Clothes moths - no idea where they're coming from

[Anonymous]

We've been living in a 1940s house for four years, and about a year into living here we noticed occasional clothes moths. I inspected everything, couldn't find a source. Put out pheromone traps, they catch 1-2 months in each room every few months but there doesn't seem to be a concentration. I notice about 1-2 daily. We have a bi-weekly cleaning service, they vacuum very well. All our couches are new. We have very little upholstery or curtains (we have beehive shades.) I am really stressing out trying to figure out the source. The only place I haven't looked closely at is the attic, which has 30 year old fiberglass insulation. Could that be it? Advice needed please!

[Anonymous]

Do you have wool clothes or wool coats?

I had moth in my wool felt fabric and I baked it. That killed all the eggs/larvae. Then I put my fabric in closed plastic bins. Cedar is good too, which is why cedar closets and trunks were popular.

[Anonymous]

I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

What makes you think you have an infestation? These are insects that live outside your house and may get in at the rate you're finding them. You clean, and make sure stored items don't go undisturbed for too long, it's not a problem. Or they're breeding in an eighty-year-old rat's nest behind your wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

What makes you think you have an infestation? These are insects that live outside your house and may get in at the rate you're finding them. You clean, and make sure stored items don't go undisturbed for too long, it's not a problem. Or they're breeding in an eighty-year-old rat's nest behind your wall.

How would I differentiate between them coning from outside vs an infestation? I've only lived in this area a few years, I've never lived in any other geographic area where clothes moths fly in from outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been living in a 1940s house for four years, and about a year into living here we noticed occasional clothes moths. I inspected everything, couldn't find a source. Put out pheromone traps, they catch 1-2 months in each room every few months but there doesn't seem to be a concentration. I notice about 1-2 daily. We have a bi-weekly cleaning service, they vacuum very well. All our couches are new. We have very little upholstery or curtains (we have beehive shades.) I am really stressing out trying to figure out the source. The only place I haven't looked closely at is the attic, which has 30 year old fiberglass insulation. Could that be it? Advice needed please!

Dealing with the same and they are coming from my attic. Ugh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

From what I understand the traps only catch the males.

[Anonymous]

I would check the attic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

What makes you think you have an infestation? These are insects that live outside your house and may get in at the rate you're finding them. You clean, and make sure stored items don't go undisturbed for too long, it's not a problem. Or they're breeding in an eighty-year-old rat's nest behind your wall.

How would I differentiate between them coning from outside vs an infestation? I've only lived in this area a few years, I've never lived in any other geographic area where clothes moths fly in from outside.

I saw a few and thought they had just come in from outdoors. Then things got crazy and I was seeing them more often. About a year ago one was flying around with larvae dropping from it and went crazy. By far one of the nastiest things I have ever seen. Fast forward to this year and we have seen two on warmer days. (I’m not in DC) I don’t know what to do but I am starting to get stressed all over again Op. I will be following this thread and am hoping for better solutions than traps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've checked our wool clothes. I found two sweaters with holes last year, I threw them away, but haven't found any damaged clothes since then. The pheromone traps inside the closets don't catch anything, only the traps out in the open are catching stuff.

What makes you think you have an infestation? These are insects that live outside your house and may get in at the rate you're finding them. You clean, and make sure stored items don't go undisturbed for too long, it's not a problem. Or they're breeding in an eighty-year-old rat's nest behind your wall.

How would I differentiate between them coning from outside vs an infestation? I've only lived in this area a few years, I've never lived in any other geographic area where clothes moths fly in from outside.

I saw a few and thought they had just come in from outdoors. Then things got crazy and I was seeing them more often. About a year ago one was flying around with larvae dropping from it and went crazy. By far one of the nastiest things I have ever seen. Fast forward to this year and we have seen two on warmer days. (I’m not in DC) I don’t know what to do but I am starting to get stressed all over again Op. I will be following this thread and am hoping for better solutions than traps.

