What do moths eat?
Moths consume most of their nutrition in their larval stage. If adult moths do consume anything, it’s usually liquids from small plants, leaves, fruits, and flowers. Moth larvae, on the other hand, eat natural fibers. These fibers can be found in clothing, carpet, drapes, upholster, and more. If moths eventually run out of natural fibers, they may even snack on pet fur!
Webbing and case-making clothes moths are attracted to fabric. The properties they’re most likely to bother will be manufacturers and retail properties. Fabric moths are most likely to infest places like storage rooms where they can find fabric to eat in the dark. Clothes moths leave plenty of signs of an infestation. Look for small bite holes, torn fabric, larvae or eggs on clothing, and tracks in dust on flat surfaces.
The Indian meal moth operates a little differently than the clothes moths, however. The Indian meal moth is most attracted to food service businesses where they can find grains. They like to hide in pantries, cupboards, and anywhere else that’s dark and filled with food. Like clothes moths, the Indian meal moth lays eggs where they eat. Adult moths don’t eat, so if you find moth damage it’s because moth larvae were born nearby.
How can I prevent moths?
With both of these varieties of moths, your second line of defense (after knowledge) is going to be vigilance.
- To prevent Indian Meal Moths, take away their food by transferring food into hard plastic containers.
- To prevent clothes moths, make sure the humidity levels in your commercial property aren’t too high. If you’re storing clothing long term, place it in plastic containers. To prevent both types of moth, stay on top of cleaning. Insects hate tidy, dust-free, nibble-free environments.
However, when it comes to moth removal, your best bet is to contact the professionals.
