It is the larvae, not the flying moths, that chew your wool and cashmere. In a Beeston student let or Victorian terrace they can go unseen for months.
The small buff-coloured moths you glimpse near a wardrobe do not eat anything. Their larvae do, feeding on natural fibres such as wool, silk, fur, feathers and cashmere, and they favour dark, undisturbed places. That is why a jumper can look fine in autumn and have a scatter of small holes by the time it comes out of storage in the following year.
Beeston has plenty of older terraces with wool carpets, suspended floors and deep cupboards under the stairs, all of which suit moth larvae well. In rented student properties the pattern is different: second-hand furniture, boxes stored over summer and a lot of coming and going. A secondhand rug or a bag of clothes from a charity shop can introduce an infestation in the first place.
Start by emptying the affected wardrobe or drawer and checking everything, not just the damaged items. Wash what can be washed at the temperature on the label, and dry clean what cannot. Freezing small items in a sealed bag for a few days also kills the larvae, though the timing needed depends on the item and the freezer. Then vacuum the inside of the unit, the surrounding floor and the edges of carpets, and throw the vacuum contents out of the house.
A useful habit in shared houses is to check wardrobes at the end of each term or season, before anything is packed away. Catching one damaged jumper early is far easier than discovering a whole cupboard of ruined knitwear after the summer.
Clean clothes are less attractive than worn ones, because larvae are drawn to sweat, skin oils and food stains. Store wool items in sealed containers rather than loose in drawers. Lavender and cedar can put adults off but they do not kill larvae, so treat them as an extra rather than a cure. Check the loft or any space where old fleece, carpet offcuts or natural-fibre insulation might be a quiet food source.
If you have cleaned thoroughly and the damage keeps appearing, a professional treatment of the room, with advice on what to remove, is the next step. It also helps to know for certain which insect you have, since carpet beetle larvae cause similar damage and need slightly different handling.
We can identify the culprit, treat the affected rooms and tell you what to change. We offer free advice with every treatment and appointments to suit you. Ring 0115 937 5117 to book a visit.
No. Adult clothes moths do not feed. The damage is done by the larvae, which hatch from eggs laid in dark places and eat wool, silk, fur and other natural fibres, so treatment has to target them as well as the adults.
Washing or dry cleaning kills larvae in the clothes themselves, but it does not remove those living in the carpet or wardrobe. You normally need to treat the surrounding area as well to stop them returning.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
