Clothes moth damage tends to appear in the rooms you use least. In a suburban house with a spare room and a full loft, it can go unseen for a season.
The moths you might see do not eat clothes. Their larvae, which are small, pale and hard to spot, do all the feeding. They prefer wool, cashmere, silk, fur and feathers, and especially items with traces of food, sweat or skin oil. They avoid light, so they sit in folds, seams and the dark corners of drawers.
Dorket Head has suburban housing on a hillside, and many homes have a spare bedroom, built-in wardrobes and a loft used for storage. Those are exactly the places where winter coats, wedding outfits and children's knitwear sit untouched for months. A cupboard that is opened twice a year gives larvae plenty of time to eat unnoticed.
Take everything out and inspect it. Anything washable goes through a wash at the temperature on the label, while delicate items can be dry cleaned or frozen in a sealed bag. Once a cupboard is empty, vacuum all corners, shelves and the floor beneath. Wipe with a mild cleaner. Put clean clothes back into clean space, and store seasonal items in sealed boxes.
Moth traps using pheromones help to show whether adult males are present, though they do not clear an infestation by themselves.
Look at the lower edges of long curtains and the backs of upholstered chairs too. Larvae are happy in any quiet, undisturbed fabric, and a thin patch on a curtain hem can be the first sign you notice, even when your clothes seem untouched.
Rotating what you wear and brushing wool garments before putting them away disturbs eggs and larvae, which prefer to be left alone.
Check the loft for natural-fibre insulation, old carpet offcuts and animal nests, which can be food sources. If cleaning does not stop the damage, a targeted treatment of the affected rooms may be necessary. How long it takes depends on how widespread the larvae are and how many sources have to be cleared.
A professional can also confirm that the culprit is a clothes moth rather than a carpet beetle, as the two need slightly different handling.
We will check the affected rooms, explain what we find and treat as needed. We offer free advice with all treatments and appointments to suit you. Call 0115 937 5117.
Spare rooms and loft storage are quiet and rarely disturbed, which suits larvae. Items left in drawers for months give them time to feed without being noticed.
Freezing small items in a sealed bag for several days can kill larvae and eggs, though success depends on the temperature of your freezer and the item size. Washing is the usual alternative.
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.
