The Tiny Black Bugs That Get into Clothing

The larvae of carpet beetles and clothes moths eat clothes – wool in particular. While not every species of either of these creatures is black, many are dark in appearance. Controlling the destructive bugs centers mostly around cleaning and keeping your vulnerable clothes sealed away. Pesticides usually aren’t needed.

Carpet Beetles

If you find black oval bugs on your clothes, you’re likely looking at adult carpet beetles. Carpet beetles don’t just scrounge for food in the carpet – they also eat clothes, but only in larval form. Adults eat nectar and pollen, but you may spot them on your clothes occasionally, especially if a female is laying eggs. Black carpet beetle larvae look somewhat like worms and take on a brownish to black appearance. Varied carpet beetle larvae and furniture carpet beetle larvae are more oval in shape and either narrower in the front than the back or vice versa. The larvae look brownish-reddish, and their bodies are covered in hair. When it comes to your clothes, only those made from animals or their products are in danger – things like wool and silk.

Clothes Moths

Adult clothes moths do not feed on clothing, but their larvae will eat tiny holes in your fabrics. Two kinds exist: case-making clothes moths and webbing clothes moths. The larvae of both types are cream colored, but case-making larvae create silk cases, which they feed from and scurry into when frightened. Webbing clothes moths also spin silk occasionally, but they use it as a temporary feeding tube and discard it. Case-making larvae keep their tubes with them until they become adults. Both types of tubes match the color of the larvae’s food – so if they’re feeding on dark fabrics, they could appear blackish. Adults typically look light in color. They generally feed on wool fabrics only.

Prevention

Regular and thorough cleaning is key to preventing both carpet beetles and clothes moths. This is especially important if you have pets, because they shed hair that both beetle and moth larvae eat. When you vacuum, pay special attention to hard-to-reach areas – such as baseboards, under your furniture, behind desks and in the crevices of your couch. Larvae usually take about a little over a week to two weeks to hatch. As long as you vacuum more often than that, you’ll suck up the little buggers before they hatch. For carpet beetles, store clothes made from animal products in airtight containers. For carpet moths, you need to store only those clothes made entirely or partly of wool.

Elimination

If carpet beetles or clothes moths have infested your clothes or other washable items, wash and, on the hottest setting, dry them. Dry-cleaning or ironing them will kill the insects. Steam-cleaning your carpet will rid the pests from there. Trash infested items you don’t need. The Illinois Department of Health website says freezing items in a sealed plastic bag for several weeks at 5 degrees Fahrenheit or for two to seven days at -20 degrees Fahrenheit will kill larvae and adults. Regular cleaning in addition to employing these elimination methods should keep you from having to apply pesticides. If you can’t eliminate carpet beetles or clothes moths, contact a pest control specialist.

BEETLES THAT LIVE IN CLOTHES

You probable protect your silks and woolens from clothes-eating moths, but they aren’t the only insects that feed off fabric. Carpet beetles don’t just snack on rugs and upholstery – they also munch on natural fibers. Synthetics aren’t safe, either, unless you never perspire or spill anything on your garments. Good housekeeping helps prevent carpet beetles from infesting your home.

Carpet Beetles

Different species inhabit various parts of the country. In the United States, the most common types of carpet beetle include the black beetle – also the most distinctive species. It’s difficult to tell the difference between the varied, furniture and common carpet beetles, all of which have black, yellow and white spotting. While the black beetle matures at about 1/2 inch long, the other beetles are slightly smaller.

Evidence

While it’s easier to spot adult beetles, they aren’t the ones feeding on your garments. Larvae consume those materials. Female beetles lay their eggs in areas with food sources for their offspring. While the larvae hatch from the eggs in just a couple of weeks, they remain in the larval stage for as long as three years before becoming adults. Larvae are adept crawlers, so they can move all over your house. Besides finding rips and holes in the items, suspect carpet beetle infestation if you see the brownish larvae, which sprout hair-like projections.

Treatment

If you suspect carpet beetle damage, hire a professional exterminator. These creatures are often hard to locate, even for pest control agents. If one location is discovered, it’s a good bet they’re also hiding elsewhere in the house. Carpet beetles tend to congregate in ventilation systems, behind moldings and in other dark, secluded spaces in a building. They also turn up in pantries, as they eat dried foods.

Prevention

You can prevent carpet beetle infestation by keeping your premises scrupulously clean. Put clean woolens in storage with mothballs for the spring and summer months. While mothballs deter carpet beetles, cedar chips do not. If you enjoy shopping at vintage clothing stores, wash or dry clean any garments before hanging them in your closet or putting them in drawers. Thoroughly clean any used upholstered furniture or rugs before bringing them into your house. Vacuum your dwelling regularly, including those hard-to-reach spots around radiators and heat ducts. If you find infested clothing or other materials, clean them immediately or throw them away.

