Brown House Moth
Brown House Moth larvae are similar to other house moth larvae in appearance. Their bodies are drab, transparent white, with brown heads. Brown House Moth’s adult has brownish speckled wings with hair fringes at the rear and measures around 8mm in length. The White Shouldered House Moth is similar, with mottled wings, a white head, and “shoulders” where the wings meet the body. Grubs will eat the eggs that are stuck to the cloth. The caterpillars are creamy-white with brown heads. Caterpillars pupate in silky cocoons spun by them. It takes months for the life cycle to get completed. As a general scavenger and a textile pest, only the larval stage eats.
Habits
Brown House Moths are most active in the summer, but they can be seen at any time of year. Brown House Moths can be found in pantries, carpets, and garments, as well as attics, cupboards, roofing spaces, and lofts, even though they belong to the Pantry Moth family. The larvae are omnivorous, which means they devour dried fruits, flour, grains, cereals, seeds, potatoes, fur, clothes, leather, cork, bookbinding, and other materials.
Habitats
Brown House Moths are frequently found in bird nests in the loft, attic, or roof space, from whence they might travel into the living sections of a home or company. Brown House Moths can be found in museums, libraries, and even homes and businesses. These insect pests are commonly found along the borders of rooms, where the floor meets the wall, in both homes and businesses. They might be feasting on dead insects and other trash found behind skirting boards and in cracks and crevices throughout the space.
Threats
The larval stage of the moth, which develops over a period of 2 to 5 months depending on the environmental conditions in the area where they live, can cause harm to carpets, clothing, and food. Brown House Moths can wreak havoc on soft antique furnishings as well as book bindings! Wool in carpets, cashmere or silk clothing, and a broad array of spilled food items are also favorites.
Prevention
Prevention is preferable over treatment when it comes to clothing moth infestations. It is almost only after the harm has been done that we are contacted to remove clothing moth infestations from homes and businesses. The prevention of clothing moth infestations, on the other hand, is not difficult. Cleaning and washing any sensitive carpets and garments regularly can assist in preventing the insects’ life cycle from starting and progressing. Still, regular spring cleans’ will assist in preventing clothing moths from establishing themselves in your house and causing costly and distressing damage.
