What Materials Do Clothes Moths Eat

Do moths eat cotton clothing.

What materials do clothes moths eat. Clothes moths are pests that can destroy fabric and other materials. Clothes furnishings stored produce and dead animals such as birds and rodents all provide a ready source of food and can support an infestation. Both of these species are known to eat natural cloth fibers found in clothes curtains carpets bedsheet and upholstery. The larvae that hatch from the eggs of clothes moths spin silk webbing into a tunnel across the attacked material.

When they first hatch theyre only a millimetre long and they burrow into your clothes so you don. They hatch within a few weeks of being laid. Moth larvae generally only feed of fibers that are of animal origin wool silk cashmere angora and similar. These materials contain keratin a fibrous protein that the worm like larvae of the clothes moth can digest.

They feed exclusively on animal fibers especially wool fur silk feathers felt and leather. Besides the usual plants and leaves larvae are very fond of fibers in clothes. 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. Moths dont eat clothes.

Cotton is a vegetable based fiber and is usually safe from the ravaging mouths of moth larvae. The full list of things clothes moth larvae can eat is pretty insane basically they can eat and survive on virtually any natural fibre. Theyve been known to eat wool cashmere silk cotton linen fur feathers hair lint carpets the bristles of brushes pet fur and even dust. There are plenty of things in our homes for clothes moth larvae to feast on.

These feeding tunnels are often the same color as the material of the clothes the moth larvae is damaging as the tunnels are made of fabric particles and excrement. They then begin to eat the fibres in the material which causes holes in clothes or loss of pile in patches on carpets. Two species the case making clothes moth tinea pellionella and the webbing clothes moth tineola biselliell are famous fabric eaters. Casemaking clothes moth larvae on the other hand have portable cases that they carry along with them as they feed.

Adult moths arent a big threat to your home on their own but their larvae commonly eat through fabric especially cotton and wool and dry goods like bread and pasta.