Was it mice or moths? Or something else?
November 12, 2024 3:48 PM Subscribe
I can't believe I'm asking this disgusting question. I store my sweaters folded on the shelves of an open bookcase near my bed. I just discovered that several of them developed holes since I last wore them. I know for a fact that there was a mouse in my bedroom a couple of months ago and the internet says mice will chew fabric for nesting material, but I don't see a single dropping on the shelves. (My mouse problem has since been resolved.) I also don't see any evidence of moths even inspecting the sweaters under a powerful lighted magnifying lamp, and I never saw any flying, and I would have since it's so near my bed. Help.
There are other insects that can cause holes in fabric but I imagine you would've noticed them.
I am currently dealing with a mouse problem and haven't found a lot of droppings so that's not really an indication it wasn't mice.
(I do want to push back on saying this is "disgusting." I know some really clean people who have still had issues with mice. Same with varying insect invasions. I do get the shame involved with such things but this does not make you a bad person.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:14 PM on November 12 [14 favorites]
I am currently dealing with a mouse problem and haven't found a lot of droppings so that's not really an indication it wasn't mice.
(I do want to push back on saying this is "disgusting." I know some really clean people who have still had issues with mice. Same with varying insect invasions. I do get the shame involved with such things but this does not make you a bad person.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:14 PM on November 12 [14 favorites]
Clothes moths are weak flyers and avoid light, so even if they're there you might well not have seen them.
posted by praemunire at 7:05 PM on November 12 [10 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 7:05 PM on November 12 [10 favorites]
Hang a few of these in your living space for a couple weeks and your clothes moths - which are probably the cause of those holes - will soon be a thing of the past. These are the best traps I've ever used and they pretty much solved our clothes moth problem.
posted by pdb at 7:13 PM on November 12 [6 favorites]
posted by pdb at 7:13 PM on November 12 [6 favorites]
You can do an image search for "clothes moth holes" to see a lot of examples and compare them to the holes in your sweaters. Unfortunately it's not as easy to find examples of mouse holes, but I would expect them to be significantly bigger and more ragged.
posted by Redstart at 8:10 PM on November 12
posted by Redstart at 8:10 PM on November 12
Response by poster: (I do want to push back on saying this is "disgusting." I know some really clean people who have still had issues with mice. Same with varying insect invasions. I do get the shame involved with such things but this does not make you a bad person.)
No, no, I'm not ashamed. I'm disgusted at the idea of mice or larvae eating my sweaters.
posted by HotToddy at 8:47 PM on November 12 [1 favorite]
No, no, I'm not ashamed. I'm disgusted at the idea of mice or larvae eating my sweaters.
posted by HotToddy at 8:47 PM on November 12 [1 favorite]
Wool? Could well be moths. I've never found any evidence on garments, just caught them in traps (see above) and sometimes seen them flying. I only saw them flying when there were a lot. You wouldn't necessarily see evidence on the clothes other than the holes.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:20 PM on November 12
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:20 PM on November 12
Response by poster: Okay I ordered the traps. Is a pack of six enough?
posted by HotToddy at 9:31 PM on November 12
posted by HotToddy at 9:31 PM on November 12
silverfish also eat clothing, and have chomped a number of mine :( i have found cedar wood oil helps deter them.
posted by tamarack at 9:42 PM on November 12 [1 favorite]
posted by tamarack at 9:42 PM on November 12 [1 favorite]
Is there any sort of residue that looks like sand around or under the sweaters? If so, that would be a point in favor of moths. The traps are a good idea, but they do only catch male moths so I've always had to take supplementary measures too. (Clothing moths are the bane of my existence! I've tried to wipe them out unsuccessfully several times.)
posted by catabananza at 11:01 PM on November 12
posted by catabananza at 11:01 PM on November 12
Okay I ordered the traps. Is a pack of six enough?
More than enough. We bought some for pantry moths (the ones that get into your sugar and flour) and the first trap seemed to wipe them out in about a week. We put a fresh trap out to pick up any new moths that make their way into the kitchen, and that only gets the occasional moth.
Another insect that will eat natural fibres is the larva of the carpet beetle
posted by pipeski at 4:32 AM on November 13 [2 favorites]
More than enough. We bought some for pantry moths (the ones that get into your sugar and flour) and the first trap seemed to wipe them out in about a week. We put a fresh trap out to pick up any new moths that make their way into the kitchen, and that only gets the occasional moth.
Another insect that will eat natural fibres is the larva of the carpet beetle
posted by pipeski at 4:32 AM on November 13 [2 favorites]
How big are the holes? In my (admittedly limited) experience with mice and fabric, mice will chew mouse-sized holes, almost as if they’re tunneling through the fabric. Moths and other bugs, on the other hand, make significantly smaller holes as a rule. So if you’re seeing a lot of little holes in the fabric, I’d suspect bugs rather than mice.
posted by cellar door at 5:13 AM on November 13
posted by cellar door at 5:13 AM on November 13
The traps simply indicate the presence of moths. The traps only get the male moths. If you do indeed find moths on the traps (IME, they are small and look like pinky-nail length unremarkable things) that means you need to pull all your clothing out of drawers, cabinets, shelves and closets and go through everything. Clean everywhere. Turn jackets inside out, shake things out and air out stuff you cannot wash. Launder all the clothing. Use some insecticide specifically for moths. Once everything is squeaky clean and dry, put it away and try to leave doors and drawers open as much as possible for a while. Moths seek dark, undisturbed and damp (if possible) places.
