Disinfestations - Arthropod Control - Harmful Lepidoptera
Harmful Lepidoptera – Moths
Moths are divided into two main categories, depending on the type of food they consume. There are food moths, which develop and feed on a food source, and clothes moths, which infest and feed on fabrics. In both cases, the damage they can cause to your property can be significant.
Moths are flying insects closely related to butterflies. They exist in many different shapes and sizes. Unlike butterflies, moths have softer, earth-toned colors, such as brown, white, grey, or black. Their wings are covered with scales. Moths are rarely larger than 20 millimeters, although some species can reach up to 120 millimeters. Moth larvae resemble hairy worms. Their body consists of the head, thorax, and abdomen.
Although moths do not pose a significant risk to our health, even a single insect entering your wardrobe can destroy clothes, fabrics, furs, leather goods, and carpets. Similar damage can occur if a food moth enters your kitchen cupboards.
Biology
The moth is an insect that is active throughout the year, although its activity increases during the summer months. Although it cannot live and reproduce in cold conditions, if your home is warm enough during the winter months, it can easily reproduce and its eggs can hatch successfully. They usually lay approximately 50–150 eggs at a time, usually in a single spot. Therefore, you can understand that just one female moth can fill your home with many offspring within a few months.
Clothes Moths
The most important species are:
Tineolla bisseliella (Clothes Moth)
The adult insects are 6–8 mm long, with light-colored wings and no other distinctive feature. The larvae are cream-white in color, with a brown head and a length of up to 10 mm. Moth larvae create irregular holes in fabrics.
Tinea pellionella (Case-Bearing Clothes Moth)
They are found particularly in fabrics of animal origin. Adult insects are 6 mm long, dark to light yellow in color, with three faint spots. The larvae are cream-white in color and up to 10 mm long. It creates more uniform holes in the fabric compared to the common clothes moth.
Endrosis sacritrella (White-Shouldered House Moth)
Adult insects are 6–10 mm long, the head is white, and they have multicolored wings. The larvae are up to 20 mm long, cream-colored, with a reddish-brown head. The larvae search for food in various materials. They cause less damage to fabrics compared to other moths.
Hofmannophila pseudospretella (Brown House Moth)
Adult insects are 8–14 mm long and brown in color, with three or four dark spots. The larvae are up to 20 mm long, yellowish in color, with a brown head. The larvae feed on various fabrics of animal origin, such as wool, leather, and feathers.
High-Risk Areas
• High-risk areas include guest rooms, areas under beds, cupboards, and wardrobes that are rarely used.
• Attics are also considered high-risk areas, because moths are attracted to bird nests that may exist in the roof eaves of the house.
• Dirty or soiled clothes are particularly attractive to moths. It is advisable to clean clothes before storing them. Where fabrics are to be stored for a long period of time, it is recommended to place them in sealed plastic bags or suitcases.
• Vacuum regularly under furniture to remove moth eggs before they hatch. This is particularly important if the area has previously experienced an infestation, or if you have noticed increased moth activity.
High-Risk Areas
Biology
Food moths parasitize, contaminate, and spoil food. The most common cause of their appearance is the purchase of an already contaminated food product, inside which the food moth develops and then infests the rest of the dry foods.
Most food moths are quite small, with a wingspan of 13 mm. The larvae contaminate all dry foods that may be stored in cupboards. The foods they prefer are dry foods such as flour, semolina, cereals, pasta, sugar, cocoa, nuts, spices, biscuits, dried fruits, and rusks.
Once one food product in the cupboard becomes contaminated, all the other food products are at risk of contamination, unless the food moth is dealt with promptly.
The most important species are:
Ephestia kuehniella
It mainly causes damage in flour mills or flour warehouses. It can also damage seeds. The forewings of the adults have a wingspan of around 22 mm and are satin grey in color, with three black transverse wavy lines. The hindwings are whitish or grey and have fringes. Their eggs are whitish, ellipsoidal, with a granular surface. When fully developed, their larvae are approximately 22 mm long and are whitish or slightly pinkish in color.
Plodia interpunctella
A polyphagous insect, it can infest seeds, cocoa, sweets, starch products, and chocolates. The adult insect is approximately 10 mm long and has a wingspan of 15–20 mm. The front half of the forewings is reddish-brown, with two transverse black lines, while the remaining half is silvery-white. The hindwings are silvery-white and have few fringes. The head and thorax are reddish-brown. Their eggs are whitish, ellipsoidal, with a slightly uneven surface. The larvae in the early stages are whitish in color, while later they become slightly pinkish.
High-Risk Areas
• Food warehouses
• Commercial ships
• Silos
Treatment
A small moth infestation can be treated with products available in retail stores. However, in cases of larger or recurring infestations, professional treatment is required.
The actions that need to be taken are the following:
• An extensive internal and external inspection of the premises must be carried out in order to confirm the extent and location of the infestation.
• After the pests have been identified, the treatment method is applied to the high-risk areas and points, around the perimeter and inside the building facilities, and we intervene in the area to remove any hidden pests and their eggs using special insecticides.
• In addition, after the visit, we will recommend the next steps to ensure the best possible maintenance of your space.
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