Signs of Clothes Moths and Carpet Moths in Your Home

The first clue is often a small hole in a favourite jumper, not a moth. Clothes and carpet moths are secretive, and by the time the damage is obvious, the larvae may have been feeding for weeks.

Knowing what to look for, and where, means you can confirm the problem early and avoid mistaking it for something else.

The damage itself

Moth damage looks different from ordinary wear. Instead of a worn thin patch, you tend to find irregular holes with ragged edges, bald patches in a pile, or fabric that looks as if it has been shaved.

On knitwear, check underarms, cuffs and necklines first. On a rug or carpet, look along the edges, under furniture and anywhere that is rarely walked on or vacuumed.

• Small, irregular holes in wool, cashmere or silk
• Patches where the pile is worn down to the backing
• Hairs or fibres that seem to have been cut short
• Damage concentrated in dark, undisturbed spots

Larvae, cases and silk

The destructive stage is the larva, a small cream-coloured caterpillar with a darker head. Some species spin silky tubes or cases from fibres and drag them around, so a tiny moving fragment of fluff on a garment can be a larva.

Look for fine silk webbing or tunnels in folds of fabric, and for small, gritty droppings the colour of the material being eaten. A shed larval skin looks like a tiny pale husk.

The adults are easy to overlook

Adult clothes moths are small, buff or golden, and narrow-winged. They tend to avoid light, so they run or flutter weakly when disturbed rather than flying at lamps the way larger moths do.

Carpet moths and the related brown house moth are slightly different in colour and markings, but the habits are similar. The adults do not eat fabric themselves, so the damage is nearly always the work of larvae.

Where they tend to be found

Moths favour places that are dark, quiet and warm, with something to eat. That means the back of wardrobes, drawers of rarely worn clothes, underfelt, beneath sofas and along the edges of fitted carpets.

They feed on animal-based fibres such as wool, fur, feathers and silk, and on accumulated pet hair, lint and dust. Stored items and second-hand textiles are common ways of bringing them in, and so are old bird nests or dead insects in lofts and cavities.

• Wardrobes and drawers, especially at the back and bottom
• Edges of rugs and carpets, and under heavy furniture
• Stored woollen blankets and boxed winter clothing
• Radiator covers and the gaps behind skirting boards

Telling clothes moths from food moths

Moths flying in the kitchen are more likely to be pantry moths, which feed on dried food such as flour, cereals and nuts. They are a different problem with different habits.

If you are unsure what you have found, take a clear photograph or keep a specimen in a small container. Essex Pest Solutions can identify what is causing the damage during an inspection.

Frequently asked questions