Clothes Moth Larvae Uk

The larvae that hatch from the eggs of clothes moths spin silk webbing into a tunnel across the attacked material.

Clothes moth larvae uk.

The moths are more or less continuously brooded except during the winter months. Brushing clothes and dry cleaning both help but it s nearly impossible to eliminate infestation entirely through such methods. This months news article takes a look at how you can prevent becoming a victim or casualty in the war with clothes moths and how you can improve your clothes moths pest control strategies. It s their larvae that cause the damage.

The specific name is commonly misspelled biselliella for example by g. The beginning of the clothes moth lifecycle adult female moths can lay 100 400 eggs over their short life and these eggs are tiny typically 0 5mm in length. In houses up and down the uk there is a war being waged against clothes. Dr chris terrell nield says a few uk species can breed in houses including the brown house moth the case bearing clothes moth and the common clothes moth.

The common clothes moth tineola bisselliella has been blamed for munching its way into homes across britain. Tineola bisselliella known as the common clothes moth webbing clothes moth or simply clothing moth is a species of fungus moth family tineidae subfamily tineinae it is the type species of its genus tineola and was first described by arvid david hummel in 1823. The larva as its vernacular name suggests feeds on woollen clothing upholstery and carpets as well as other animal based material such as hair or fur. There are plenty of things in our homes for clothes moth larvae to feast on.

This is because a few years ago the eu banned certain strong and toxic chemicals which were used. It lives in a silken tube and when gregarious this can develop into a dense matting. The eggs hatch from between 4 and 10 days depending on temperature and humidity. Herrich schäffer when he established tineola.

But it s actually the larvae not the moths which cause the damage. Clothes moth eggs and larvae are near microscopic propagate rapidly and even camouflage themselves in a fibre woven casing to make themselves even harder to spot. They then begin to eat the fibres in the material which causes holes in clothes or loss of pile in patches on carpets. Larval stage of the clothes moth the eggs hatch into larvae which look like little creamy coloured worms with a dark head.

Moths themselves don t actually munch on fabrics they nest in it. Clothes moths have a life cycle of 65 to 90 days during which time they can lay 40 to 50 eggs.