HOW LONG IS THE GESTATION PERIOD FOR CLOTHING MOTHS?

When you opened your closet door and a tiny moth fluttered out, you would have been right to groan. Clothing moths like to stick close to the scene of the crime. When you see the moth, you’re seeing the end of a life cycle that can last over two years.

Know Your Moth

Generally, moths aren’t a welcome sight in the house because it means they’ve been feeding on something. The food moth is looking for entrance into your pantry to infest your grains, while the clothes moth is interested in infesting your wardrobe. To get an idea of which type of moth you’re dealing with, watch him fly. The food-infesting moth will fly in a steady, direct manner, while the clothes moth flutters about, sticking close to the items he’s taken a liking to.

Double Trouble

There are two types of clothing moths to contend with: the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella). Both are about 1/4 inch long, with the casemaking moth having a brown color, while the webbing moth sports a gold color. The webbing moth eschews synthetics, cottons and other plant materials, preferring wool, hair, feathers, fur and similar animal materials. The casemaking moth isn’t so picky and will infest felt, wool, carpets and tapestries, feathers and furs, as well as dried herbs, tea and seeds.

Making More Moths

Both types of clothing moths go through the same life cycle. During a two- or three-week period, a female moth will lay an average of 40 to 50 eggs. Hatching time depends on temperature and humidity, but generally, it takes four to 10 days for eggs to hatch. The eggs hatch as larvae, which is when they do their nasty work of eating your clothes. A larva can remain in his larval state for up to two and a half years, molting as many as 45 times. He’ll spend his time eating his way through your wardrobe while he waits for the right time to transform into a moth. When he’s the right size and the environmental conditions are correct, the moth will begin to pupate, spinning a cocoon for his metamorphosis. It takes about eight to 10 days for a moth to pupate. When fully formed, a moth will emerge, ready to help the cycle begin again.

Suck Them Up

The emerging moth isn’t the problem, because he’s not the one eating your clothes; however, don’t roll out the welcome mat for him. He signals potential infestation and can be responsible for adding to the problem. Keeping a clean house can help with clothing moths; frequent and thorough vacuuming minimizes eggs and larvae on carpets and rugs, as well as upholstered furniture. Moths are drawn to animal hair, so clean up after Fluffy and Buddy. They’re also drawn to human oils and odors in clothing, so make sure the clothes you put in storage are clean to keep from attracting the insects. If you have an infestation, launder and dry clean the items and don’t use pesticides on clothes or bedding.

WHAT ARE LITTLE BLACK BUGS WITH WHITE STRIPES?

Little black bugs with white stripes are carpet beetles. These beetles are pests in warehouses, homes and wherever they can find the proper food. They can cause damage to fabrics and carpets. These beetles find their way into homes and buildings through improperly sealed openings.

Description

Carpet beetles are small, oblong-shaped bugs. They are black in color and have white stripes on their wings. The adult black carpet beetles are approximately 1/8 to 3/16 inches long. They can have a variety of different markings on their wings. The larvae of the carpet beetle start off white in color but then turn reddish brown. The larvae are hairy.

Evidence of Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles will leave evidence behind if they are invading a building or a home. There will be damage to carpets, fabrics, hair and animal fur. The carpet beetles will chew irregular holes in fabrics. Carpet beetles are not known to feed on synthetic fibers. They will also feed on animal carcasses. Carpet beetles are also commonly found in food products such as cereals, pastas and nuts.

How to Control Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles are difficult pests to control, but there are ways to help. Keep all your food properly sealed. Food storage containers are really good to use. Remove any pet hair on a regular basis. It is important to keep your floors clean and clutter free. Clothing items made from wool, leather or silk should be kept in sealed plastic storage containers to keep them away from carpet beetles. It is important to dry clean any fabrics that have been affected by carpet beetles.

Insecticides

Sometimes carpet beetles won’t go away no matter what you do to control them. In these situations you can use insecticides to eliminate these pests. When looking for an insecticide to deal with the problem, make sure to find one that specifies that it can be used for carpet beetles. Properly follow the directions on the insecticide. One of the best insecticides to use for the carpet beetles is Allpro Bug Killer Spray. To fully make sure your carpet beetle problem is eliminated, spray the building once a month with insecticides until you no longer see evidence of them.

HOW TO GET RID OF MOTHS IN BIRDSEED

Seed moths are a common pest found in birdseed and other seed- or grain-based foods. The presence of a few moths or larvae does not mean the birdseed has gone bad or is inedible. But if not carefully eradicated, a few moths can become an infestation that spreads to your pantry staples within a couple months.

