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Textile insects, such as clothes moths and carpet beetles, can cause significant damage to textiles and fabrics over time if the problem is left untreated. They digest protein fibres like silk, wool, hair fibres and even synthetic materials. Your carpets, rugs, curtains and upholstery are all at risk.
To prevent damage from occurring, you first need to understand how to identify, prevent and control these annoying pests to maintain the integrity of your fabrics. This article digs deeper into the problem, along with offering solutions.
Common textile insects
Let’s quickly take a look at some of the most common textile insects found in Australia.
Clothes Moths
It’s the larvae of the clothes moth that causes the damage to textile fibres. They appear as creamy-white caterpillars that measure about 12mm. Adult clothes moths, while they themselves don’t eat fabrics, can lay up to 300 eggs at a time.
Clothes moth larvae feed on keratin, which is a complex protein found in food-based products. The problem arises when fabrics are stained with perspiration, oils and food. This attracts the larvae, and they feed on the fabrics stained with keratin proteins. The majority of the damage occurs when larvae remain undisturbed for long periods of time. While the larvae can’t digest fibres such as linen, rayon or cotton, they will incidentally consume these fibres if food products are detected.
Carpet beetles
While the adult carpet beetle doesn’t feed on textiles, their larvae do. The real issue with carpet beetle larvae is they feed for nine months and up to three years before they become adult carpet beetles.
Carpet beetle larvae feast on animal products such as wool, silk, fur and hair and love to ingest cotton, linen and synthetic fibres if they are soiled with food spills and oils. The result is worn down carpet fibres or holes in other fabrics.
Other textile insects
Firebrats and silverfish adore carbohydrates. That’s why they’ll eat the glue off wallpaper and labels, book bindings and even starched clothing. If you have anything made of silk, watch out for silverfish. They’ll eat holes in anything fashioned from this fabric.
Termites are another common problem in Aussie homes. Aside from the obvious structural damage they can cause to anything made from wood, they also like to eat carpet backings, which can literally destroy the carpet’s integrity.
Identification and detection
Unlike other moths, adult clothes moths like to live in dark places such as basements, attics and cupboards. They can also be found in the seams of fabrics. They avoid light. After feeding on textiles, the clothes moth larvae enter the pupal stage and crawl up the walls, spinning a cocoon around themselves. The colour of the cocoon casing matches the colour of the fabric that larvae have been feeding on. Some clothes moths don’t make cases but instead present as a silk webbing found on the infected fabric.
To find out if you have a carpet beetle problem, search for adult carpet beetles around skirting boards, in drawers, on clothing, furniture and, of course, in the carpet itself. Adult carpet beetles are small, usually only a few millimetres in length, so they can sometimes be hard to spot due to their size. Larvae look like hairy, tiny caterpillars with large tufts of hair on their rear.
Habits and preferences of textile pests
We’ve already established that the clothes moth isn’t attracted to light like a typical moth and prefers dark areas where they are not disturbed. However, they will venture into other areas of the home where textiles are more readily available so they can lay their hundreds of eggs. The larvae, on the other hand, will be found in any areas of the house where they have a food source, such as carpets, curtains and furniture.
As adult carpet beetles enjoy sunlight, they are often found on window sills and curtains, in addition to the locations discussed in the previous section. They like warmer weather and tend to be most active during spring. This is when they search for ideal places to lay their eggs.
Prevention strategies
The most important thing you can do to prevent an infestation of textile pests, whether carpet beetles, clothes moths, silverfish and so on, is to keep your home extremely clean at all times. If there are food spills or perspiration on furniture and carpets, have them professionally cleaned. Also, have your curtains dry-cleaned.
With regards to fabrics and clothing that are not being used, store them in airtight bags or plastic containers with airtight seals.
Vacuum carpets regularly, paying particular attention to areas near skirting boards. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of vacuuming your furniture as well, especially under couch cushions and down the sides and backs of chair cushions.
Control and elimination
If you discover an infestation, based on the identification methods discussed earlier in the article, the best way to attack the problem is to implement the strategies mentioned above for textile pest prevention.
Vacuuming, cleaning and dry cleaning will go a long way towards controlling and eliminating these pesky, destructive pests. However, if you find that this simply isn’t enough to eradicate the problem, it’s time to call in the help of a professional pest control expert.
Pesticides and chemical treatments
Mothballs, crystals and flakes can be very effective in repelling and eliminating clothes moths. You can also purchase household fabric sprays that are designed to repel and kill the larvae of carpet beetles and clothes moths.
If you decide to use a liquid pesticide, only spray it in cracks, crevices and hidden surfaces to avoid contaminating common areas where people and pets hang out. If you need an insecticide to treat carpet beetles, look for products containing pyrethroids, such as tetramethrin, sumithrin, or permethrin.
Call in professional pest controllers
At Boas Cleaning Services, not only do we offer a broad range of cleaning options like carpet cleaning, but we also do professional pest control. We’ll rid your home of textile pests and also be able to advise you on best practices to prevent another infestation.