Are these moths the kind that eat clothes?

Question

They are tiny pale brown flying insects, about the size of my thumbnail, give or take. I see them flying in here at various times. There's just a few right now. Are they likely to eat my clothing, or are there a specific kind that eat clothes? I would like to know before I go to the store and buy a bunch of moth products. I think they came from my parents' house when I was going through my mother's things to bring items back. Before that, I remember hearing that they came in a grocery bag, but that house is in the woods, so these insects could have found a crack and just bred like crazy. But there were lots of these things there, almost the color of paper bags.
How well do the cedar and lavendar items work? Any other nontoxic methods that I can get in a store?

Well I have lots of soap!
I'm wondering if these are the pantry moths... I remember seeing some wormy looking things when I used to go to my parents' crawling in their food boxes. Also seeing clothing torn to shreds when I was living there, but could damage that great been these flying insects I'm referring to or would it be the mice that were there?

Well we live in a log cabin, so that could be why we don't have a great surge of these insects.
I guess in the kitchen area I could do the bleach and the rooms with the clothes, I can use the other items mentioned.

These ones up here, I haven't been able to find their larvae anywhere. Maybe it's in the boxes of clothing, books, and other such stuff that I brought in?

Answer 1

They could be pantry moths, the kind that ruin flour items, or they could be clothes moths. If they are clothes moths they will eat any non-synthetic fabrics, but particularly cottons and wools (including angoras and cashmere).

Cedar is a traditional clothes protector (that works). People in older times would store their off season clothes and bedding in Cedar chests to protect them from bugs. This is now available in cedar scented chips and balls, and as an oil. Lavender I don't think is as effective, but does give stored clothes a nicer smell. If you have wormwood, this is an excellent clothes protector as well.
Other natural clothes protectors are clove balls (oranges studded with whole cloves and hung to dry in your wardrobe), and normal or scented soaps stored amongst your clothes can keep the bugs away. One word of warning though, if you have a mouse problem don't use soap, they can eat through the clothes to get to the soap!

Another non-toxic method is to store clothes in those vacuum bags. With no air and an airtight seal, no bugs can get in and none can survive long if they were already there.

Hope this helps, B

Answer 2

Moths Eat Clothes

Answer 3

Sounds like you're right. The only way to get rid of them is to empty the cupboards and clean well. Then you need to check EVERYTHING you took out. They are not selective on where they live. Macaroni, flour, cake mixes, etc. If you find any webs or moths, throw the stuff out. Anything you find that is clear put in plastic containers. Don't forget dog and cat food! They are very hard to eliminate, so you still have to keep watch. No, they don't bother clothes. I have had them, and never seen damage to clothes. Lots of luck!

Answer 4

They sound more like meal flies to me.
If it is they like flour and starch products most. They will get into everything though.

Yes they could have come in with the bags or even the old stuff if it was kept in an attic or other storage.

If it is meal flies, they hate bleach. Wipe everything you can down in bleach water. They do not breed in wood. They like cool dark places where they can find food. Maybe in the spaces between things in the kitchen. They will invade you fridge, so be sure to hit this with bleach too.

They also really stink when they die in large groups.

Answer 5

none ?