Textile Pest Control

Textile Pests

Textile pests are characterized by their ability to digest the protein keratin, which is found in animal hair, wool, fur, and feathers.

The species commonly found in the UK are:

Identification Of Textile Pests 

Moths

Case-bearing Clothes Moth ( Tinea Pellionella)

Case bearing clothes moths appear with dark buff forewings with three faint spots (may appear as two)

Larva – up to 10 mm long. Lives in a silken tube, usually the colour of the fabric it has been eating.

Habits – Irregular holes made in fabrics. Rarer than the common clothes moth. Mostly infests imported goods such as hides or objects of animal origin.

Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella)

Forewings of the common clothes moth are shiny golden buff with no markings.

Larva – up to 10 mm long. Creamy white with a golden-brown head. Lives in a silken tube, often 10 to 15 times the length of the body.

Habits – adult does not feed. Runs rather than flies, avoids the light. Irregular holes made in fabrics.

Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)

Brown house moths have dark brown forewings each with three or four black spots.

Larvae- up to 20 mm long. Dirty white with a brown head. 1st thoracic segment is a chestnut colour.

Habits – Larva may wander considerable distance before pupation. Generally regarded as a scavenger.

White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)

The appearance of the white shouldered moth’s head and thorax is brilliant white. Forewings are mottled.

Larva – up to 12 mm long. Ivory white with a red-brown head.

Habits – often found in unheated outdoor buildings. Generally regarded as a scavenger.

Beetles

Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)

Varied carpet beetles appear in the same shape as the ladybirds, up to 3 mm long. Patterns vary according to species but often a mixture of black, white and yellow.

Habits – Larvae will roll up when disturbed. Hairs may be an irritant to some people. Known as “woolly bears”. A common pest in museums and houses. Adult varied carpet beetles feed outdoors, often on spiraea plants. A common inhabitant of birds’ nests.

Fur Beetle (attagenus pellio)

Fur beetles have a small patch of white on each elytron, otherwise red-brown to black.

Larva – 6 mm long. Long orange tufts of hair on the last abdominal segment. Larvae have a branded appearance.

Habits – the fur beetle is a common inhabitant of birds’ nests. Larvae attack furs, skins, woollens, etc. and stored grain.