Most of us know that our clothes can be affected by moths, and we take steps to remedy it. But we forget about our children’s clothing. Because they often only wear clothes for a few months, we don’t think about storing them properly. At the same time, however, people with more children tend to keep their clothes to pass them on to the next one. This is particularly true if they have high quality brands like Paper Wings Clothing. If this sounds like you, then it is time that you start to learn about what moths are, how they live, and how you can get rid of them.

Moth Lifecycles

There are two types of moths, and they have different lifecycles:

1. The casemaking clothes moth, or tinea pellionella, is around half an inch in size and has long, narrow wings. The fringed hind wings have long hairs on them, as well as three indistinct spots. It has wide eyes and lighter hairs on its head. As part of their lifecycle, these moths go through a full transformation. They start as egg, move on to larvae, then pupa, and, finally, a grownup stage not unlike the butterfly. It is the caterpillars that cause the holes in fabric, taking preference for silk, fleece, wool, pet hair, covers, felt, brush bristles, upholstery, mats, and rugs.
2. The webbing clothes moth, or tineola bisselliella, is a fungus moth. It has a 65 to 90 day lifecycle, during which they lay around 50 eggs. After the female lays eggs into fabric, she dies. The eggs then take between four and 21 days before they become larvae, which is when they damage the fabric. They are found in concealed items, such as collars and under sleeves.

How to Protect from Moths

If you want to store your children’s clothing, make sure they are sealed in plastic or paper bags in a cool, dry place. Pine, cedar, and lavender essential oil also acts as a deterrent. You could even store your items in a pine or cedar chest, although you do have to make sure it is hermetically sealed.

If moths have affected your children’s stored clothing, you can guarantee that they are still there. Regardless of the type of moth, it is the larvae that you have to watch out for. The webbing clothes moth lays around 50 eggs, but the casemaking clothes moth can lay as many as 300. And they are very well-hidden! Hence, only when you have cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned the storage space should you even consider storing anything there again.

A good remedy to be aware of is the cold. Moths hate the cold. Hence, if some of your children’s clothes have been affected, but not all of them, and you cannot boil wash them, simply put them in the freezer for a week. This will kill them off once and for all, meaning that you can keep any of the items that have not yet been touched.