Do Clothes Moths Eat Carpet

Although very different in appearance and habits both are pests which eat animal fibres such as wool carpets and cashmere or mohair clothing.

Do clothes moths eat carpet.

If you have clothes moths the first place you re likely to check is your wardrobe. To a family of moths it turns out a wool carpeted house is essentially an all you can eat restaurant. Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth. The common clothes moth tineola bisselliella and the case bearing clothes moth tinea pellionella are the main pest species.

After all they are called clothes moths. The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g. Tineola bisselliella commonly called the webbing clothes moth is the most recognized moth for destroying clothing. They are commonly found around the home and even canberra s parliament house.

Herrich schäffer when he established tineola. Of course they re into clothes as well she says. This means carpets rugs draperies and upholstery made from nylon acrylic polyester acetate and other synthetics can harbor these insects if they contain food or beverage. The larvae of the case bearing clothes moth can damage synthetic fibres for use in their sleeping bag like case.

Clothes moths can digest protein fibers such as wool silk and specialty hair fibers but these insects will also find and eat protein substances on synthetic fibers. Unlike most moths webbing clothes moths do not like light and will often hide in closets undiscovered until a piece of clothing is damaged. Tineola bisselliella known as the common clothes moth webbing clothes moth or simply clothing moth is a species of fungus moth family tineidae subfamily tineinae it is the type species of its genus tineola and was first described by arvid david hummel in 1823. Clothes moth grubs like a dirty diet.

But while clothes moths are notorious for the damage they do to your garments their favourite breeding ground is actually your carpets. Alamy rather confusingly most of these moth species will sometimes switch from carpets to clothes and chew any natural fabrics like cotton wool and silk. Both will attack and damage carpets upholstery clothing and animal specimens. Adult case bearing carpet moth.

These moths are generally 1 to 2 inches wide and light golden brown in color. Clothes moths and pantry moths can be a real pest when they start eating your woollens and getting into your flour. The most common clothes moths are the webbing clothes moth easily identified with a golden colour and around half an inch in length and the case bearing moth which can be identified about inch long and their forewings are mottled brown with one large and a few.