I am a graphic and web designer, writer, and photographer and handle all those types of needs for Margaret's Cleaners in La Jolla, California. Margaret's is a very high-end dry cleaner with 70 employees and 3 locations. The job looked like so much fun I sold my printing company after 18 years to work here instead. 
In This Issue...
What’s “Bugging” You? — Introduction
Have you ever noticed mysterious little holes that appear in your clothes and you can’t remember ever snagging or running into something that would have caused them? You could be looking at an example of insect damage! Little tiny pesky insects, so small you hardly see them, may be doing considerable damage to textiles around your home. Generally, you won’t notice them, or the damage they’ve done, until it’s too late. And it’s the babies (larvae) that do the damage…to everything from sweaters, pants, and jackets, to wool rugs, and decorative needlework on your walls. The only damage the parents do is leaving behind their eggs, which hatch the larvae, which then feast on your fine items! Moths and carpet beetles were the originators of the “high protein” diet, as that’s what they thrive on…the protein found in fabrics containing natural fibers.
Depending on the time of year, insect damage ranges from the 2nd to the 5th most common consumer problem related to clothing. Insect damage to textiles in the United States is estimated at $200 million annually. According to the National Pest Control Association, fabric pests are making a comeback because most of the residual insecticides formerly used in their control (dieldrin and DDT) have been banned. This has caused those who deal with the insect damage to take a multi-faceted approach to spotting early signs of infestation, recognizing its causes, controlling the environment, understanding the life cycles of the pests and their “preferences,” and developing new and creative control measures and eradication techniques, and consumer education programs.
Continued in Part One....
In This Issue...
What’s “Bugging” You? — Part 1 of 4
Introduction
Have you ever noticed mysterious little holes that appear in your clothes and you can’t remember ever snagging or running into something that would have caused them? You could be looking at an example of insect damage! Little tiny pesky insects, so small you hardly see them, may be doing considerable damage to textiles around your home. Generally, you won’t notice them, or the damage they’ve done, until it’s too late. And it’s the babies (larvae) that do the damage…to everything from sweaters, pants, and jackets, to wool rugs, and decorative needlework on your walls. The only damage the parents do is leaving behind their eggs, which hatch the larvae, which then feast on your fine items! Moths and carpet beetles were the originators of the “high protein” diet, as that’s what they thrive on…the protein found in fabrics containing natural fibers.
Depending on the time of year, insect damage ranges from the 2nd to the 5th most common consumer problem related to clothing. Insect damage to textiles in the United States is estimated at $200 million annually. According to the National Pest Control Association, fabric pests are making a comeback because most of the residual insecticides formerly used in their control (dieldrin and DDT) have been banned. This has caused those who deal with the insect damage to take a multi-faceted approach to spotting early signs of infestation, recognizing its causes, controlling the environment, understanding the life cycles of the pests and their “preferences,” and developing new and creative control measures and eradication techniques, and consumer education programs.
Continued from Introduction...
In addition to the usual insecticides, fumigants, repellents, contact sprays and mothproofing agents, creative chemists are working on “antimetabolites” which disrupt the insect’s metabolic cycle, insect growth regulators (IGRs), chemicals that control insect behavior, and biological controls through microbial pathogens that attack the insect population with bacteria or fungi, harmless to higher animals and humans, but devastating to specific insects. Some have proposed using electromagnetic, sonic and ultrasonic radiation, gamma radiation, microwaves and radio waves for insect control.
Most people are quite aware of clothes moths and the damage they can cause, thus the term “moth-eaten.” However, the moths are just one of the top three causes of all insect damage to fabrics. The other two are carpet beetles and silverfish. References to insect damage date from very early times. There’s a biblical reference in James 5.2 “Your clothes are moth-eaten.” In 400 B.C. it’s reported that Aristophanes said, “Moths were eating the feather plumes of helmets.” Actually, that term should be “larvae-eaten,” because the adult moths have imperfect mouth parts and can’t eat anything, which we’ll mention further under their life cycles below.
