When Moths Become Pests

Ask any person in the agricultural business about moths and you will surely get the sense that they are not considered good friends.   Moths are part of the order of Lepidoptera which forms the largest group of insects that feeds solely on plants.  Not all species of moths are a great threat, but those that are can cause significant damage. Daily egg production for one female moth can range anywhere between 200 to 30,000 eggs.   It is not difficult, therefore, to understand how an infestation of caterpillars can wipe out a large crop within a very short period.

And it is not just outside that moths can cause significant damage.  They can also do damage inside.  There are a number of species that can be a real pest in your home due to their penchant for munching on your fabric items including clothing, sheets, tablecloths and whatever else they can get to. These moths have a particular attraction to items manufactured from organic fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, wool and fur.

There are three species of moths that pose the most significant threat to cloth items.  These are known as the Common Clothes Moth, the Case-bearing Clothes Moth and the Carpet Moth.  As you can see, they are most appropriately named!

Now, how is it that certain types of insects have become adapted to a food source that is not actually found in their natural environment?   I guess you could say that necessity is the mother of adaptation.  These insects have developed through evolution a unique ability to turn keratin, the protein found in hair and wool, into food.  For this reason, cloth items that have been manufactured with animal fibers such as wool tend to be the most vulnerable.