WHAT DO CLOTHES MOTHS LOOK LIKE
Adults have silver grey/brown and gold-colored wings which are held close to the body. Both fore and hind wings have a fringe of hairs along the edges. The forewings are gold or brown with one large dark spot and two smaller dark spots, although these often rub off on older specimens. Unlike other moths, they shun the light and prefer your nice, dark closet which is why they are difficult to spot. A professional moth exterminator knows just where to look.
Clothes moth adults do not feed so they cause no injury to fabrics. However, the adults lay about 40-50 pinhead-sized eggs on vulnerable substrates, which in turn, hatch into the fabric-eating larvae. The larval stage of clothes moths are creamy-white caterpillars up to 1/2-inch long. Development time before transforming into a moth varies greatly (from one month to as much as two years), depending on temperature, food availability, and other factors. Webbing clothes moth larvae spin silken tubes or patches of webbing as they move about on the surface of infested materials. They often feed within folds of fabric and other concealed areas. As larvae graze along the surface, threadbare spots occur where fibers are removed at the base. On animal (taxidermy) mounts, clumps of hair will often detach from the skin. Also present are tiny fecal pellets.
After mating, the female moth can lay up to 300 eggs before dying. Moth eggs hatch in four to 10 days during the summer but may take several weeks to hatch in the winter. The male moths live on for about a month to mate with other females, creating hundreds more of these tiny starving pests. The moth larva begins feeding right after hatching from the egg. There are multiple larval stages which get progressively bigger through molting. The development time can vary from one month to three depending on food source and room temperature.
When the larvae of the moth are ready to pupate — beginning the process by which they develop into adult moths — they move up and attach themselves to a surface with a silk thread from which the pupa hangs. This is one way pest control service technicians know which species they are dealing with if they cannot find adults. Pupation for webbing clothes moth larvae occurs inside a silken cocoon, which is usually found in places where the larvae have been feeding. Finding one of these cocoons in a drawer, closet or storage area is a sure sign of possible moth infestation.
Clothes moth adults do not feed so they cause no injury to fabrics. However, the adults lay about 40-50 pinhead-sized eggs on vulnerable substrates, which in turn, hatch into the fabric-eating larvae. The larval stage of clothes moths are creamy-white caterpillars up to 1/2-inch long. Development time before transforming into a moth varies greatly (from one month to as much as two years), depending on temperature, food availability, and other factors. Webbing clothes moth larvae spin silken tubes or patches of webbing as they move about on the surface of infested materials. They often feed within folds of fabric and other concealed areas. As larvae graze along the surface, threadbare spots occur where fibers are removed at the base. On animal (taxidermy) mounts, clumps of hair will often detach from the skin. Also present are tiny fecal pellets.
After mating, the female moth can lay up to 300 eggs before dying. Moth eggs hatch in four to 10 days during the summer but may take several weeks to hatch in the winter. The male moths live on for about a month to mate with other females, creating hundreds more of these tiny starving pests. The moth larva begins feeding right after hatching from the egg. There are multiple larval stages which get progressively bigger through molting. The development time can vary from one month to three depending on food source and room temperature.
When the larvae of the moth are ready to pupate — beginning the process by which they develop into adult moths — they move up and attach themselves to a surface with a silk thread from which the pupa hangs. This is one way pest control service technicians know which species they are dealing with if they cannot find adults. Pupation for webbing clothes moth larvae occurs inside a silken cocoon, which is usually found in places where the larvae have been feeding. Finding one of these cocoons in a drawer, closet or storage area is a sure sign of possible moth infestation.