Get Rid of Clothes Moths - PEST UK

Providing pest control services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, London, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Midlands, West Sussex, Wiltshire. Est. 1985.

Get Rid of Clothes Moths

Prices from £90 +VAT

To get rid of clothes moths from your home or business premises call 0800 026 0308

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Guarantee

We guarantee to reduce the infestation to a level that further damage stops for 1-month after the initial treatment, only if the correct preparation and aftercare have been carried out.

An infestation of clothes moths causes irreparable damage to clothes, upholstery, carpets and rugs. It’s often undisturbed areas of carpets such as beneath furniture, crevices of upholstered furniture and clothes that have not been worn for a long time that are attacked. Fabrics with food, perspiration, or urine stains are more subject to damage.

If they are not controlled moths will increase in number exponentially. Female moths lay an average of 40 to 50 eggs during a two to three-week period and die once they have completed the egg-laying process. Eggs hatch in 4 to 10-days during warm weather. The larval period lasts 35-days to 2.5-years. Usually, developmental time for the clothes moth from egg to egg is between four to six-months, and there are usually two generations a year.

Moth damage is caused by the larvae. They feed on keratin found in animal-based fibres such as wool, cashmere, silk, feathers and fur as well as in dust which contains human skin cells and hair.

 

 

 

 

Adult moths are light brown and 6mm long when their wings are closed. They stay in the immediate area of the infestation, and flutter about. They don’t usually feed at all, just mate, lay eggs and then die.

Preparation you must undertake prior to treatment

  • Clear all clutter from the floors (toys, books, boxes, DVDs, posters, shoes etc).
  • Remove the contents of wardrobes, cupboards and drawers.
  • Vacuum all the floors including under furniture, with particular attention to the edges of carpets.
  • Vacuum upholstered furniture including under the cushions where debris will have collected.
  • Vacuum and clean the interiors of wardrobes, cupboards and drawers.
  • After vacuuming remove the vacuum bag and place in an outside bin.
  • Clean all surfaces.
  • Ensure cutlery, food, clothes, towels, toothbrushes etc are covered.

Aftercare

  • Immediately after treatment let the spray dry; don’t clean or wipe up any puddles.
  • Don’t touch the treated surfaces or let pets into the treated area until dry.
  • If you do get the insecticide on your skin wash it off immediately.
  • Reduce the humidity by opening windows and increase the heat to allow the treatment to work most effectively.
  • Don’t vacuum for at least 1-month.
  • For the first week of vacuuming, thoroughly vacuum at least once a day but preferably twice, paying particular attention to the edges of carpets and areas which are usually undisturbed.
  • After vacuuming remove the vacuum bag and place in an outside bin.
  • Don’t clean surfaces for at least 1-month.
  • After 1-month thoroughly clean wardrobes, cupboards, drawers, radiators, corners, cracks, skirting boards, mouldings and hard-to-reach places.
  • Ongoing it is essential to continue thoroughly vacuuming, paying particular attention to the edges of carpets and areas which are usually undisturbed as small numbers may continue to breed under carpets where they will not come into contact with the insecticide.

How our treatment works

Our treatment targets the larvae of moths as they cause damage to clothing, upholstery, carpets and rugs. They feed on keratin found in animal-based fibres such as wool, cashmere, silk, feathers and fur as well as in dust which contains human skin cells and hair.

The technician will apply a residual insecticide to all the carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, throws and other soft furnishings, insides of wardrobes, drawers, drawer runners and under furniture. The larvae will absorb the insecticide. You may see moths for up to a month after the treatment as some moths may have been in the pupa stage at the time of treatment and will emerge at different times.

Products we use

The technician will state which repellent has been used on the report they give you after they have completed the treatment. Click each product to access its safety data sheet. All insecticides are biodegradable, almost odourless, non-tainting and don’t corrode or stain.

Facts about moths

The case making clothes moth can be found throughout the country, but is most common in the southern counties.  The moth derives its name from the small silken case that the larva spins about its body and carries about wherever it feeds, thrusting its head and legs out in front.

Female moths lay an average of 40 to 50 eggs during a 2- to 3-week period and die once they’ve completed the egg-laying process. Males outlive females and continue to mate during the remainder of their lives. An adhesive secretion attaches the eggs to the fabric threads. Eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days during warm weather.

The larva stage lasts 50 or more days, depending on temperature. They can remain as larvae for up to 2.5-years.

The larva can turn within its case and feed on food material at either end without altering the position of the case. If the case is removed from the larva when it is very near pupation, the larva will die. Rarely will the larva spin a web directly on the material on which it is feeding, but will usually attach its case to the material by means of silken threads. Pupation takes place within the case after both ends have been sealed with silk.

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