Carpet beetles cause extensive damage, too! One of the big differences is that moth larvae will stay put with their food source (your fine clothes) whereas carpet beetle larvae enjoy traveling from one room to the next, from one apartment to another, and have even been found in bird and rodent nests! Knowing which insect is doing the damage will help you find and eliminate an infestation.
Primary Types of Insect Damage
Direct Insect Damage
Direct damage is caused by insects that feed directly on the fabric of your garment. They are especially attracted by leftover smells of food stains and body oils. Common examples are webbing clothes moths, casemaking clothes moths, carpet beetles, and sometimes termites. Damage done by silverfish is actually in the “indirect damage” classification (see below). Even if damage appears to be limited to a closet, don’t assume the culprit is clothes moths. If you don’t see moths flying, pupa casings, cocoons, or larvae, carpet beetles could easily be the problem. Once they feed they often migrate, leaving behind only the damage.
While feeding on the fabric the insect cuts or weakens the surface fibers. Often the damage is not even noticeable until after an article is dry cleaned or washed. During cleaning, the weakened fibers are flushed away, leaving damage visible on the garment. In addition, discoloration to the fabric may be caused by the insect’s droppings.
Insect damage occurs on any fabrics containing natural, cellulose, or animal fibers, including blends of wool/synthetic and cotton/wool, wool, mohair, silk, cotton, leather, natural bristles, fur (beaver, mink, seal and angora rabbit), feathers, down and even piano felt and natural bristle brushes. This includes the specialty fibers made from camel hair, alpaca, llama, guanaco, vicuna, and cashmere. Be especially cautious of articles left undisturbed for a long time, such as old military uniforms, blankets, feathered hats, tuxedos, overcoats, evening gowns, hats, antique dolls and toys, and wall hangings.
Don’t think that by using a synthetic blend that insects will stay away! Synthetic blends with as little as 10% natural fibers are not immune to insect damage. These synthetic fibers may contain residues of gum and sizing from processing, which is very attractive to insects. Some studies have found the most damage could be done to 35/65 wool/polyester and the least to 30/35/35 wool/acrylic/polyester fabrics.
What it Looks Like
Direct damage looks like tiny holes, veins or burrows in the surface of the fabric or knit. When you see this type of damage you can be fairly certain your garment has been serving as a main course for some growing larvae!
Indirect Damage
A different type of damage, “indirect damaged,” occurs when insects feed on spilled food or perspiration on the fabric. The “trails” of indirect damage follow the direction of food or beverage spills. Common examples of insects that do indirect damage are: silverfish, crickets, beetles, and roaches. Most of them feed on natural starches and glues, leaving visible damage (but not holes) on finer fabrics such as silk, cotton, linen and rayon.
What it Looks Like
Indirect damage generally leaves “trails” on the surface of the fabric. Silverfish, for example, eat at the surface leaving a “shaved” look, but will usually not leave actual holes in the fabric. They’ll do more damage to your books than your textiles!
Continued in Part Two: Habits — Lifestyle, Appearance & Evidence
In This Issue...What's “Bugging” You? Part 2
Habits – Lifestyle, Appearance & Evidence
General Habits
Adult insects deposit their eggs in all sorts of locations—clothing, upholstery, rugs, toys, animal skins, trophies, and even natural bristle brushes. They prefer to feed in areas that are dark and undisturbed such as closets, attics and storage boxes. Things in constant use or frequently vacuumed, rarely get damaged, but watch those unused areas of a rug next to walls or under furniture! Even air ducts are a popular breeding area! As the eggs hatch, the larvae will look for any animal-based material to feed on: silk, wool, leather, dog and cat hair, feathers, and even wool blends or synthetics that may contain food stains, urine, hair oils, sweat or body oil residue.
The eggs and larvae, as well as adult insects, enter your home in a wide variety of ways – on your clothes, pets, shoes or they may fly in through an open door or window. Articles containing wool or other animal fibers, upholstered furniture, woolen fabrics and rugs are popular avenues. Be especially wary of used clothing or furniture, and items purchased at antique stores, vintage stores, yard sales or on-line auctions.
