Course The FACTS ABOUT FABRIC PESTS .pptx

1. The FACTS ABOUT FABRIC PESTS
The true fabric insects are unique in their ability to digest an animal protein called keratin that is found in hair
and fur, horns, hoofs, and insect bodies.
CARPET BEETLE
1. One to several dozen eggs are laid in the vicinity of food sources.
2. Larvae feed on animal matter; insect collections, stuffed animals, woolen carpeting, or just
accumulations of pet hair.
3. Damage does not show evidence of webbing.
4. After several molts, larvae looks for a hidden place to pupate; may be underneath furniture, inside
hollow walls or picture frames.
5. The adult emerges with hard shell wing covers and is a good flier; they feed on plant pollen - not
animal products. Carpet beetles, as their name implies, are capable of damaging
carpets. These pests will also feed upon many other materials besides carpets
and will attack any item composed of animal fibers such as wool, furs, silk,
feathers, felt and leather. Serious infestations of carpet beetles can develop
undetected in a home, causing significant damage to clothing, bedding, floor
coverings and other articles.
Although there are many different species of carpet beetles, the adults of all
species are small, oval-shaped beetles about 1/8 inch long. The black carpet
beetle (the most common species) is shiny black. Adults of other common species are brightly colored in
various patterns of white, brown, yellow and orange. The larvae or immature stages of carpet beetles are
about 1/4 inch long and densely covered with hairs or bristles. Only the larval stage feeds on fabric and
causes damage. The adults feed on flowers, but are often seen indoors around light fixtures and windows,
indicating that a larval infestation is present somewhere within the home. Carpet beetles feed on a variety of
animal-based materials including wool, fur, silk, feathers and leather. Items commonly infested include wool
sweaters, coats, blankets, carpets, down pillows and comforters, and upholstered furniture. Synthetic
fabrics such as polyester and rayon are rarely attacked unless they are heavily soiled with food stains or
body oils. They prefer to feed in dark, undisturbed areas such as closets, attics, within boxes where woolens
and furs are stored, along and under the edges of carpeting, underneath upholstered furniture, and in air
ducts where they feed on lint, pet hair and other bits of debris. Carpet beetle infestations may also originate
from bird or animal nests, rodent bait, or an animal carcass present in an attic, chimney or wall void. They
also occasionally feed on seeds, pet food or cereal products in the kitchen or pantry.
Carpet beetles molt as they develop shedding their exoskeleton. This exoskeleton breaks apart,
becomes airborne and is inhaled. This often causes symptoms misidentified as scabies, mites and
bedbugs.
Various reports describe what appears to be an acquired allergic reaction to carpet beetle larval hairs and
hemolymph (insect blood). These hypersensitivity reactions are characterized by complaints of being bitten by
something causing an intense itching and rash. Additionally, in some patients, irritation of the respiratory tract
and eyes may develop. Apparently, only individuals that have long-term exposure
(years) to these hairs become sensitized.
Steve Jacobs, Sr. Extension Associate Feb 2010 Penn State
Black carpet beetle: distinctive appearance; adult has black body with brown legs,
1/8" long, larvae has long hairs trailing from 1/4" long, carrot shaped body.
Varied carpet beetle: adult is oval shaped with mottled white, brown, and yellow
scales, 1/16"·long; folded wings come together smooth at the end of the body;
larvae is wedge shaped with the head at the narrow end of the 3/16" long hairy
body.

