Fighting clothes moths: How to get rid of them

How do you recognize the larvae and moths of the clothes moth? How to successfully fight the clothes-eating moths? Our tips against clothes moths in the apartment.

There is hardly anything more annoying in the closet than small holes in your favorite sweater. The reason for this can be annoying clothes moths that have made their way into your closet. clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella) are butterflies that belong to the real moth family (Tineidae). They can be found all over the world, infesting and damaging a wide variety of textiles. However, the adult clothes moths do not make holes in our clothes, rather it is the larvae of this moth that damage our dearest items. Here's everything you need to know about these unloved moths, from what they look like to how to combat them.

How to recognize clothes moths

In order to be able to recognize clothes moths, it is first of all important to know what the pests look like. You will also learn below how the moths develop and what they mainly feed on.

Identify moths and larvae of clothes moths

Clothes moths are rather inconspicuous little animals and are not particularly noticeable. The adult specimens have a wingspan of 10 to 15 mm; the wings are ciliated and shiny. The color of moths depends on their food and can therefore vary from dark brown to light yellow.

Moth traps are a simple way to quickly identify a clothes moth infestation. The pheromones – for example in ours Plantura clothes moth traps – are modeled on the attractants that female clothes moths secrete to attract males. This enables easy identification. Nevertheless, pheromone traps are not suitable for combating clothes moths as they do not catch every single male and the moths can therefore still reproduce. However, due to the early detection of infestation, moth traps offer the ideal basis for successful control. The application of our Plantura clothes moth traps is very simple: They can be hung up, stood up or even attached to the underside of shelves with adhesive dots. The trap will now attract male moths for the next three months. Only then does it lose its effectiveness and it should be replaced.

Tip: Our Plantura clothes moth traps also work against the rarer fur moth, which also causes damage to textiles. It is darker in color than clothes moths and has diffuse dark spots on the forewings. She is also more likely to stay in cool places, such as the attic or closet.

Clothes moths fly between May and September. Meanwhile, a female can lay up to 250 eggs, from which yellowish-white larvae hatch after about two weeks. The development of the larvae to the adult clothes moth takes about 60 days. The optimal development conditions are given at temperatures around 24 °C and a humidity of 75 %. If the environmental conditions deviate significantly from these values, the development of the clothes moths can last longer. The active time of clothes moths in nature is therefore limited to the warmer months from May to September. In heated houses or apartments, however, the pests can also occur all year round. Usually the larvae live in the nests of mammals or birds. There they feed on the animals' hair and feathers, which contain the fibrous protein keratin, which the larvae need for development.

With the use of animal hair for textile production, humans also became a focal point for clothes moths and a well-appointed wardrobe with items of wool or fur to make a nice home for the little ones pests. But synthetic fibers are not spared either – these are only eaten up and then excreted, since the larvae cannot digest the artificial substances. Moth larvae also like to infest clothing that still has hair and dander attached to it. In addition, the pests are not limited to wardrobes, which is why the danger of moths in carpets and insulating materials.

notice: Even cars can be infested with clothes moths. You can find out more about this in our special article on moths in the car.

This is how you can recognize the damage caused by the clothes moth

You can recognize the damage caused by the clothes moth larvae by eating bare spots and holes in clothing and other textiles such as curtains, carpets or upholstered furniture. The clothes moths prefer textiles made of wool, fur or feathers. When they come across mixed fabrics, for example, they only attack the wool content. But even clothing made of synthetic materials is not safe from the little pests. Holes can also be eaten into these, even if the larvae cannot process the material and excrete it undigested.

In the case of an infestation with clothes moths, you can sometimes also find fine webs - similar to a spider's web - and crumbs of excrement from the larvae. These crumbs are very differently shaped and usually have the color of the affected piece of textile. The larvae of the fur moth can also be recognized by the fact that they install themselves in a protective quiver that they carry around with them. Only the head and the front feet look out of this.

Prevent clothes moths

To avoid problems with clothes moths in the first place, we have put together some tips and tricks for you on how to prevent such an infestation.

• insect screen: First of all, you can put insect screens on the windows of your bedroom or closet so that the pesky moths cannot easily enter your living space. You can also protect your clothes with laundry bags. However, this method makes more sense for items that are stored for a longer period of time - perfect for winter clothes that you stow away over the summer.
• vacuum cleaning: It is also advisable to vacuum regularly to prevent small pests from settling there. But be warned: the moth nest can also be in the vacuum cleaner bag, as the larvae prefer quiet, dark places. So change the bag regularly.
• mothballs: A classic way of preventing clothes moths is also the well-tried mothball. This keeps the insects away with deterrent substances such as naphthalene. However, most of us will be familiar with the pungent smell of grandmother's chests for winter clothing and this is certainly not something to aspire to. And even though today's mothballs contain the less intensely smelling paradichlorobenzene, both substances are potentially hazardous to the environment and human health.
• Natural alternatives: A more natural and much more pleasant alternative are essential oils and woods such as pine, cedar and des neem tree. Another effective herb is lavender, which is particularly easy to pack in scented sachets and put in wardrobes and chests of drawers.

