As numbers boom can they be stopped.
Clothes moth larvae in carpet.
The case bearing moth larvae eat keratin similarly to webbing clothes moths and found in animal based fabrics clothing and home textiles including carpets and rugs.
They destroy sweaters carpets and even wall insulation and their population has tripled in five years.
But there are ways to.
Identify webbing clothes moth larvae by their feeding tunnels of silk or webbing patches left behind on the fabric as they move around.
The larvae are creamy white coloured caterpillars which can be as much as a 1 2 inch in length.
Revenge of the clothes moths.
It is clothes moth larvae that do the damage to clothes and textiles in the home and specifically those made of natural animal based fibers.
In carpets clothes moths will usually be found under heavy furniture or at the undisturbed edges.
Eggs hatch into larvae and larvae pupate into carpet moths.
Clothes moth larvae emerge from the eggs of the common webbing clothes moth the most widespread and prolific variety and similar varieties that cause damage to clothes carpets and home textiles.
Clean cotton materials are not normally at risk from attack by clothes moths but the larvae will eat holes in the cotton coverings of feather cushions if the fillings are infested.