Adult clothes moths prefer darkness and hide very quickly if disturbed. They are definitely NOT the moths you see attracted to lights! Clothes moths are light tan, about 1/2” long and have very narrow wings. Adult carpet beetles, in contrast, love the sunlight and are known to feed outdoors in your garden on the pollen and nectar of flowers, especially Spirea, asters, dahlias, daisies, sunflowers, Virburnum, Caeothus, goldenrod and the flowers of wild and cultivated fruits. They’ll enter your house with these blossoms, or fly through an open window or door! The most common ones are small, oval-shaped and mostly black with varied patterns of orange and white. Carpet beetles are often mistaken for a common garden “lady bug,” but they are about 1/4 to 1/2 the size.
Silverfish, a primitive-looking 1/4” long, silver-colored wingless insect, is probably related to something that crawled up on land 300 million years ago. In North America they are almost exclusively associated with human habitation, and reside in houses and stables. They are quite prevalent in kitchens and bathrooms, for they require very high humidity or access to water. They thrive on the tiniest scraps of food. Although they prefer starchy food, they are quite able to digest cellulose and will devour your books and Christmas decorations as eagerly as the food stains on your garments!
Life Cycle, Appearance & Evidence
Webbing Clothes Moths (Tineola bisselliella)
Probably more common than the casemaking clothes moth, the Webbing Clothes Moths spin a silken web to form feeding tubes, which they attach to the items being eaten. The body of the adult moth is covered with shiny, golden scales and the top of its head has a tuft of fluffy, reddish-gold hairs. It has black eyes, its antennae are darker than the rest of its body, there are no spots on its wings, and females are slightly larger than the males. The female lives about 15 to 30 days and lays 40 to 50 large eggs (relatively speaking, 1/24” long). The eggs are translucent and quite vulnerable to physical damage. Her nest may be very hard to spot as she will lay a layer of camouflage web or casing over the eggs and developing larvae that blends into its surroundings, hiding it in the fabric. Look for webbing, cocoons, cases, copious amounts of tiny pellets, and even dead moths clumped into the webbing. In addition, the droppings may be the same color as the fabric being consumed, making the evidence even harder to spot. This “nest” may look like a harmless piece of lint.
Depending on the temperature and season, the eggs hatch into larvae in 4 to 30 days. These worm-like larvae are shiny, creamy-white and about 1/2” long when mature. The larvae spin silken feeding tubes as they feed, and reach maturity in 35 days to 2.5 years. This great variation in time is dependent on food, temperature and humidity. In a warmer climate, the clothes moth larvae live for at least two months. The perfect environment for clothes moth development is 75% relative humidity in a heated, dark room. The adults don’t eat, so larvae must consume enough so the adults may complete their life-cycle. The larvae change to a pupa and live inside silken cases they make as they mature into adults. This pupal stage may last from 55 days to as long as 4 years! Under normal conditions it’s usually from 65 to 90 days. The adult emerges from the pupa to start the life cycle again, generally about 2 generations per year.
Casemaking or Case-Bearing Clothes Moths
(Tinea pellionella)
Casemaking or case-bearing clothes moths are slightly smaller than the webbing clothes moths. The adult is light brown with 3 barely visible dark spots on each wing. The adults live for only 4 to 6 days. The females lay 37 to 48 creamy-white oval-shaped eggs (photo on left), which soon turn red, and hatch in 4 to 7 days into larvae which look like cream-colored caterpillars less than 1/2” long. During the larval stage, which lasts 68 to 87 days, they spin protective cases (using bits and pieces of items they’re consuming!) and drag the cases along as they move (it’s an “insect RV”!). (Below: Larvae & cases) Eventually the cases become the tough cocoons in which the pupae develop into adult moths in 9 to 19 days. Evidence of their presence is similar to the webbing clothes moths. Other less common moths include the Brown House Moth, and the Tapestry Moth, both of which require at least 80% humidity to thrive.
