Clothes-eating moths are on the rise. Indeed even my 4 year old son announced the other day (after reading a famous book in which a Moth eats the tablecloth) – ‘Why Does Moth Eat Cloth?’ and as with many things asked by children, I couldn’t provide a satisfactory answer for him. Perhaps I should have replied with ‘because we let them!’ because as with most things Moths are preventable. Moths love natural fibres, they love dark places, they love unwashed clothes with traces of food or sweat, they love delicates, vintage fabrics, cashmere, woollen clothes and furnishings… and they thrive in the warmth. No wonder they take advantage of dark cupboards in lovely warm houses where clothes are stored out of sight and mind, untouched when out of Season and only opened up when it’s too late. Indeed they are certainly thriving at the moment. In fact the unseasonably milder weather has provided the perfect environment for Moths to thrive in, and our love of natural fabrics has really given them something to feast upon!

Once you see a Moth flying around you may already be facing an infestation, so prevention is always best. Armed with the above list of Moths Loves, act upon them:

1. Keep your clothes and home clean. Never put dirty clothes away in cupboards or storage. Vacuum  frequently, do what they used to do in the good old days and take out larger items and give them an airing… indeed beat them with something or shake them out

2. Use a Lint Roller to clean areas you can’t vacuum or wash – such as drawers, bottom of cupboards and wardrobes. When used throw it out to remove the possibility of latent eggs remaining in the house

3. Open windows when possible to circulate air and turn off radiators where possible to keep the temperature of the house down – remember they love warmth

4. Protect with Moth Deterrents and remember to replace them regularly! Some Moth Deterrents even have an indicator to show you when they need replacing, but unless you replace frequently they won’t remain as effective

5. When storing clothes, clean them, put a Moth Deterrent in the bag/box and use man-made storage items… remember they love natural fibres so peva and similar are perfect for storage being man-made

6. For larger items such as carpets take them outside and beat them, vacuum thoroughly and use a Moth Deterrent Spray to protect them