Once moths manage to enter your home, they will start multiplying and forming colonies that feed on your belongings. Although widespread, moth infestations often go unnoticed for a long time. The reason is simple – once you see the moth itself, the situation is probably already out of control.

The best thing you can do to react timely and prevent severe damage is to learn to recognise the early signs of a moth problem. Ongoing monitoring, inspection, and sharpened awareness have little to do with paranoia and a lot to do with intelligent home management.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about how to identify moth trouble in different areas of your home.

There are Different Types of Moths

First and foremost, you shall remember that moths do not reside only in your closet. Different types of moths prefer different foods and can, therefore, spread in more expansive areas – wardrobes, carpets, curtains, kitchen, and pantry.

Of course, each type of infestation gives out different red flags you shall keep alert for.

Signs for Having Clothes Moths

Clothes moths are the most common troublemaker in domestic environments. They feed on natural fibre and can easily destroy different valuable belongings made of wool and leather.

Common signs that could unveil their presence include:

  • Strange and irregularly-shaped tunnels in stored clothing.
  • Silky furrows, pits, or holes found on garments made of natural fabrics.
  • Excessively shedding furs that have no apparent reason for losing their shine.
  • Silver, spider-like webs on your garments.
  • Noticeable larvae casings that look like miniature silken tubes attached to the fabric.
  • Crawling moths on the surface of the clothing.

Noticing even one of the above is supposed to sharpen your alertness and make you immediately do an out-and-out inspection of your belongings.

Signs for Having Carpet Moths

Carpet moths can’t fly, but they can crawl back and forth between your carpet, curtains, furniture, and upholstery. How to recognise that they are hiding deep there?

  • Crusty sediments found on carpets, rugs, curtains, or drapes.
  • Visible damage to the surface of your chairs, sofas, and other fabric-covered furniture.
  • Sudden worsening in the state of your carpet, accompanied by intense shagging.
  • A sudden presence of piles of dust-like excreta on your carpets, rugs, or soft furniture.
  • Tiny moths crawling on the surfaces.

The bad news is that carpet moths often indicate a more significant infestation all over your living space. So, calling professional moth control is virtually the only reasonable thing to do right away, immediately after you notice any of the signs listed above.

Signs for Having Kitchen and Pantry Moths

Food moths can be found in packaged goods, grains, and dried fruits. They can invade jars, packages, and food storage boxes and are often brought in with pre-contaminated foods from the grocery store.

If we assume that you look into your kitchen cupboard more often than you look into your closet, these types of moths are quicker and easier to spot in the early stages of the infestation. Some things to keep your eyes open for include:

  • Eggs or larvae inside stored packages with food.
  • Silvery and web-like material found inside kitchen cabinets and food boxes.
  • Little pinching and holes in your plastic and paper food bags.
  • Tiny brown moths that can either fly or crawl inside your kitchen cabinets.

Notice that once you see an actual, living moth, it means that it has already hatched hundreds of eggs in your food storage, and measures need to be taken immediately.

Whatever types of moths you’re suspecting, calling pest control company to inspect the property is the wisest way to deal with the issue with minimum time, effort, and damage.