If you've just taken a wool jumper or coat out of storage and found small holes in it, the cause is almost always the larvae of clothes moths or carpet beetles. Both feed on natural fibres such as wool, silk, fur and feathers, and you can usually tell which one you have from what's left behind: silky webbing points to moths, while tiny, hairy shed skins point to carpet beetles.
This post explains how to tell the two apart, why the damage often shows up at this time of year, what you can safely do yourself, and when to get a professional in. None of the checks below need strong chemicals.
Why holes turn up in autumn and winter
Autumn is when most of us get winter coats, jumpers and blankets out of wardrobes, drawers and lofts. Clothes left undisturbed in the dark since spring are exactly where larvae feed, so this is when months of quiet damage get spotted.
Central heating plays a part too. Clothes moths can breed quickly in warm homes, with two or more generations a year, so cold weather outside doesn't stop them.
It's the larvae that do the damage, not the adults
Neither adult moths nor adult beetles eat your clothes. The damage is done by the larvae, the young grub-like stage, which feed on keratin. Keratin is the natural protein in wool, silk, fur, feathers and some wool blends.
Larvae prefer fabric that was put away unwashed, because traces of sweat and food make it more nourishing, and they hide in dark, undisturbed places. That's why swatting the odd moth won't fix things on its own.
How to recognise clothes moths
The common clothes moth is small, about 5 to 8mm long, and pale golden-buff. It tends to scuttle rather than fly, flies mainly when it's warm, and avoids light, so you'll usually see one when you move clothes in a wardrobe.
- Larvae: small, creamy white caterpillars with a darker head. Most spin silk tubes or sheets of webbing across whatever they're eating. One type, the case-bearing moth, carries a tiny silk case around with it.
- Damage: irregular holes, often in hidden spots such as under collars, in folds and along seams, with silk webbing and gritty droppings (called frass) nearby. The droppings are often the same colour as the fabric.
How to recognise carpet beetles
The carpet beetle you're most likely to find in a UK home is the varied carpet beetle. Adults are tiny, 2 to 3mm, round, and look like miniature ladybirds speckled grey, gold and white. They spend late spring and early summer outdoors feeding on flowers, which is why people often find them on windowsills then. In winter you'll rarely see adults at all.
- Larvae: often called "woolly bears", they're short, fat, hairy and banded brown, growing up to about 5mm. They can take one to two years to grow, so a problem can carry on quietly for a long time.
- Damage: small, clean holes with no webbing, bald patches at the edges of carpets and under furniture, and empty hairy shed skins. The skins are often the first sign people notice.
A quick way to tell them apart
- Silk webbing or tubes on the fabric: clothes moths
- Small, hairy, empty skins and no webbing: carpet beetles
- Small buff insects scuttling in the wardrobe: clothes moths
- Tiny round speckled beetles on windowsills in spring or summer: carpet beetles
It isn't unusual to have both.
Safe checks you can make at home
- Empty the affected wardrobe or drawer and check each item in good light, especially folds, seams and collars.
- Pull furniture away from the wall and look at the carpet along the skirting boards and under beds and sofas, where the vacuum rarely reaches.
- Check airing cupboards, under-stairs storage and boxes of stored woollens, blankets and feather cushions.
- Vacuum thoroughly, including edges and gaps, then empty the vacuum into a sealed bag for the outside bin.
- Freeze anything affected that you can't wash. Seal it in a freezer bag and leave it at -18°C, the normal setting for a home freezer, for at least two weeks. Let it come back to room temperature before you open the bag, so condensation doesn't form on the fabric.
- Wash or dry clean woollens before you put them away, and store them in sealed bags or boxes.
Pheromone traps, sticky traps that attract male clothes moths, show whether you have moths and roughly where, but they won't clear an infestation on their own.
Don't spray household insecticides over clothes, bedding or carpets where children and pets sit, and only check a loft that's boarded and well lit.
Itchy skin but no bites
Carpet beetles don't bite. However, the tiny hairs on the larvae and their shed skins can irritate some people's skin, leaving itchy red spots that are easily mistaken for bites. If you're itchy and can't find a cause, fleas are another possibility even in homes without animals, and our post on whether you can get fleas without pets explains how to tell. For a skin reaction that won't settle, speak to a pharmacist or your GP.
When to call a professional
It's worth having an inspection if:
- new holes keep appearing after you've cleaned and frozen affected items
- carpets or rugs in more than one room are affected
- you find larvae or shed skins in places you can't clean, such as gaps in floorboards or the loft
- valuable or sentimental items are at risk, such as wool rugs or heirloom clothing
On a visit we inspect carpets, upholstery, wardrobes and, where needed, loft and underfloor spaces to confirm what you have, then look for the source, such as an old bird's nest in the loft or a second-hand rug or piece of furniture. Treatment uses insecticides approved for indoor use, targeted at where the larvae are hiding, followed by cleaning and storage advice and a return visit to check it has worked. If birds nesting in the roof are behind the problem, our bird proofing service can stop it starting again.
If you're finding holes in your clothes or bald patches in your carpets around Denmead and the checks above haven't sorted it, Pegasus Pest Solutions can identify what you're dealing with and treat it at the source. You can book an inspection through our carpet beetle control service, which covers clothes moths too.