Lol and I went crazy….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been living in a 1940s house for four years, and about a year into living here we noticed occasional clothes moths. I inspected everything, couldn't find a source. Put out pheromone traps, they catch 1-2 months in each room every few months but there doesn't seem to be a concentration. I notice about 1-2 daily. We have a bi-weekly cleaning service, they vacuum very well. All our couches are new. We have very little upholstery or curtains (we have beehive shades.) I am really stressing out trying to figure out the source. The only place I haven't looked closely at is the attic, which has 30 year old fiberglass insulation. Could that be it? Advice needed please!

Dealing with the same and they are coming from my attic. Ugh!

How did you figure it out? What do you have in the attic that they breed in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been living in a 1940s house for four years, and about a year into living here we noticed occasional clothes moths. I inspected everything, couldn't find a source. Put out pheromone traps, they catch 1-2 months in each room every few months but there doesn't seem to be a concentration. I notice about 1-2 daily. We have a bi-weekly cleaning service, they vacuum very well. All our couches are new. We have very little upholstery or curtains (we have beehive shades.) I am really stressing out trying to figure out the source. The only place I haven't looked closely at is the attic, which has 30 year old fiberglass insulation. Could that be it? Advice needed please!

Dealing with the same and they are coming from my attic. Ugh!

How did you figure it out? What do you have in the attic that they breed in?

I don’t know how they are breeding. We had a wasp issue before. Perhaps an old nest. I found out they were coming from the attic because we also had an issue with carpet beetles and they were gaining access from a ceiling fan on our top floor.

[Anonymous]

After years of finding holes in my fine cashmere and woolens I finally started to throw them in the dryer after every time I wore them. After pumping for 15-20 min. I'd immediately fold them into ziploc bags and store them in my cedar drawers.
At the end of every season, I pump my wool coats, skirts, etc.. in the dryer. Heat will kill them. Them I hang them in the closet with plastic sheeting, like the ones from the dry cleaners.
By just wearing these clothes outside you are dragging in microscopic larvae, not just moths but carpet beetles, etc.. They love fine wools. Carpet beetles can thrive on most any organic product, they are a freaking pestilence.

My ex-ILs had a moth and carpet beetle infestation in their home. I could literally see stalactites of moth chrysalises hanging off the bedroom ceilings. ex-MIL ended up wearing polyesters because her garments were constantly developing holes. But they never dealt with any kind of thorough cleaning. Their weekly housekeeper was always charged with polishing the silver and tidying up ONLY THE VISIBLE. There were huge dust bunnies under the beds beneath the expensive ruffles. The attic was full of clothing from the previous generation - think pointy bullet breasted ball gowns. All crawling with larvae.
I swear they brought these vermin into my home with their visits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After years of finding holes in my fine cashmere and woolens I finally started to throw them in the dryer after every time I wore them. After pumping for 15-20 min. I'd immediately fold them into ziploc bags and store them in my cedar drawers.
At the end of every season, I pump my wool coats, skirts, etc.. in the dryer. Heat will kill them. Them I hang them in the closet with plastic sheeting, like the ones from the dry cleaners.
By just wearing these clothes outside you are dragging in microscopic larvae, not just moths but carpet beetles, etc.. They love fine wools. Carpet beetles can thrive on most any organic product, they are a freaking pestilence.

My ex-ILs had a moth and carpet beetle infestation in their home. I could literally see stalactites of moth chrysalises hanging off the bedroom ceilings. ex-MIL ended up wearing polyesters because her garments were constantly developing holes. But they never dealt with any kind of thorough cleaning. Their weekly housekeeper was always charged with polishing the silver and tidying up ONLY THE VISIBLE. There were huge dust bunnies under the beds beneath the expensive ruffles. The attic was full of clothing from the previous generation - think pointy bullet breasted ball gowns. All crawling with larvae.
I swear they brought these vermin into my home with their visits.

Ew.

[Anonymous]

Dealing with the same!