Pest Library

Not sure what you are dealing with? Learn how to recognise each pest, the signs it leaves and how to protect your home.

Clothes Moths: How to Identify Them and the Damage

Clothes Moths: How to Identify Them and the Damage

Pest Library

Clothes moths are small, golden moths whose larvae eat wool, silk, cashmere, fur and feathers. The adult moths do no damage at all: the holes in your jumpers and the bare patches in your carpets are made by the larvae. Numbers have risen sharply in London, helped by warm homes and more natural fibres in wardrobes.

Adult size
6 to 8 mm long
Colour
Pale gold or straw, no markings
Larvae
Cream with a brown head, up to 10 mm
Feed on
Wool, silk, cashmere, fur, feathers
Active
All year in heated homes

How to Identify Clothes Moths

  • Common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella): plain, shiny, straw-gold wings. It runs or flutters weakly and hides from the light, unlike moths that fly to lamps.
  • Case-bearing clothes moth (Tinea pellionella): slightly darker, with faint spots. Its larva carries a small silk case with it.
  • Larvae: cream-coloured grubs with a brown head. They leave silk webbing, tubes or cases and gritty droppings the colour of the fabric.
Common clothes moth, a small golden moth

Signs of a Moth Infestation

  • irregular holes in wool, cashmere and silk clothing, often in hidden areas such as collars, cuffs and folds
  • bare patches in wool carpets and rugs, especially under furniture and along edges
  • silk webbing, tubes or small cases on the fabric
  • small golden moths crawling on walls or fluttering near the floor
  • cream larvae in the folds of stored clothes
Clothes moth eggs and larvae on fabric

Why Do I Have Clothes Moths?

Moths arrive on second-hand clothing, rugs and furniture, or fly in from neighbouring properties. They thrive in dark, quiet places where natural fibres are left undisturbed: the back of the wardrobe, under beds, in lofts and beneath heavy furniture. Clothes with sweat, food stains or skin oils on them are the most attractive, because the larvae need those nutrients.

How Serious Are Clothes Moths?

Clothes moths are not a health risk, but the damage can be expensive. A single female lays 40 to 50 eggs, and the larvae can feed for months. Because they stay hidden, an infestation is often well established by the time the first holes are noticed, and it can spread from a wardrobe to the carpets of a whole house.

How to Prevent Clothes Moths

  • Clean before storing: wash or dry clean clothes before putting them away for the season.
  • Store in sealed bags or airtight boxes, not open shelves.
  • Vacuum carpet edges, under furniture and inside wardrobes regularly.
  • Disturb them: shake out and air clothes and rugs that are rarely used.
  • Kill larvae and eggs by washing at 60°C or freezing items for two weeks.
  • Use pheromone traps to monitor moth numbers. Traps catch males only, so they will not clear an infestation on their own.
Moths in your wardrobe or carpets?

Our moth control is a 2-visit treatment from £200 + VAT for a 1-bedroom property, with all areas included. You pay after the service, not before.

See Moth ControlCall 020 8106 5666

Frequently Asked Questions

Do adult clothes moths eat clothes?

No. Adult clothes moths do not feed at all. All the damage is done by the larvae, which hatch from eggs laid on the fabric.

Do clothes moths eat cotton or synthetic fabrics?

They feed on animal fibres such as wool, silk and fur. Cotton and synthetics are usually safe, unless they are blended with wool or heavily stained.

Do moth balls and cedar get rid of moths?

They may deter moths in a small sealed space, but they do not kill an established infestation in carpets and wardrobes.

Related Pest Guides