How Does a Moth Eat Clothing?
Adult Moths Don't Eat Clothing
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the adult moths that eat clothing. Rather, it is the larvae of the moths. Quite simply, adult moths do not eat at all. In fact, their mouth parts are not formed properly enough to even try to eat. Male moths spend their time looking for females, and females spend their time looking for a place to lay their eggs.
The aptly named Clothing Moth is the most common clothing-destroying moth. The larvae of this moth have the ability to turn keratin into food. Keratin is a hard protein found in fibers and also in human hair. Clothing moths are attracted to the human sweat found in dirty fabrics, including sofa fabric. The moth larvae needs this moisture from the sweat because they do not drink water.
The Larvae
Adult female moths work hard to find the perfect place to lay her eggs. It must be on or very near a food source, secretive and not near the sunlight, as larvae can die from the radiation in sunlight. Once the eggs hatch, the larval worms bury themselves into the fibers nearby to escape light. At the same time, they use their mouths to consume the fibers. The larvae will consume a lot of food in the first few hours in order to gain enough strength to spin a cocoon.
Once the protective cocoon is spun around it, the larvae will start to wander around, consuming food here and there, leaving the distinctive holes that that moths are so famous for. After a few days, the larvae mutates to a pupae, at which point is stops eating permanently.
Controlling Moths
The typical Clothing Moth larvae can eat up to 12 cm. of clothing per minute with it's powerful, tiny jaws. For this reason, many people choose to take control measures to deal with moth problems. Moth traps can be set which prevent male and female adult moths from mating. Vacuuming regularly can get rid of moth eggs that might be hiding in carpeting. Dry cleaning your clothes kills any moths or eggs on them and removes the moisture that attracts moths. Heat above 120 degrees Fahrenheit can also kill moths and their eggs, which can be achieved by storing clothing in a hot attic or by washing it in hot temperatures. Commercial insecticide sprays can also be used, but they may damage your clothing.
Mothballs use paradichlorobenzene, which decays into a gas, to repel and kill moths. Cedar is commonly used, but is of questionable value as only very high concentrates of cedar have been shown to kill moth larvae.
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