I have read anecdotally that they prefer clothing that has been worn, has body oils and even little droplets of food left on it. No one washes wool sweaters every use, I'm not saying you are dirty, and I do not know if this is completely true.
IME, moth damage is accompanied by gross silky webbing and droppings. It's not just clean holes in stuff. The larvae eat the fibers and they hatch from eggs and make cocoons, so there's a noticeable amount of "stuff." We had damage to some nice wool rugs when we were forced to rent storage space for a couple months, and let me tell you: it was easy to find that moths were the culprits. I also found them one time in some forgotten wool felt coasters and it was similarly gross.
Once we treated stuff, they were never a problem again, so I don't think this is going to be a massive bedbug type issue unless you have mountains of wool that you store. I found all my techniques and advice online and didn't do anything special. Good luck.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:48 AM on November 13 [2 favorites]
I have read anecdotally that they prefer clothing that has been worn, has body oils and even little droplets of food left on it. No one washes wool sweaters every use, I'm not saying you are dirty, and I do not know if this is completely true.
IME, moth damage is accompanied by gross silky webbing and droppings. It's not just clean holes in stuff. The larvae eat the fibers and they hatch from eggs and make cocoons, so there's a noticeable amount of "stuff." We had damage to some nice wool rugs when we were forced to rent storage space for a couple months, and let me tell you: it was easy to find that moths were the culprits. I also found them one time in some forgotten wool felt coasters and it was similarly gross.
Once we treated stuff, they were never a problem again, so I don't think this is going to be a massive bedbug type issue unless you have mountains of wool that you store. I found all my techniques and advice online and didn't do anything special. Good luck.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:48 AM on November 13 [2 favorites]
The destruction patterns of mice and of moths are different. Basically if the damage spreads out from a starting point and crosses into other sections of fabric, it's probably mice. A mouse looking for bedding with keep tearing at the next layer of fabric in the area where they have started gnawing. Mice are burrowers and will keep going, digging and taking plenty of shreds until they have a mouthful which they will then carry away to their nesting spot before they come back for more. They will probably come back to the exact same spot, chosen because it is out of sight. The damage they do is likely to be near the mouse's access point - such as when they get in at the back of a dresser and chew the things in the back of the drawer.
Whereas each individual moth will light on a spot and make a relatively small hole following the individual hairs which they are eating, not carrying away. Unless one layer of sweater is matted to another - and your sweaters were wearable so they shouldn't have been matted, each tiny little moth would be making holes the size of dimes or of a pencil eraser wherever it settled down to snack. If there were small holes dotted around in several places it was probably moths or other insects.
There is a good reason why you didn't see either the moths or the mice - they both survive by being unnoticed and are likely to be active only in the dark. You wouldn't see the moths if they had flown around at night. Your issue is almost certainly moths, not mice, because with mice it looks like burrowing and tunneling, and sometimes is. We had a couch that the mice burrowed into one winter after the cottage was locked up for the year and it had two mouse sized holes in it where the mice had dug in and spent as much of the winter as possible napping to escape the cold. They didn't make tunnels, just sleeping nests filled with fluff. They over wintered and when we came and opened the cottage up in spring, they were already foraying out and starting to emigrate in search of their usually wild mouse food sources.
Mice gnaw like that especially badly when they want bedding either because the place is very cold, or because they are having babies and are making a next for the babies. There is a good chance neither is true - your place was probably decently warm when the gnawing took place and you have not gotten a full family of mice without being aware of it.
So I think that moths, no larger than the width of your little fingernail, and a pale beige in colour have gotten into your house when a door or a window was open and settled on the sweaters after flying around for a day or so, mainly invisible unless you were actively looking to see them.
I like to use cedar shavings to discourage moths. They sell if for animal bedding, it smells very nice, it's safe, it's natural and the moths won't go near anything that is stored with it. I make sachets with it.
Did you by any chance dry any of your sweaters outside? If you dry woolen items outside the moths can get into then. Airing and exposing your sweaters to sun is a good way to attract a crop of moths. Wool should be dried flat, indoors, exposed to a fan to speed up the drying but not be exposed to direct heat.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:48 AM on November 13
Whereas each individual moth will light on a spot and make a relatively small hole following the individual hairs which they are eating, not carrying away. Unless one layer of sweater is matted to another - and your sweaters were wearable so they shouldn't have been matted, each tiny little moth would be making holes the size of dimes or of a pencil eraser wherever it settled down to snack. If there were small holes dotted around in several places it was probably moths or other insects.