Carpet Beetles (Anthrenus verbasci & Attagenus pelio)
Carpet beetle adults live 20 to 60 days. The female lays 30 to 100 eggs on a surface sure to provide good nutrition for the growing larvae. Those larvae hatch in 6 to 20 days and live 60 to 325 days. The pupal stage lasts 10-17 days. The average life is about 9 months! Carpet beetle larvae measure 1/8” to 1/4” long and appear to be densely covered with tiny hairs or bristles.
They molt several times during their life cycle, leaving behind skin casings, which look a lot like larvae. Their droppings look like a uniform powder made up of tiny granules the color of whatever they’ve been eating. They do not spin webs, nor make cocoons like the moths. They tend to burrow deep into carpets and may not always be obvious. As they mature, they shed their skins and then crawl from place to place. They are often found in areas that don’t provide food for them. Their fecal matter, however, is generally found where they’ve been eating. Both the larval and adult stages damage fabric and also feed on seeds, pet food and cereal products in your kitchen and pantry, as well as flowers in your garden. The adults measure 1/10” to 1/3” long. They’re oval shaped and vary in color from shiny black to various patterns of white, yellow, brown and orange.
Silverfish (Lapisma saccharina)
Silverfish are small wingless insects that do not have larvae in their life cycle. They lay eggs which hatch into nymphs that look like miniature adults. They molt several times as they grow, leaving their cast skins to detect. Both adults and nymphs damage fabrics. They love moisture (75 to 97% humidity), cool to moderate temperatures (70 to 80° at the most), and dark places. They tend to be most active at night, and feed on starch, sugars and proteins. You’ll find them in sinks and bathtubs because they enter looking for the moisture and then get trapped, unable to climb the slick, vertical walls. They also love rayon and the glue found in book bindings and wall paper. The presence of silverfish indicates a moisture problem, but they can survive long periods of dry conditions and starvation. Infested areas should be aired out and dried. They live for quite a long time compared to the moths and carpet beetles, sometimes as long as 5 to 7 years, but they are also not very prolific. A female will only lay about 20 eggs in her lifetime, depositing them in tiny cracks and crevices. The eggs hatch in 19 to 43 days and mature from hatching to adult in 3 to 4 months. The droppings of silverfish look like very fine black pellets, somewhat like miniature mouse droppings, scattered over the surfaces in dark areas where they reside. They may leave yellow stains, especially on linens.
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Why Insect Damage Happens
Clothes are usually stored in dark, warm places. Insects and their larvae have a wonderful opportunity to feed undisturbed. The amount of damage that occurs is in direct proportion to the temperature and humidity in the storage area. Warm, moist areas are the ideal growing condition for insects!
Most damage occurs during the larval stage of the insect’s growth. That is also when they need the most food. The adults naturally gravitate to areas of your house that contain everything they need: a food source consisting of fabrics with remnants of stains or soil, warmth, and moisture. Examples of poor areas to store clothes: closets with exterior walls, garages or basements with concrete floors, and nice warm attics.
Continued in Part Three — Inspection and Elimination
In This Issue...What's “Bugging” You? Part 3
Inspection and Elimination
Before Cleaning
If you suspect insect damage, carefully inspect garments for holes against a good light source. A good “trick” is to hold the item so you can look toward a light source from the inside of the garment, looking out. After doing that, turn the garment inside out to get a look at seams and hidden areas! Damage can be masked by soil on the garment. Sweaters should be stretched to make visible any holes which could be hidden by the construction of the knit. Look carefully for burrows or trails on areas containing food or beverage stains.
Signs of insect damage and infestation include moth eggs in the form of small, white grain-like granules, and larvae in small white clusters of webs. Remember when you disturb the clothes the “live” evidence will “abandon ship” if they can, making it even harder to notice.
