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Moth Pest and Larvae Control Guide

Moths can be one of the most distressing insects to find around your home or business. But exactly what are moths? Moths, Butterflies and Skippers are insects that all form part of the same insect group known as Lepidoptera. Lepidoptera means scaly-wing. This makes sense, as the dusty stuff on a moth’s wings happens to be tiny scales.

What is a Moth?

Moths can be one of the most distressing insects to find around your home or business. But exactly what are moths? Moths, Butterflies and Skippers are insects that all form part of the same insect group known as Lepidoptera. Lepidoptera means scaly-wing. This makes sense, as the dusty stuff on a moth’s wings happens to be tiny scales.

How many species of Moth are there in the UK and which Moths are responsible for infestation in houses?

There are two and a half thousand species of Moth in the UK, but only three of them are responsible for pest control problems in the UK. They are:

  • The Clothes Moth 
  • The Brown House Moth 
  • The White-Shouldered House Moth.

Information, Appearance and Identification.

Read more about the main three moths that cause infestation problems and how to spot and differentiate them from other insects.

Need Help Identifying a Pest?

The Clothes Moth: Clothes moths are small, 1/2-inch moths that are beige or buff-coloured. They have narrow wings that are fringed with small hairs. They are often mistaken for grain moths infesting stored food items in kitchens and pantries. Unlike some other types of moths, clothes moths are seldom seen because they avoid light. They prefer dark, undisturbed areas such as closets, basements and attics. Similar-looking moths spotted in kitchens and other well-lighted areas are possibly grain moths originating from cereals, dried fruit, nuts, or other stored foods.

The Brown House Moth: A common House Moth originally from Asia. In the 1840s, The Brown House Moth moth was introduced to Europe, eventually spreading through the British Isles, and also into America. Brown House Moths are most active during the summer months, though you can find them throughout the year. Although they fall into the category of Kitchen Moths, and you can generally locate Brown House Moths in residential homes in pantries, you may also discover them in carpets and clothing, as well as attics, cabinets, roofing spaces, and lofts. 

The larvae are omnivorous, meaning they’ll eat;

  • Dried fruits
  • Flour
  • Grains
  • Cereals
  • Seeds
  • Potatoes
  • Fur
  • Clothing
  • Leather
  • Cork
  • Bookbinding

The White-Shouldered House Moth: Also called Endrosis sarcitrella, is a relatively small, beige, and white moth, which does well in humid climates. These insects were once the scourge of all manner of textiles within the home; clothing and wallpaper mainly, however due to innovations in modern technology, which have made it more and more difficult for white-shouldered house moth and white-shouldered house moth larvae to survive in our homes, they’re not as common as they once were.

What bugs can be mistaken for moths in the UK?

  • Carpet Beetles: Another UK based pest that poses a threat to various textiles in the home.
  • Butterflies: Part of the same familial species, but don’t typically pose infestation problems.   

Where are moths found?

Moths prefer to avoid light and live in dark, undisturbed areas. They usually hide in:

  • The folds of fabrics.
  • Corners, cracks and crevices in quiet, forgotten areas. 
  • Attics.
  • Basements.
  • Cupboards.
  • Wardrobes.
  • Spaces under beds.

Moths can be seen crawling slowly from the material they hatch on to find a secure crack or crevice. When they’ve found one, they spin cocoons to develop into adult moths.

Survival

These questions all relate to moths’ survival skills.

Some adult moths live only for a week. Others can live for up to 10 months or up to a whole year. Female moths die after laying their fertilised eggs, while males tend to perish soon after mating.

Moths are typically more active during the warmer months, but some species of moths can be active year-round, even in the winter. Some species of moths are attracted to warm indoor environments during the colder months, making it important to take preventative measures to avoid infestations.

Butterflies and moths have strong muscles in their thorax which force their wings up and down on a fulcrum basis. They actually go in a slanted figure 8 motion that propels them forward through the air in the same principle as an airplane.

Moths are curious creatures when it comes to travel; some moths can travel great distances whilst some moths only fly short distances, and a few species migrate incredibly long distances, for example from North Africa to Britain. In some species, such as the Belted Beauty, the female moth has no wings at all and does not move far from her pupa case.

