To the layperson, food and clothes moths look pretty similar. We help identify the moths and explain how clothes moths differ from food moths.
A larva in the muesli, small holes in your new favorite sweater and then a butterfly flutters from the pantry - moths in the house are an unpleasant surprise. The inconspicuous animals develop into annoying pests that can cause considerable damage. In order to take the right countermeasures and thus quickly get rid of the uninvited visitors, however, you have to know whether the pest is a clothes moth or a food moth acts. For a layperson, the differences between clothes moths and food moths are often not clear, so that confusion often occurs. In this article you will learn the main differences between clothes moths and food moths so that you can determine the right moth without a doubt and successfully control it.
contents
- This is how you recognize food moths
- How to recognize clothes moths
- Differences between clothes and food moths
This is how you recognize food moths
Under the heading "Food moth“Be different species of moths like that Dried fruit moth (Plodia interpunctella), the Flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella) and the Storage moth (Ephestia elutella) summarized. The moths reach a body size of up to 25 millimeters and are colored differently with irregular brown or black patterns depending on the species. However, damage to the household is not caused by the adult animals, but by their larvae. The yellowish-white colored larvae of the food moth are 1.1 to 1.7 cm in size and are very reminiscent of maggots. The larvae are stored food pests that attack various foods such as grain, Flour, nuts, chocolate or tea attack and contaminate them with their excrement and webs can. Often the food moths are introduced into the household unnoticed by infected food - the nimble moths then feel at home in the kitchen in particular.
Tip: The wing pattern of the pest moths is not clearly defined. It can vary considerably depending on the season, food, lifestyle and subspecies. The most decisive clues therefore always provide specific pheromone traps or the observation of the preferred food source.
Pheromone traps are a simple and reliable aid for the early detection of a moth infestation. Our Plantura food moth traps contain pheromones, for example, which only attract male food moths. Since the moths stick to the boards coated with glue, they can also be viewed and identified in peace. The application of our Plantura food moth traps is very easy. They are only stuck in affected cupboards or drawers and then attract the male moths over a period of about six weeks. However, there is one thing to keep in mind when using them: moth traps are only a means of identification and are not sufficient to control the moths. However, thanks to the early detection of infestation, they offer the best prerequisites for timely control.
Tip: The storage moth is similar to the clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella), both have shiny wings with fringes in a light golden yellow. The distinction can only be made reliably with the help of pheromone traps - or by finding the larvae of the moth either in the cupboard or in the pantry.
How to recognize clothes moths
Clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella) are about 4 to 9 mm tall as moths. Their forewings are straw yellow and have a silvery sheen. In contrast to other species of moth, the wings of the clothes moth have no spots or markings - an important distinguishing feature! As with the food moth, the real damage is caused by the voracious larvae. Adult clothes moths do not eat and therefore do no harm. The larvae, which have a light, thread-like body with a dark head, feed on Keratin-containing materials such as wool, fur, silk, feathers, but also natural insulation materials stand on theirs Menu. The material damage can be enormous in the event of an infestation and can be easily recognized by small holes in the affected piece. Clothes moths love dark wardrobes, but the small butterflies also feel at home in carpets - this is where their larvae find optimal living conditions.
Female clothes moths secrete pheromones to attract males to mate. There are also special pheromone traps that only work on clothes moths. The application of our Plantura clothes moth traps is also very simple. The traps can either be set up, hung or even attached to the underside of cabinets or shelves with adhesive dots. However, as with traps for food moths, not all males are caught and the Therefore, traps are not sufficient for a control, but for the detection and monitoring of infestation to serve.
Tip: Fur moths also belong to the group of clothes moths. They have variable, sometimes gray-black wing markings and should not be confused prematurely with the similar looking flour moths.
Differences between clothes and food moths
Clothes and food moths differ mainly in their appearance: clothes moths, unlike the food moths have no dark patterns or spots, but are a solid straw yellow with a silvery color Shine. But both have one thing in common: Both the clothes moths and the food moths are pests and therefore undesirable in the house. The larvae of the food moth, however, infest food and are therefore storage pests, whereas they do the larvae of the clothes moth feed on materials and textiles containing keratin and act as material pests are valid.
Due to their special eating habits, there is another differentiating criterion: their whereabouts. You will not find a food moth in a wardrobe, as there is no food for the larvae there, and a clothes moth also seldom strays into the kitchen. If you pay attention to the basic features in the appearance and occurrence of the nimble moths, you can easily distinguish between clothes and food moths.
Summary - This is how the moths differ:
| Food moths | Clothes moths |
|---|---|
| Mostly dark patterned wings (dried fruit moth), more rarely gray-black or shiny yellow (flour, storage moth) | Mostly a single color straw yellow (clothes moth), more rarely straw yellow with dark markings or darker gray-black (fur moth) |
| Infest and contaminate various foods | They leave behind eating damage in textiles and natural insulation materials |
| Mainly occur in the warm summer months | Can occur in the house or in the apartment all year round |
| Develop optimally at around 30 ° C | Develop optimally at around 24 ° C; a (slower) development is possible from 15 ° C |
| Recognizable by webs or larvae in food | Recognizable by webs and larvae in the wardrobe or holes in clothing |
Once the moths have been identified, it is time to declare war on the little pests. However, the use of chemical pesticides is against Moths in the closet and of course uncomfortable and not harmless, especially in the kitchen. Our Plantura parasitic wasps against clothes moths and food moths, on the other hand, are a safe and sustainable measure against the pests. The ones we used TrichogrammaParasitic wasps are the natural enemies of moths and, thanks to their high degree of specialization, ensure effective elimination.
You get the beneficial insects delivered in host eggs in 2000 pieces on small cards, which you simply have to lay out in the affected areas. One card covers about one square meter of space or an enclosed space, for example a cupboard. How many cards you need therefore depends on the size of the affected area - for a normal-sized kitchen, for example, we recommend four cards. To ensure successful and definitive moth control, it is important to repeat this process every two weeks. For this reason, you will receive ours every 14 days so that you can always display fresh cards at the right time Plantura parasitic wasps against food moths and clothes moths by mail.
Tip: Because of the different development times, four repetitions are necessary for food moths and six for clothes moths.
When the work is done, the small beneficial insects die within a few days and, due to their tiny shape, practically disintegrate into dust. It is therefore sufficient to wipe the affected shelves with a damp cloth and wash the clothes once.
Tip: It is helpful to keep moth traps in place while you are fighting. Although they do not contribute significantly to control, they can be used to monitor the moth population and indicate when the cupboard and kitchen are moth-free again.
How to best prevent food and clothing moths and prevent them from becoming a problem in the first place, we will tell you in our special article on the topics Fight food moths and Fight clothes moths.