If You Find Evidence
Inspect carefully! If you find signs of insect damage, check all susceptible items in the area carefully and try to find the primary source of the infestation. It could be an old wool scarf, a fur hat hidden in a box, or a section of wool carpeting under a bed. There could be more than one source too! Creep into those dark areas with a flashlight. Look for the telltale signs…wings, dried skins, webs, droppings, or even the live insects if you can surprise them before they can hide.
Never spray clothing with a household insecticide. Always remove clothes before having anyone spray the insides of closets and drawers!
Prevention Tips & Tricks
What are some of the best ways to prevent insects from turning your garments into their habitat? It’s a two-part project. First you must control and eliminate the pests you already may have. Second, you need to make sure your clothing is stored in such a way that it will not be damaged should a re-infestation occur. Your goal is to make living in your house as difficult as possible for that pest! Everything you do to make YOUR house uninviting will keep your clothing and textiles safe from damage!
General Control of Textile Pests
Practice good housekeeping techniques! If carpets and rugs are vacuumed frequently and thoroughly, eggs and larvae will be removed before damage occurs. Make sure your carpet cleaner pays special attention to crevices and uses a special crevice tool. In addition, a thorough vacuuming and cleaning of floors, shelves, walls, cracks and crevices in closets and drawers, as well as other less-frequented hiding places of insects, such as under and behind couches, couch cushions, and draperies, reduces the chances of infestation. Don’t forget to clean your window sills! The dust and deceased insect accumulation can be a favorite hangout for carpet beetles! Use crevice and upholstery tools that came with your vacuum to frequently clean corners, cracks, ducts, vents and baseboard moldings! If you have pets, clean even more often. Pet hair is a favorite food source for these pests. Be aware of where family members may be snacking and leaving crumbs of food that could attract insects such as silverfish and cockroaches. The eggs of clothes moths don’t vacuum as well as the beetle eggs because of an adhesive outer layer on the egg.
Spring and Fall Cleaning where you roll up your sleeves, pull the furniture away from the walls and give the house a true going over, is a great defensive maneuver! Remember the larvae thrive any time of the year, so your control measures must be year-round.
Brushing clothing or other items regularly, once or twice a month, is a very effective means of moth control, as it will dislodge or crush the pests. Carpet beetle eggs, especially, are very fragile and easily destroyed by brushing them off. Try to do it outside if possible, and brush all accessible areas of the garment, including under collars, cuffs, seams and pocket flaps. And don’t just brush, take the clothes outside into bright indirect sunlight. This is a good mold and mildew prevention technique (See read our Mold & Mildew newsletter) Be careful in direct sunlight as some clothing could fade.
What is mothproofing?
Mothproofing is a chemical treatment given to fabrics that provides protection from insects without leaving objectionable odors, as do mothballs. The mothproofing agents can be either synthetic or natural plant-derived insecticides. Currently there is no moth-proofing product available for consumer application. It must be done when the fabric is manufactured. If an item is labeled “mothproof” or “moth resistant,” the protective chemicals were applied by the manufacturer, and the process is considered permanent. There are mothproofing chemicals available that can be applied during dry cleaning, however, they are highly regulated and tend to contaminate the solvents. The dry cleaning process itself effectively rids the clothes of any living larvae much better than normal laundering. Many high-quality fabrics containing wool are treated with a moth-proofer during their manufacture.
Forms of mothproofing:
All chemicals used in mothproofing are regulated and must be approved by the EPA. None are currently available for consumer use. There are two forms of mothproofing:
Information Specific to Clothes Moths
Once you have determined you have a clothing moth infestation, you will need to employ the best control methods available. This depends on the location, the extent, and the level of control needed. Some areas are easier to control than others and will need nothing more than an aerosol and some traps. Others will need an ongoing extensive liquid treatment program.
The first tool that will prove helpful for any level of infestation is to install some Clothes Moth Traps. These are pheromone-based traps that use female sex pheromones to lure males. According to the manufacturer, the attractant is much stronger than natural pheromones and emerging males will not be able to resist the smell. Once they get to the trap, a board of non-drying glue awaits them. They land, get stuck and are prevented from impregnating females. Traps will last several months and though they won’t prevent larvae from feasting, they will cut down the adult male population dramatically, which will in turn prevent future egg laying and aid in overall control. The traps also serve as a good monitoring device. If your traps are catching more moths than you would like, more treatments are needed. Locate them in closets, around carpets or behind furniture and inspect them at least once a week. Margaret’s carries one type of clothes moth trap in our Boutique Wardrobe Products.