Summary Preventing clothes moths:

• Install insect screens
• use garment bags
• Vacuum regularly and change vacuum cleaner bags
• Use mothballs or moth hangers
• Use essential oils, scented sachets and woods with lavender, stone pine, cedar or neem

If moths in the closet already spread, you should consider how you want to combat the moths. Do you prefer to use household remedies, beneficial insects or chemical control methods? Below you will find various approaches that you can use individually or in combination in the fight against clothes moths.

Fight clothes moths chemically

Chemical control methods primarily include various moth sprays or normal insect sprays that contain active ingredients from the pyrethrin group. With such agents, however, caution is advised, since pyrethrins are neurotoxins, at least Irritations can cause and which is therefore rather not in the house, in the closet or even in the children's room would like to have.

Fight clothes moths naturally

Sustainable alternatives to questionable chemical clubs are beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps or the use of household remedies. Even if pheromone traps like ours Plantura clothes moth traps not sufficient for complete control as they only attract males and not females Moths still get rid of eggs and larvae, it is worth closing the traps while you are fighting them keep. Because they can be used to monitor the moth population. With the help of the traps, the development of the number of moths can be monitored and the moth-free state can be determined at the end of the fight. In the following sections you will find out which methods you actually use to win the fight against the clothes eaters.

Ichneumon wasps against clothes moths

It might sound strange to add more insects to your closet to fight clothes moths. But parasitic wasps are incredibly useful little creatures that have been around since the 19th century. Used to control pests for centuries. Many species of the genus trichograma are bred specifically to combat various moths, as they are highly specialized and therefore very effective. The parasitic wasps parasitize the clothes moth eggs, preventing them from developing further and dying.

Also for ours Plantura parasitic wasps against clothes moths we use beneficial insects of the genus trichograma, which act as a natural antagonist to moths and guarantee biological and sustainable control of clothes moths.

The parasitic wasps are delivered to you on small cards of 2000 each in host eggs. Place these cards in the affected rooms or closets, with one card covering about one square meter or a closed area - such as a closet compartment. After hatching, the little beneficial insects get to work immediately, being very discreet. The small flying insects can hardly be seen with the naked eye and are completely harmless to you, your clothes or pets. At the end of their short life span, the little creatures simply die off, leaving no more dirt than everyday dust.

Tip: After use, it is advisable to wipe out the affected shelves with a damp cloth and, if necessary, to wash the stored clothing. After that, all traces of the slippery creatures are eliminated.

Six repetitions are necessary for effective control. This ensures that all current stages of development and any subsequent generations are eliminated once and for all. Our plants Ichneumon wasps against clothes moths should be applied every two weeks. So that you always have fresh parasitic wasps at home at the right time, the required cards will be conveniently delivered to your home in this rhythm. When used correctly, the use of Ichneumon wasps against moths an effective and thorough method that you can also use food moths can operate. Everything to the Differences between clothes moth and food moth Find out in our special article.

Home remedies for clothes moths

Because large temperature swings are not ideal for clothes moths and their offspring, you can use it to wash textiles that are not so easy to wash, such as upholstery treat. Heat treatment in the oven at 50 to 60°C for about an hour can kill the moths, larvae and eggs. However, be extremely careful with this method and do not leave the kitchen, as a piece of textile in the oven always poses a fire hazard.

Alternatively, you can also place the textiles in the blazing sun and also cover them with black foil. This method also works for larger pieces, such as rugs. But only use very warm days to guarantee sufficiently high temperatures and leave the pieces outside for several hours.

Another safer method is cold treatment, but this is often not as effective as heat treatment. However, since hot washing is out of the question for woolen garments, as they would otherwise become very matted, you can place the garments in the freezer for at least a week to discourage hidden clothes moth larvae to kill. This method is also suitable for other textiles. However, you should repeat this process over several weeks so that all larvae and eggs are killed.

Summary of combating clothes moths:

• Chemical control with moth sprays (beware of toxic ingredients!)
• Effective and biological elimination by trichograma-parasitic wasps
• Heat or cold treatment of affected clothing

Another pest that likes to show up in our homes and is very similar to the clothes moth is the food moth. As Control food moths and can also use parasitic wasps, you can find out in our suitable special article.