Identifying Seed Moths

Typically, moths found in birdseed are Indian meal moths. Adult moths lay microscopic eggs in the seed, which hatch into larvae. The larvae are 1/4 inch, cream-colored wormlike creatures with brown heads. They feed on the seeds and grains in the bird food. When mature, the larvae spin weblike cocoons around themselves and enter the pupa stage, where they metamorphosize into adult moths. The adults are gray with brown-tipped wings. Adult moths live about one week and do not eat. Females can lay more than 200 eggs in or around accessible food. It takes about seven weeks for the eggs to develop into adult moths.

If you have Indian meal moths, you may see adult moths in the seed container or fluttering around it. You may see larvae, cocooned pupae or the weblike cocoons left behind after the adults emerge in the seed. In more severe infestations, you may find cocooned pupae on the walls or ceiling of the room where you store your bird food. Adult moths can spread to your kitchen leaving larvae or pupae in your pantry items. Larvae can enter thin, flexible sealed plastic packaging by chewing holes through the bag.

Eliminating Moths in Seed

The simplest way to kill the moths, larvae, pupae and eggs in the seed is to seal up the container and freeze your birdseed for at least 48 hours. If you need to repackage it into smaller containers or zip-close bags to fit into your freezer, take the food outside to repackage it to prevent any larvae or adults from escaping the bag into your house. Store it outside on a porch or in the garage and freeze it in batches. Once you’ve frozen the seed, store it indoors in sealed containers.

Tips -Once you’ve frozen your seed to kill the moths, it is safe to feed to your bird unless it was so heavily infested the larvae consumed much of the seed. Insects and larvae are a protein source for birds.

Eliminating Moths in Your Home

Vacuum or squish any larvae you see crawling around your seed container or pantry and any pupae from the walls. Throw away any contaminated or unsealed pantry packages containing:

-Flour -Seeds -Grains -Dried fruits and vegetables -Nuts -Candies

When in doubt, it is best to throw it out. Put items in the trash outside to prevent any adults or larvae from escaping back into your house.

Vacuum and scrub your cabinets or pantry to ensure eradication of all larvae, pupae and eggs. Pay particular attention to corners, crevices and the undersides of shelves. Toss your vacuum bag or dirt cup contents into the trash outside.

For severe infestations, pheromone traps are effective for catching adult moths. Newly emergent adults often hang upside down under pantry shelves to dry their wings and are easily captured or vacuumed.

Do not use pesticides in your pantry or near your birds. It will have little effect on the moths and may contaminate your food or poison your bird. You can make your own nontoxic concoction to trap and kill the larvae using boric acid and cornmeal.

Preventing Seed Moth Infestations

To keep moths from setting up residence in your home again:

-Always freeze new packages of birdseed for at least 48 hours before storing them in your home. -Keep all opened pantry items double-bagged in sealed in zip-close bags or in airtight containers. -Check grains, seeds, nuts and flours periodically for signs of moths.

WHAT KIND OF BUG EATS BOOKS?

Bugs that eat books aren’t injurious to humans, but they can destroy your library. Book-eating insects inhabit books in their larval stage, eating collagen glues, cotton, leather, linen and paper. These insects can be difficult to spot because of their small sizes and hiding instincts. Use a magnifying glass to inspect volumes for intruders. There are five types of bugs that commonly infest books.

Book Lice

Book lice are not true lice but are lice-like in appearance. They’re so small that they look like specks. Book lice are pale and cylindrical wingless insects, with swollen abdomens. They inhabit damp and moldy books, eating the molds and fungi. They don’t bite, spread disease or cause damage, but they do multiply and quickly become an annoyance.

Carpet Beetles and Cigarette Beetles

Carpet beetles live most of their lives as larvae, grazing the surface of your book’s pages and fabric binding. You may find casings, with several long hairs attached to the ends, left in the pages after the larvae have molted. Sometimes faint trails can be seen on the page surfaces. Cigarette beetles also infest books during their larval stage, creating tunnels and holes as they burrow in the book’s pages and bindings.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are extremely destructive to books. They eat cardboard, paper, fabric, glue, leather and mold. Cockroach larvae will stain your books and leave egg casings between the pages. The skin that’s shed by cockroaches can trigger allergies and asthma attacks in many people.

Silverfish

Silverfish are wingless bugs with a powdery silver coating. They have long antennae and three long, bristly hairs attached to their tail-end. Silverfish live in dark, humid places. They will eat cotton and linen bindings, glue and paper. A silverfish invasion can also ruin your collection of best-sellers.

Detection and Treatment

Inspect your books for signs of insect damage. Signs of book-eating bugs include live or dead insects, wings, skin casings shed by molting larvae, egg cases, excrement and holes or tunnels in the pages. Wrap infested books in a towel and place them in sealed plastic bags, then put them in the freezer at 22 degrees below zero Fahrenheit for at least a week. Remove the books and re-inspect them. Repeat the freezer treatment if you still see signs of bug infestation. Store your books in a clean, cool and dry environment.