Eli ([personal profile] eub) wrote2005-01-24 08:48 pm

clothes moths, their present infrequency

Clothes moths seem to be far more of a concern in the past, or in literature, or both, than they are now, to me. They are no concern of mine at all, and I have done all right. I think. Why?

Do we not wear enough edible clothes nowadays? I have a notion that moths like wool. Or are our clothes all mothproofed nowadays through some genius now overlooked in ubiquity?

Maybe they've emigrated to the pantry.

[personal profile] hattifattener 2005-01-25 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like they prefer wool (and dirty clothes; maybe people are more likely to wash infrequently-worn garments now that it's as easy as dumping it into the next load that goes through the washer?)

I have some wool and linen that's been undisturbed for a while now. I should go check on 'em.

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
Interesting. I wonder if clothes moths infested sheep before clothing.

A new pheromone for the webbing clothes moth is available through Insects Limited Inc.

The Case of the Cackling Feather Boa!

[identity profile] rubricity.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 06:22 am (UTC)(link)
I have some wool and linen that's been undisturbed for a while now. I should go check on 'em

Am fully expecting a follow-up post along the lines of "I barely made it out alive as the moths tried to nibble the clothes on my person..."
cellio: (mandelbrot-2)

[personal profile] cellio 2005-01-25 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Moths like pure wool. These days a lot more clothing is made of synthetic blends. Even with natural blends, they aren't so into cotton and linen.

I've had wool garments get attacked by moths. Cedar chests help, and sealing susceptible things that you really care about in plastic helps. (Note with cedar chests: you have to sand them every now and then to stir up the cedary goodness.)

[identity profile] katharos.livejournal.com 2005-01-25 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Wool clothes, yah, I've worried about moths before. Where the sneaky little bastards got me was a framed embroidered picture by my grandmother... Yep, needlepoint is/was often done in dyed wool.

[identity profile] eub.livejournal.com 2005-01-27 05:50 am (UTC)(link)
Ow. Clever of them, to think beyond the closet.