How To Control Clothes Moths

clothes moth
Adult (Webbing) Clothes Moth

Finding a hole in your favourite piece of clothing is certainly upsetting….. and could be expensive! The most likely culprit for damage to clothes in wardrobes and drawers is the clothes moth.

Preventing clothes moths causing damage can be achieved by putting in place a number of preventative measures and using products to control clothes moths.

Clothes Moth Identification

webbing clothes moth
Webbing clothes moth
case making clothes moth
Case making clothes moth

What do they look like?

There are actually two main species of clothes moth, the webbing clothes moth and the case-making clothes moth. Both get their names from the way the larvae protect themselves whilst they are feeding.

Webbing Clothes Moth

  • Larvae: Cream coloured larvae with a dark head. Hides under webbing whilst feeding. Webbing picks up droppings and pieces of fabric. When the larvae move to a new feeding site they leave the webbing behind.
  • Pupa: Webbing clothes moths spin a silken cocoon on the fabric they are feeding.
  • Adult moths: Light, gold coloured moth less than 1cm long.

Case-Making Clothes Moth: 

  • Larvae: Cream coloured larvae with dark head. The larvae make a case of silk which they take with them wherever they go. They can feed from either end and enlarge it as they grow. As droppings are added to the case, it takes on the colour of the fabric they are feeding on, so can be hard to spot.
  • Pupae: Case-making clothes moth larvae tend to find a crack or crevice to pupate in.
  • Adult moths: Darker than the webbing clothes moth with feint dark spots.

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Key Clothes Moth Facts

clothes moth larva
Webbing clothes moth larva
  • Generally, clothes moths are more common in the coastal areas of New Zealand, where the humidity helps their development. The case-making clothes moth prefers warmer parts of New Zealand, whereas the webbing clothes moth can be found all over New Zealand.
  • Clothes moth larvae eat a wide range of animal fabrics, but primarily fabrics containing wool. They will also damage fur, silk, feather and leather.
  • Clothes moths are poor flyers, likely to be hiding in dark areas near to where the larvae are feeding.

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Signs of a Clothes Moth Infestation

Clothes moth larva and shed skin
Clothes moth larva and spent skin
  • Holes in fabrics, clothes and curtains, damage to furniture and bare patches on the edge of carpets in dark, low traffic areas. Also check out our blog – What’s eating my clothes?
  • Webbing or larval cases in clothes or fabrics.
  • Moths that fly up or crawl away from dark, secluded areas, when disturbed.

Main Pest Season

There is no particular pest season for clothes moths as they live indoors. However, the temperature does impact how much they eat and how quickly they progress through their life cycle. In the warmer parts of the North Island the life-cycle may be complete in as little as 3 months, but in colder areas it may take up to 6 months.

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Clothes Moth Prevention Tips

Packing away clothes into plastic boxes to protect from pests
  • Regularly vacuum all carpeted rooms, especially around the perimeter and under heavy furniture.
  • Regularly move cupboards and heavy furniture in carpeted rooms. Inspect the carpet for signs of damage and insect activity.
  • At the end of each season, wash and store clothes in a sealed bag / suitcase.

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Clothes Moth Control Tips

PestXpert Pro Spray Flying aerosol
  • Items of clothing or curtains suffering damage (or items close stored close by) should be placed in a sealed black plastic bag in the sun for 1-2 hours. This will kill any larvae / eggs. The items can then be washed. Any delicate items that may be impacted by heat should be inspected individually.
  • Any cupboards which have been sites of cloth moth activity should be treated with an insecticide spray (all shelves and drawers). Items of clothing should be removed before treatment and replaced once the treatment is dry.
  • If you suspect clothes moths presence / damage in carpets, all affected areas should be sprayed with insecticide (either aerosol or ready to use pump spray), paying particular attention to damaged areas and other areas under furniture.

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PestXpert Products For Clothes Moths

  • PestXpert has two products that can be used to protect clothes in wardrobes and treat carpets and storage areas for clothes moths; Pro-Spray flying and Pro-Spray Crawling.
  • To treat surfaces, it is recommended that Pro-Spray Flying be the first choice for fabrics as it is a water based formulation. However, as with all products, test on a small area of surface or fabric first before spraying a large area.

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FAQs about Clothes Moths

Adult moths don’t eat clothes, as they don’t have chewing mouthparts. However, the larvae of clothes moths do eat a wide range of animal fabrics, especially wool and silk.

Clothes moth eggs are very hard to see. They are cream coloured, less than 1 mm long and often laid in clusters in folds in clothing.

Although many moths are attracted to lights, clothes moths actually don’t like the light and will crawl away to hide in dark, undisturbed areas.

Moth balls are an old fashioned way to protect clothes from pests. They are smelly and there are issues around toxicity so have to be handled carefully.

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