Will Moth Eat My Clothes?
Most Moths in the Home Are Actually Feeding on Plants. Anything Longer Than 1 Cm Is Likely Not Eating Your Clothing. Only Two Moth Species Will Damage Your...
Most moths in the home are actually feeding on plants. Anything longer than 1 cm is likely not eating your clothing. Only two moth species will damage your clothes: The casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) most commonly infest clothing (PDF).
Do moths eat through clothes?
Both types of moths eat natural fibers found in clothing, carpet, drapes, upholstery and bedding. They'll eat wool, silk, cotton and any other natural fiber they can find. If they run out of clothing fibers, moths will even eat pet fur or chomp through synthetic materials to burrow into natural fibers underneath.
How do you know if moths are eating your clothes?
- Silky furrows, tunnels, or trenches found on wool clothing and fabrics.
- Irregular holes in clothing.
- Furs that shed excessively.
- Tiny tubes stuck to fabric, which are larvae casings.
- Crusty deposits on rugs, drapes, and clothing.
- Small cream-colored moths appearing in flight or crawling on surfaces.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
