What Fabrics Do Clothes Moths Eat

First of all clothes moths only consume fabrics and other such materials during one stage of their lives.

What fabrics do clothes moths eat. The larvae eat clothes. An adult moth will deposit eggs which eventually hatch into larvae. Both types of moths eat natural fibers found in clothing carpet drapes upholstery and bedding. Cotton is a vegetable based fiber and is usually safe from the ravaging mouths of moth larvae.

Except for silverfish the main food sought by fabric pests is a protein substance called keratin present in fibres of animal origin such as wool and even human hair. As mentioned above what makes moths eat clothes is the animal protein keratin that is contained within them. As for moths themselves they mostly eat plant matter like leaf fibers in their caterpillar larvae stage. Theyll eat wool silk cotton and any other natural fiber they can find.

Some moths prefer animal based materials like wool and leather while others prefer plant based textiles like cotton. Only the larval or caterpillar stage of clothes moths eat and destroy your ugly christmas sweater. You may see regular or irregular shaped holes depending on the moths involved and the damage can be to clothes bedding curtains or upholstery. If they run out of clothing fibers moths will even eat pet fur or chomp through synthetic materials to burrow into natural fibers underneath.

The short answer is keratin. Moth larvae have a fairly specific diet and so female moths typically pick clothes made from animal fibers such as silk wool cashmere angora or fur materials that contain keratin. Do moths eat cotton clothing. Among the most common fabrics that moth larvae will eat are silk furs and wool.

But well get to that shortly. Clothes moths are pests that can destroy fabric and other materials. The group of insects known as fabric pests includes silverfish clothes moths and carpet beetles. So what do moths eat exactly.

They feed exclusively on animal fibers especially wool fur silk feathers felt and leather. The casemaking clothes moth will sometimes use cotton fibers to cocoon themselves when nothing else is available. Thus the only clothes that moths will eat are those that are made with keratin based fabrics. These materials contain keratin a fibrous protein that the worm like larvae of the clothes moth can digest.

The holes you find in your clothes are actually from hungry baby moths eager to fill up.