Ruud Kleinpaste: Clothes moths

<p>It’s been a weird year, so far… water and wind in the north; dry hot droughts in the south.</p> <p>Not sure if that has anything to do with a tiny moth reported to me on many occasions:</p> <p>5 – 7 mm long; golden wings, held over the body like a roof. And a bright orange hairdo, reminiscent of Split Enz or Cirque de Soleil</p> <p>The webbing clothes moth is extremely common in Christchurch – many folk up on the hill have asked me about this critter; and when I tell them the identity some panic seems to break out.</p> <p>I expect there will be other populations elsewhere in New Zealand, but they largely go unnoticed!</p> <p>This “webbing” cloths moth is really a recycler of woollen materials: yes, clothes, but especially carpets! It seems to like open spaces with keratin – lots of keratin</p> <p>It’s quite logical, really.</p> <p>When a sheep dies, or you run over a cat on the road, a bird whacks against the window and knocks itself out, the recycling squad will be on the scene of the accident very quickly indeed.</p> <p>Blowfly maggots eat the meat, beetles take care of harder or tougher parts of the cadaver (muscles, sinew, bones), skin decays and softens through fungal and bacterial organisms…</p> <p>Ashes to ashes, dust to dust</p> <p>But who is tasked with the destruction, digestion and recycling of the keratin (feathers, fur, wool, hair, nails and even hard skin)?</p> <p>You got it: caterpillars of the clothes moths (and the grubs of carpet beetles)!</p> <p>It’s their job (ecosystem service)</p> <p>What you see at home is damaged woollen carpet with bare patches, holes in woollen clothing; the damage becomes quite obvious after a few years of caterpillar browsing and life cycle after life cycle will establish a good population in your home.</p> <p>Control can be achieved with some residual insecticides – active ingredients such as permethrin and other synthetic pyrethroids will do the job well; (try Safeworx aerosol cans)</p> <p>It works well and is residual for 6 to 8 weeks, as long as t