April 8th, 2020 by Becky Calvert

Clothes moths are a type of insect that many people have never heard of or don’t know much about… until you discover that you have them! They can be a real nuisance and start to destroy your best clothing and soft furnishings if they’ve left untreated. Here’s everything that you need to know about them from what they are to how to get rid of them…

What are Clothes Moths?

Clothes moths are small insects that are around 5-8mm long. They hide away in the dark and lay their eggs on fabric like wool, fur, feathers and skins. As you can tell, they much prefer animal fur, skin and hair as these fabrics contain different fibres that the clothes moths are drawn towards feasting on! These insects are also happiest in dark, warm, humid spaces, and dirty clothing and especially unwashed pieces of clothing that still contain sweat, bodily oils and any other type of dirt/grime.

How to Spot if You Have Clothes Moths

1) Unlike some bugs, it can be quite easy to spot if you have a clothes moth infestation. Here’s what we’d recommend that you look out for:

2) Any furrows, tunnels or trenches on your clothing – particularly clothing made out of wool.

3) Any new holes in your clothing that are in areas where small holes wouldn’t usually appear.

4) If you have any animal fur in your wardrobe, clothes moths can make these shed excessively.

5) Clothes moths make larvae castings that look like tiny tubes – these stick to your clothes and is one of the most obvious signs that you have clothes moths.

6) Look at your other soft furnishings too (such as your curtains, rugs and carpets) and see if you can spot any crust deposits.

7) The actual moths themselves – they’re small and cream-coloured. You might be able to see the flying or crawling on your clothing.

I Think I Have Clothes Moths – What Now?

Wash Your Clothing

First things first, you need to wash all of your clothing – preferably on a hot wash to kill the moths and any eggs or deposits that they could have left behind. Although you might be tempted to only clean the items of clothing that you know the moths are more drawn towards (e.g animal skins and furs) or the items of clothing with visible marks from the moths, washing every item will make sure that no leftover eggs or moths are still living in your wardrobe.

As previously mentioned, clothes moths are very small insects and therefore, it would be extremely easy to not see every single moth that has managed to get inside your wardrobe. The eggs are almost impossible to see – so washing everything that the moths could have come into contact with is the smartest way to tackle them.

Deep Clean Your Wardrobe

Clothes moths love dark and warm corners where they won’t be easily disturbed. Therefore, just because all of your clothing has been cleaned, this doesn’t mean that no moths will still be leftover. Once all of the clothing has been removed, deep clean every inch of your wardrobe. Spray the area with a cleaning spray first and then go in with a special Clothes Moth spray.

Our Xterminate Clothes Moth Spray contains 0.1% Cypermethrin that works on both Moths and the Larvae – making sure that both parts are killed and this will stop them from coming back. The formula is super easy to use and approved for amateur use!  You can use it as both a spray and surface treatment – so you can spray everywhere the moths are likely to be.

Xterminate Clothes Moth Killer Spray 1L

Price: £13.96

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How to Prevent Them from Coming Back

If you’re confident that you’ve washed everything that you can and deep cleaned every inch of your wardrobe – it’s time to think about how to prevent them from coming back. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is through our Xterminate Moth Hangers.

These super-effective moth traps will help protect your wardrobe from clothes moths. The traps contain keratin (a natural fibre found in cotton, silk, wool, and other natural fabrics) and therefore, the moths will be extremely attracted to the traps. Once they land on them, they’ll stick to the sticky part of the hanger and you’ll be able to see if you’ve left any moths behind! It also gives you peace of mind that you don’t need to worry about them coming back!

Xterminate Hanging Moth Traps & Refill Pads

Price: £9.98

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