The moth is a nondescript gray butterfly that is mainly nocturnal. In nature, there are several hundred species of this insect. Some of them prefer to live in human habitation, turning into malicious pests. Their favorite food is furs, woolen products, as well as foodstuffs. To figure out how to deal with this insect, you need to know where the moth comes from, what types of this pest inhabit our houses and apartments, as well as breeding patterns.
A few words about the insect
Moth belongs to the order of Lepidoptera (butterflies), which are characterized by small size and predominantly twilight lifestyle. Moth larvae can cause serious harm. Adult individuals, upon reaching puberty, perform only the function of reproduction (mating and layingeggs).
A distinctive feature of the moth is the absence of a proboscis. With the help of this organ, ordinary butterflies extract nectar hidden in the inflorescences of plants. Moth larvae are more primitive creatures and less whimsical about food. They have a well-developed mouth apparatus, which allows them to even gnaw plant seeds and fruit pits.
The absence of a proboscis does not interfere with the normal life of an insect. This is explained by the fact that the moth, while still in the caterpillar stage, consumes food with the help of its jaws and accumulates a supply of energy in the body for the future. Growing up, the insect not only loses the opportunity to eat, but also cannot digest food. The main task of an adult is to breed.
Because the moth can cause harm while in the caterpillar stage, it is pointless to fight adult insects. Before you notice the flying butterflies, their larvae will already have time to settle down in a dark secluded place and harm your belongings and food. Moreover, finding them will not be so easy.
How moths breed
The development of moths, like butterflies, takes place in several stages:
- Egg.
- Larva (caterpillar).
- Chrysalis.
- Adult butterfly.
The average lifespan of a butterfly is about 3 weeks. Some types of moths live only a few days. During this short period of time, the female manages to lay from 40 to 200 eggs, from which white translucent larvae hatch after a week. howas soon as the caterpillar is born, it begins to actively feed and form a spindle-shaped cocoon from the surrounding nutrient medium. It is while in the larval stage that the moth causes the main damage. After a month and a half, the larva pupates, after which a butterfly emerges from the pupa. An adult individual literally from the first days of life begins to reproduce offspring: it lays eggs in dark secluded places and soon dies.
Thus, under the right conditions, the reproduction of moths is an ongoing process. The duration of the development cycle depends on the species of insect, habitat conditions and varies from 1 month to 2.5 years.
Varieties of domestic moth
As for the varieties of winged pests, most often in residential premises you can find clothes and food moths. It is worth noting that both species are similar in appearance, but have different gastronomic preferences, lead a different lifestyle and do not claim each other's territory. Simply put, if you notice a clothes moth in your home, then you don’t have to worry about the safety of stocks of cereals.
Dress moth: what it eats and where it comes from
Moth in an apartment can spoil fabrics and materials of natural origin - wool, furs, cotton, linen. This kind of moth is called wardrobe moth.
Where does this type of moth come from? Clothes pests can start regardless of the cleanliness and well-groomedness of the premises. It can be either a shabby dirty apartment or a luxurious apartment. And in the secondIn this case, the chances of the appearance of uninvited guests are much higher, since the owners of expensive apartments can afford to buy fur coats, clothes, furniture and carpets made from natural materials.
The clothes moth has the greatest appetite for long-wear items with the smell of sweat and particles of the epidermis. Moreover, in order to get to their favorite delicacy, the pest will not stop even in front of polyethylene and will gnaw through a plastic bag in no time.
How to recognize clothes moth? This kind of moth looks like a small butterfly up to 8 mm in size. Its wings are a solid golden beige color and fringed edges. Adults of this insect fly poorly and most often move curiously, and they do it quite quickly.
The clothes moth can lay up to 200 eggs. The lifespan of a caterpillar is typically 70 to 200 days, depending on the ambient temperature. In cold conditions and in the absence of food, the clothes moth larva can live up to 2 years. During the year, only one generation of such a moth is born, which is explained by the feeding conditions of the caterpillars and the duration of their development.
It is not always possible to find out where the moth comes from in the house. But if, after buying a woolen or fur item, you begin to notice flying malicious moths, this means that insect larvae have already lived in the product.
Where else do moths come from? In addition to the human factor, the cause of the appearance of a pest in a home can be a pet, which only acts as a vehicle when moving from the street to the house.
Moth hitan open window or ventilation system can also help in the home.
Food moth
If the situation is more or less clear regarding the clothes moth, then where does the moth come from in the kitchen? Food moth prefers to settle in residential buildings, warehouses, shops and granaries.
There are several types of such moths, and each of them causes irreparable harm to food. So, flour moth starts in cereals and flour, fruit moth - in dried fruits, spices, mushrooms, herbs and nuts. For an ordinary person, all varieties of food moths look the same - they are small gray butterflies with a dark pattern on their wings. It is by the dark pattern that the food moth is determined.
Where this pest comes from is not always possible to find out. But as a rule, infection with moth larvae occurs even during storage of products in food warehouses, where moths can freely lay eggs. Therefore, do not be surprised where the black moth comes from in the apartment, because you can bring the pest along with cereals bought in the store. Moreover, such a product will not be saved by hermetic factory packaging, since it was already infected at the time of storage in the warehouse. Of course, immediately after the purchase, there may be no worms in the package, but after a while you will begin to notice fluttering butterflies in the kitchen, and you will find moths and caterpillars in the package with cereals.
Based on the foregoing, it follows that in most cases the moth brings the person himself into the house.
Ways to deal with clothes moth
Fighting moth larvae is not an easy task, as the pest lays its eggs in the most secluded places. It is worth noting that it is much easier to remove clothes moth than food moth.
Methods of dealing with clothes moth are as follows:
- inspecting things for eggs and larvae;
- dry clothes and hats in the sun or wash at 60 degrees;
- spraying special aerosols in insect habitats to kill larvae;
- placing pest repellents (lavender, essential oils, fumigators) among things, on shelves and cabinet walls.
How to get rid of food moths
It takes a lot of effort to breed food moths.
First of all, you will have to throw away all contaminated food products: cereals, flour, herbs, roots, etc.
Special aerosol products can be used against flying moths. Kitchen cabinets should be treated with vinegar or a suitable product available from a hardware store.
After getting rid of moths and larvae, lavender sprigs or other special means that prevent the appearance of a pest can be laid out on the shelves as a preventive measure.
In addition, in order not to wonder in the future where the moth comes from, cereals brought from the store must be calcined in the microwave or oven. This procedure will help kill eggsalong with the larvae.
