The Common Clothes Moth – Tineola bisselliella
Adult size (approx.): 0.4cm-0.7cm
Habitat
The Common Clothes Moth is found indoors throughout Britain. They are a reasonably cold hardy and associated with natural products especially woven fibres, furs, feather products and fertilisers. Most damage caused by this Moth is at the larval stage.
Biology
Egg – Larvae – Pupae – Adult
Egg: the eggs are laid in a suitable larval food normally among clothing or carpet fibres. They hatch above 10 degrees centigrade in approx 1-5 weeks
Larvae: a whitish caterpillar that forms silk tunnels camouflaged with debris. They feed at night and hide by day in the tunnels formed. Develop in 2-7 months
Pupae: inside the last of their larval skin concealed in fabric. Develop in 2 weeks to 2 months
Adult: small, straw coloured body with fringed wings. The females do not fly, males occasionally. They do not feed and are short lived
Importance
A nuisance pest that can cause severe damage to carpets, clothing and fabric. If left, a minor infestation can turn into something quite unpleasant with moths flying around all over your property. As mentioned above, the larvae is the insect that causes the damage not the moths that fly around. You will be able to find these larvae around the edges of the carpet, seams of clothing and believe it or not, the hoover. The hoover will need to be checked regularly as infestation levels can rise quickly in this area due to the high amount of fibre particles collected.
Control
Good hygiene is essential. The use of a vacuum cleaner to hoover up the larvae and cases will help in preventing damage. A residual spray or a space fogging treatment throughout with the use of a smoke bomb to eradicate any live Moths. Where there are valuable fabrics, the use of a pheromone trap can be used to attract young adults. Our heat treatment can eradicate your infestation within one working day. This process will require a full survey of the property - free of charge. This will ascertain the level of infestation, man power required, running time of the machine and cost. Call us for more details or click here for info.
Other Moths we deal with are:
- Indian Meal Moth
- White Shouldered House Moth
- Brown Tailed Moth
- Warehouse Moth
- Mediterranean Flour Moth
Areas Covered for Moth Control
Moth Control Essex, London Hertfordshire & Kent
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