Urgent moth warning for Irish homeowners as clothes, carpets and curtains destroyed

RENTOKIL have issued an urgent warning for the public to be on the look out for moths this spring.

The pest control provider is urging people to start spring cleaning early to avoid damage to valued clothing, fabrics and products.

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The spring months are when moths begin breeding and become more active.

Moth larvae can cause damage and create holes in textiles and fabrics such as clothes, carpets, blankets and curtains – as well as stored goods by feeding.

Dublin accounted for 70 per cent of moth call outs last year from Rentokil, while 21 per cent were reported in Cork and six per cent in Donegal.

Textile moths are most likely to be found in spare bedrooms, under mattresses, wardrobes and attacs.

Moth larvae feed on fabric causing significant damage to clothes, blankets, carpets, curtains and upholstery.

By spring cleaning these areas and packing away winter clothes, homeowners can reduce the risk of moth larvae eating into their precious textiles.

Stored product moths and scavenger moths can also be a huge threat to businesses as they damage products.

The most common type of scavenger moth is the white-shouldered house moth.

The white-shouldered house moth feeds on a wide variety of things including cereals, textiles, leather and cork.

Moths in the home can become very costly for home and business owners.

Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical field Consultant with Rentokil, offered a number of steps that people can take against the presence of moths.

Faulkner said: “There are a number of steps that people can take to guard against the presence of moths.

“By following this advice, you can help to avoid moths infestations in your home or business:

• Always ensure that clothes are clean before storing them – soiled and dirty clothes are more likely to attract moths
• Ensure that clothes which are stored for long periods of time such as suits and wedding dresses in appropriate sealed bags or suitcases
• Use fly screens or keep curtains drawn at night to prevent moths entering your home
• Clean and Vacuum regularly in order to remove moth eggs before they hatch, this is particularly important in times of the year with increase moth activity such as in the spring and summer.”

There are four commonly found species of moth in Ireland each with a preference for different textiles, and each varying in the damage that they cause to materials

These are the common clothes moth, brown house moth, case bearing clothes moth and white shouldered house moth.