Once you have traps in place, aerosol or liquid treatments can be done. In order to prepare for these applications, it is best to do the thorough house cleaning mentioned above…vacuuming, laundering or dry cleaning of infested AND non-infested items. Vacuuming will help to remove larva, adults and their frass but eggs and pupa are almost impossible to remove. Glue-like excretions and the cocoon spinning process does a good job of affixing eggs and pupa in place. The same holds true for carpeting. Thick carpets need a good vacuuming. Area rugs and hand woven rugs need to have their top and bottom sides cleaned. Topside treatments may not penetrate far enough to get the bugs. Once you have cleaned closets, clothing, rugs, carpeting, furniture, or anything else with obvious moth activity, you are ready to treat. The simplest thing you can do is use some of the aerosols which are available. For closets, the aerosols are both effective and practical. Aerosols are also effective for treating furniture, taxidermy mounts or tapestries. There are several which are all used for different situations.
The following items are suggested by the www.bugspray.com website. NOTE: Margaret’s Cleaners does not have specific experience with these chemicals and does not endorse the website. This is purely to give you an idea of what types of measures can be used to control moths. All of the commercial web sites noted in our references appear to carry similar products to control fabric pests. Be SURE to read labels and follow instructions carefully! Some of these may require professional application.
Information Specific to Carpet Beetles
Controlling carpet beetle infestations can be difficult. This is true for several reasons. First, they are likely to be active in small areas, but there are usually several such areas throughout the home. Second, they tend to be active in hidden areas. Third, the cycle of the carpet beetle enables them to have a built in defense mechanism against treatments. Although larva and adults are easily killed, eggs and pupa are not. When you treat, it is likely you will kill adults and active larva. Eggs and pupa that hatch after the residual treatment has worn off can easily reestablish the population. To prevent this, it is important to treat at least twice and in some cases as many as four times. Though every case may have specific keys to achieving success, here are some guidelines for treating:
Once you have vacuumed, you are ready to treat. Treatments suggested include custom sprayers which spray in a flat uniform fan shape. Permethrin is used for mild infestations, is odorless and lasts 2 to 4 weeks and is the safest thing to use. Cyfluthrin is also odorless and a treatment will last 4 to 6 weeks. Multiple treatments over a period of two to six months are needed to get all growth stages of the beetles as they mature. Even a pest control company will have to come back to the home several times to do the job completely. For more specific instructions and information on the process, visit www.bugspray.com.
Another product that can be added to the mix when treating with any of the above chemicals is an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) This IGR lasts about 3 months and will work with many different insects. Its function is to stop larvae from developing into adults.
Information Specific to Silverfish
If you only occasionally see them inside your house, perimeter treatments may stop them. One formulation for silverfish is Esfenvalerate. This concentrate is easy to work with. It mixes readily with water, does not have an odor and will last a month or more per application with a sprayer. It can also be used inside the house. It works well on a variety of pests but is particularly effective against silverfish. For more information on use and application techniques both inside and outside the house, visit www.bugspray.com.
Drione Dust is a silica-based material that works as a desiccant on insects. Silverfish, as well as other insects, cannot live where it is applied. Drione can be used both outside and inside. It should be applied under siding, around entries to the house, in storage boxes, light fixtures, electric outlets, and broadcast throughout the attic. A variety of dust applicators, aerosol cans and hand dusters are available to help achieve uniform distribution of the dust. Most indoor applications will last 6 to 12 months; outside applications may only remain active for a few months since high moisture levels will tend to break the dust down.