Many moth species feed only when they are in their caterpillar stage, which explains why their life span is so short. When they become adult moths, they cannot ingest food which leads to their death in a couple of days or weeks, depending on the moth species.

Adult moths tend to feed on nectar from flowers, fruit, or sap. However, some adult moths don’t feed at all and don’t even have mouthparts.

Moths favourite foods include any grain products such as flour, cereal, cornmeal, rice and nuts, but they will also infest birdseed, pet food, dried pasta and dried fruit.

Moths are not dangerous to humans, as they do not bite or sting. However, moth larvae can cause damage to clothing, carpets, and other materials in your home, leading to costly repairs. Some people may also experience allergic reactions to contact with moth scales or hairs, but this is rare.

Breeding

These questions all relate to moths’ breeding.

  • Female moths can lay between 40-50 eggs onto fabrics, which can hatch within 10 days if they’re warm enough.
  • The full life cycle of the common clothes moths can take up to four to six months in the wild. But in our homes, conditions and temperatures are very favourable. So, clothes moths may live one month, larvae will reach maturity in about a month and the pupate stage will last about two to three weeks.

So to get rid of a moth infestation, you would need to hammer all stages for at least four to five weeks to break the life cycle.

Moth Pest control

These questions relate to pest control and how to get rid of Moths in the UK.

  • Wash all fabrics – soft furnishings, linens, rugs, blankets, curtains & towels in the affected area – moth larvae find these as tasty as clothes.
  • Keep clothes clean – female moths like to lay eggs on fabrics stained with sweat or urine as the larvae gain more nutrients from these. Always clean clothes before putting them back in your wardrobe.
  • Clear the area around the infestation. Empty wardrobes and drawers and thoroughly vacuum carpets and soft furnishings that cannot be removed from the area.
  • Separate and shake soft furnishings outside the home and vacuum everything thoroughly. This is to ensure that excesses of live larvae or eggs are removed from the home. Make sure all clothes are washed or dry-cleaned thoroughly.
  • Vacuum empty wardrobes, drawers and other areas of infestation. Immediately dispose of vacuum contents.

There are several common signs that a moth infestation has that can unveil their presence in your home, however, it ultimately depends on the type of infestation you have.

Clothes Moth Infestation Signs:

  • Strange-shaped tunnels in stored clothing.
  • Excessively shedding furs that have no apparent reason for losing their shine.
  • Silky furrows and holes are found on garments made of natural fabrics.
  • Noticeable larvae casings that look like miniature silken tubes attached to the fabric.
  • Crawling moths on the surface of the clothing.
  • Silver, spider-like webs on your garments.

Carpet Moth Infestation Signs:

  • Threadbare patches or holes in carpets
  • Tiny black dots on the carpet, which are probably moth droppings
  • Carpet moth larvae on carpets or in clothing – these are white-yellow and 1 mm – 1 cm long, depending on their age
  • Larval shells. Moths are known to shed their skin several times before pupating.

Kitchen Moth Infestation Signs:

  • Webbing. Moths create silk webs that can be found on the inside and outside of food packaging. 
  • Odour. The secretions Moths release can cause foul odours. Their presence can also alter the taste of ingredients.

If you notice small holes in food packaging, kitchen moths could be responsible.

Places you should check include the:

    • Bedroom – wardrobes, linen closets, darkened areas particularly ones that store clothing and blanketing, which house the materials that moths love.
    • Kitchen – Cupboards and other kitchen storage that is full of grain products such as flour, cereal, cornmeal, rice and nuts.
    • Carpets – In the folds of carpets, under baseboards, and in darkened hidden areas of carpeted flooring are the ideal spaces for moths and moth larvae.

 

Get effective & affordable pest control for moths.

Moth control problems can be disruptive and inconvenient for businesses. Throughout the North of England, we provide effective and cost-effective commercial pest control services to a wide range of commercial, industrial, and agricultural businesses. 

Over the last 30 years, VermEx has dealt with a wide range of pests with tailored solutions to meet your specific needs. You can be confident that our professional pest control solutions will provide you with peace of mind regardless of what your pest management problem may be. Contact our moth control experts if you have a moth problem on your commercial property.

Find out more about fast & effective commercial Moth and other pest control services today