Do Clothes Moths Eat Carpet
After all they are called clothes moths.
Do clothes moths eat carpet. Clothes moth larvae eat keratin. The common clothes moth tineola bisselliella and the case bearing clothes moth tinea pellionella are the main pest species. If you have clothes moths the first place you re likely to check is your wardrobe. The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g.
Clothes moths and pantry moths can be a real pest when they start eating your woollens and getting into your flour. Tineola bisselliella commonly called the webbing clothes moth is the most recognized moth for destroying clothing. These moths are generally 1 to 2 inches wide and light golden brown in color. Clothes moth grubs like a dirty diet.
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. Although very different in appearance and habits both are pests which eat animal fibres such as wool carpets and cashmere or mohair clothing. Adult case bearing carpet moth. But while clothes moths are notorious for the damage they do to your garments their favourite breeding ground is actually your carpets.
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. Unlike most moths webbing clothes moths do not like light and will often hide in closets undiscovered until a piece of clothing is damaged. 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. Herrich schäffer when he established tineola.
They are commonly found around the home and even canberra s parliament house. Identifying clothes carpet moths webbing clothes moth case bearing clothes moth. The larvae of the case bearing clothes moth can damage synthetic fibres for use in their sleeping bag like case. Clothes moths and carpet beetles.
To a family of moths it turns out a wool carpeted house is essentially an all you can eat restaurant. There are two main types of insect which cause serious damage to textiles in the british isles. 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.