Once you have done your treatment, give it time to take effect. As with moths and carpet beetles, traps are also available that target silverfish. Good locations for traps include bookcases, cabinets, pantries, closets, filing cabinets, or any place you’ve seen them. Inspect them every couple of weeks and change them about every 3 months. If you’re still finding silverfish in areas you’ve treated, you know that further treatment is necessary.
Continued in Part Four: Storage Suggestions & Resources
In This Issue...What's “Bugging” You? Part 4
Storage Suggestions & Resources
Store only clean garments. Make sure ALL food and beverage stains are thoroughly removed! Even if you only wore something once, clean it before storing it. The invisible remnants of body oils and perspiration could be enough to attract insects. Effective cleaning discourages insect infestation. Dry cleaning effectively kills all stages of clothes moths on fabrics. If you have a major clothes moth infestation, dry clean all susceptible garments, woolen rugs, and tapestries, at the same time as you have your dwelling professionally treated.
Fine nylon netting wrapped around storage boxes will prevent the entry of insects such as silverfish. Nylon also contains no protein and is non-digestible to the bugs.
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Other notes regarding the use of mothballs:
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Many specialists in clothing storage do NOT recommend the use of mothballs because of the difficulty in actually creating an effective sealed environment and their toxicity, noted below.
Use cedar chests. To be at all effective, cedar closets or chests should be airtight and kept closed at all times. The cedar scent tends to repel insects, but the airtightness is actually what is protecting the garments. Because of the insufficient seal to maintain a concentration of the odor, cedar chests are seldom completely effective in preventing insect infestations. The cedar oils may kill clothes moth larvae, but not the older moths or eggs. Keep in mind that cedar is not effective against carpet beetles. Thorough airing or cleaning may be required after storage to remove residual cedar odors. Over time, the oils that provide the protection dry up and lose their effectiveness, and cedar chests need to be sanded and a fresh treatment of cedar oil applied about every two years.
Things Your Cleaner Can Do to Help
Is it Possible to Repair Insect Damage?
For special garments, and depending on the amount of damage, it is sometimes possible to repair your garment through reweaving, reknitting or custom alterations. These are topics for a future newsletter.
Resources
“Preventing Damage from Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles,” Guide C-504, by Susan Wright, Extension Consumer Education Specialist, published by Cooperative Extension Service, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, New Mexico State University.
"Insect Damage”, Bulletin #646, published by the International Fabricare Institute, 12251 Tech Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
“Clothes Moths and Their Control,” Guide G-316, by L.M English, Extension Entomologist, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, New Mexico State University.
“Tips for Successful Garment Storage,” by Annette Scriber, IFI Analyst, International Fabricare Institute Technical Operating Information Bulletin #662.
"Fabric Insect Pests: Clothes Moths & Carpet Beetles,” Publication IP-50, by Bette Jo Dedic, Extension Clothing Specialist and Mike Potter, Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture.
“Guide to Control of Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles,” CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology, Victoria, Australia.
“Storage Tips Protect Out-of-Season Clothes,” by Nancy Peterson, Communications Specialist, Kansas State University Research and Extension.
“Clothes Moths,” by William F. Lyon, Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-2107-97.
“Insects and Wool Textiles,” Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute.
“Eradication of Insects from Wool Textiles,” by Barbara Reagan, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 1982, Vol. 21, No. 2.
“Silverfish and Firebats,” by John Jackman and Phillip Hamman, Extension Entomologists, Texas A&M University, 1997.
“NCA’s Mini Guide to Moth Prevention & Control,” National Cleaners Association.
What’s That Bug? www.whatsthatbug.com. An excellent resource if you’d like to figure out what bug you’re looking at. Great pictures of various stages of common pests.
Commercial Companies:
Informational Websites with Resources and Solutions (listing these here does not constitute Margaret’s Cleaners endorsement of their products.) Each site has a great deal of information about various pests and their habits, sells a variety of specialized chemicals for control and eradication, as well as traps to help detect and control reinfestation.
Visit Margarets.com "Archived Newsletters" link to read our "Mold and Mildew" Newsletter and our "Fiber Glossary" Newsletter.