2. Common carpet beetle: adult appears similar to varied carpet beetle with orange scales
down the middle of the back; larvae are reddish.
Furniture carpet beetle: adult is slightly larger than varied carpet beetle, yellow, white, and black scales with a
definite wing cleft; larvae head is at wide end.
CLOTHES MOTHS
Clothes moths are very secretive, light shy, and very weak fliers. The flying adults will usually only be noticed
fluttering in a closet when the door is opened. Adult clothes moths are very short lived and do not feed. The
adults are about 3/8" long and have fringes on the outer edges of the wings. They deposit their soft, white eggs
on such items as feathers, furs, woolen clothing, and also insect remains. The eggs hatch in about four days to
up to a month in winter. The eggs should not be confused with the hard bun shaped fecal pellets often found
on the infested material. The moth larvae need other proteins than what they receive from keratin alone, which
is why soiled garments are more attractive than cleaned, protected ones. The larval stage of clothes moths are
creamy-white caterpillars up to 1/2-inch long. Webbing clothes moth larvae spin silken feeding tunnels or
patches of webbing as they move about on the surface of fabrics. The casemaking clothes moth encloses itself
in a portable case that it drags about wherever it goes. Females of both species lay an average of 40 to 50
eggs during a 2- to 3-week period and die once they've completed the egg-laying process. Males outlive
females and continue to mate during the remainder of their lives. An adhesive secretion attaches the eggs to
the fabric threads. Eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days during warm weather.
Larvae molt 5 to 45 times, depending on indoor temperatures and the type of food available. The larval period
lasts 35 days to 2 1/2 years. Larvae are shiny white, and their head capsules are dark-colored. They spin
webbing as they feed, with the webbing clothes moth creating a temporary silken feeding tube or tunnel and
the casemaking clothes moth creating a permanent silken case that larvae carry with them as they move
around. When larvae of the casemaking clothes moth are ready to pupate, they wander away from their food
source to find crevices. With the webbing clothes moth, pupation takes place inside a silken cocoon, usually on
the fabric.
Pupation lasts 8 to 10 days in summer and 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Heated buildings enable clothes moths to
continue developing during winter months. Generally, developmental time for the clothes moth from egg to egg
is between four to six months, and there are usually two generations a year.
Damage to articles may consist of irregular surface feeding or holes eaten completely through the fabric.
Oftentimes, the larvae leave the material they developed on and can be seen crawling slowly over walls or
ceilings. The casemaking clothes moth, in particular, may travel considerable distances from the infested
article to spin its cocoon in a protected crack, or along the juncture of a wall and ceiling.
WEBBING CLOTHES MOTH: most common, adult's
wings are golden buff color and reddish hairs may be
noticed on the head; the larvae spins large amounts
of silk into feeding mats under which it feeds; webbing
will show the fecal pellets. A row of golden hairs
fringes its wings, which have a span of about 1/2 inch .
Because these moths are weak flyers that aren't
attracted to lights, you'll usually find them close to the
infested items, such as in a dark area of the closet.

3. CASE-MAKING CLOTHES MOTH: adult's wings are brown with three dark spots on each, these spots rub off
easily. The wings of the casemaking clothes moth are more brownish and have faint dark-colored spots. Also,
the hairs on its head are lighter colored than those of the webbing clothes moth. The larvae spins a silken tube
or case around itself in which it remains; the tube contains bits of the surrounding material; the larvae will die if
it is removed from the case; in addition to fabrics, the case-maker also feeds on plant products.
Fabric pest treatment typically involves:
 Identification of infested clothing.
 Vacuuming the perimeter of the rooms and closet shelving.
 A crack and crevice treatment at the perimeter of all the rooms and closet shelving.
 A residual boron dust application to outlets in infested rooms.
 In carpeted rooms a boron dust application will be made under the carpet in accessible corners.
 Extreme cases may require freezing or fumigation of clothing.
 You can also control clothes moths by heating the infested item in an oven for at least 30 minutes at
temperatures higher than 120°F
 Enclosing the item in a plastic bag and placing it in a freezer for several days at temperatures lower
than 18°F.
 Fumigating the item with dry ice. Before using any of these methods, consider if cold or heat will
damage the fabric.
 The most common and effective method for killing all stages of clothes moths in clothing, blankets, and
other washable articles is to thoroughly launder them for 20 to 30 minutes in water that is at least
120°F
Photos courtesy of photographers published on Bugwood.org ITP Node