the inside of the sleeves. Carefully spray the area under the collar or hood, cuffs, decorative elements, folds.
ADVICE! It is convenient to process a very wide fur coat in a horizontal position, laid out on a table or ironing board.
Do not use repellents that have expired; they are practically useless. You cannot use multiple remedies different manufacturers simultaneously, many drugs do not mix with each other, forming harmful fumes.
After treatment, the fur coat is left for half an hour and then placed in a sealed case with anti-moth impregnation.. It is better to leave the product outdoors for 1-2 days, and then put it in a separate section of the closet. Before placing the fur coat in the wardrobe, you need to treat the walls and shelves with repellents and ventilate thoroughly.
You should not place wool products next to your fur coat., stored without covers. It is better to remove felt boots, yarn supplies and other items that attract moths from the section where fur is stored.
It is very difficult to completely eradicate clothes moths. However, taken on time preventive measures, maintaining hygiene and paying attention to your own wardrobe will help keep your clothes intact. It’s important to remember that preventing pests is easier than making them leave your home forever.
Useful video
How to get rid of moths, personal practical experience:
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