Identifying moths

Clothes moth

The common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) is 6 to 8 mm long, golden-buff, with narrow fringed wings. It avoids light and tends to run rather than fly, so you may find it in a dark wardrobe when you move clothes.

It is the larvae that do the damage. They eat natural fibres such as wool, silk and fur, leaving holes, silk webbing and small silken cases. See moth treatment for what a professional does.

Pantry moth

The pantry moth (Plodia interpunctella) is bigger, 8 to 10 mm, with two-toned wings: a coppery outer half and a pale grey inner half. It flies to light and is found in kitchens and food cupboards.

The signs are webbing and larvae in dried food, such as flour, cereal and rice. If your moths live near food, you almost certainly have pantry moths, not clothes moths.

Carpet beetle

Carpet beetles are the usual lookalike. Adults are 2 to 4 mm and mottled. The larvae are 4 to 5 mm, hairy "woolly bears". Their evidence is tiny hairy shed skins and sand-like frass.

Clothes moths leave silk webbing and tubes instead. The two are often lumped together, but the same methods work against both: hot washing, freezing and vacuuming.

Life cycle

Knowing the life cycle explains why moths seem to reappear. Eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days. Larvae feed for 6 to 12 weeks, and pupae last 1 to 4 weeks. In a centrally heated home all stages can overlap throughout the year, so you may find larvae, pupae and adults in the same wardrobe at once.

Adults are usually seen more often when clothes come out of storage, but by then the larvae have been feeding for weeks.

Signs to look for

Look in wardrobes, drawers, under furniture and along the edges of carpets. Evidence includes:

• irregular holes in wool, silk or fur
• silk webbing, tubes or cases
• hairy shed skins and sand-like frass
• adults running along walls, or fluttering in cupboards

Pheromone traps show how many adult moths are active, and where.

Is it a problem?

A single moth is not an infestation. It becomes one when you find several of the same moth in one place, together with damage, webbing or larvae. Check the wardrobe, the food cupboard and the carpet edges before you decide. If you find damage, take a clear photograph, since a technician can often name the species from it. The moth treatment page shows what happens next.

Harmless moths

Moths seen flying around lights outdoors are usually harmless garden species. They do not eat clothes or food. If the moth is large and dull and appears once, it is probably not an infestation. A pattern of small moths in the same wardrobe or cupboard is.

Once you know what you have, see our DIY guide or the cost guide.