There is a good reason why you didn't see either the moths or the mice - they both survive by being unnoticed and are likely to be active only in the dark. You wouldn't see the moths if they had flown around at night. Your issue is almost certainly moths, not mice, because with mice it looks like burrowing and tunneling, and sometimes is. We had a couch that the mice burrowed into one winter after the cottage was locked up for the year and it had two mouse sized holes in it where the mice had dug in and spent as much of the winter as possible napping to escape the cold. They didn't make tunnels, just sleeping nests filled with fluff. They over wintered and when we came and opened the cottage up in spring, they were already foraying out and starting to emigrate in search of their usually wild mouse food sources.
Mice gnaw like that especially badly when they want bedding either because the place is very cold, or because they are having babies and are making a next for the babies. There is a good chance neither is true - your place was probably decently warm when the gnawing took place and you have not gotten a full family of mice without being aware of it.
So I think that moths, no larger than the width of your little fingernail, and a pale beige in colour have gotten into your house when a door or a window was open and settled on the sweaters after flying around for a day or so, mainly invisible unless you were actively looking to see them.
I like to use cedar shavings to discourage moths. They sell if for animal bedding, it smells very nice, it's safe, it's natural and the moths won't go near anything that is stored with it. I make sachets with it.
Did you by any chance dry any of your sweaters outside? If you dry woolen items outside the moths can get into then. Airing and exposing your sweaters to sun is a good way to attract a crop of moths. Wool should be dried flat, indoors, exposed to a fan to speed up the drying but not be exposed to direct heat.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:48 AM on November 13
I'd guess moths. Mice get bedding very near where they nest, and they smell. They are less likely to be near where you sleep, unless there's food nearby. But I might still get a couple TomCat traps, which are easy to use and effective. I tried humane traps; the mice were alive, but so weak, they were probably prey soon after being released. I am currently eliminating a lot more mice than I expected. It's gross because they are filthy.
Cedar and/or rosemary will discourage moths and other insects that are nibbling clothes; tiny holes are easy to repair.
posted by theora55 at 6:23 AM on November 13
Cedar and/or rosemary will discourage moths and other insects that are nibbling clothes; tiny holes are easy to repair.
posted by theora55 at 6:23 AM on November 13
Likely clothes moths. Mice and other rodents leave a pretty clear trail of urine and feces where they move and spend time. It should be along the walls; you can get a black light flashlight to check and see if you have any trails. Once you find them you then set your baited traps (of whatever variety) so they straddle the trail. The above advice for moths is good if you cannot find your rodent evidence.
posted by shesaysgo at 8:50 AM on November 13
posted by shesaysgo at 8:50 AM on November 13
I have been told that moths won't touch fabric that's not pure wool; they don't like anything with even a little synthetic in it. I imagine mice are less picky.
posted by Hogshead at 9:01 AM on November 13
posted by Hogshead at 9:01 AM on November 13
Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice. I've concluded it must be moths. There is no mouse poop anywhere in there and I'm sure there would be. However there is absolutely no evidence for moths, either--no residue of any kind, and also the shelves are open and face a big window, which I always assumed would be a bad habitat for moths. And the three sweaters that were damaged were all clean when put away, and there are smellier, dirtier ones on the same shelf that were untouched. Very confusing. At any rate the traps are on their way so I suppose I'll know soon.
posted by HotToddy at 9:25 AM on November 13
posted by HotToddy at 9:25 AM on November 13
Hogshead, I inherited a mink coat and stored it hanging in a cloth bag as directed by a furrier. Months got into it, which surprised me because I thought wool was their only target. The furrier also told me they like pure silk, too. Also a surprise to me.
One thing they do love is the dark, so perhaps the part of the sweaters that was facing away from the windows was dark enough?
Since my own troubles with moths, I have stored clean woolens in large plastic tubs that have close-fitting lids. That has prevented further mother damage. The fur coat is at the furriers in cold storage, which costs a bit but prevents insect infestations.
posted by citygirl at 11:06 AM on November 13
One thing they do love is the dark, so perhaps the part of the sweaters that was facing away from the windows was dark enough?
Since my own troubles with moths, I have stored clean woolens in large plastic tubs that have close-fitting lids. That has prevented further mother damage. The fur coat is at the furriers in cold storage, which costs a bit but prevents insect infestations.
posted by citygirl at 11:06 AM on November 13
Moths prefer clean wool over dirty. A fisherman's jersey of the sort constructed with the lanolin left in the wool is going to be impervious to moths, although it will also smell rather like a wet dog and not be something you want to bring into the house. The moth larvae literally eat the wool itself, not any grime that might be on the yarn. You are most likely to pick up the moths when your wool is newly cleaned and drying - that's why I mentioned that you do not want to expose clean wool to sun and air outside. You can pick up a nice crop of moth eggs before you put the thing away for the eggs to hatch in the drawer and the larvae to feed on them.
Wool is normally kept in a sealed chest for a reason.
Similarly head lice strongly prefer a clean head and clean hair to someone with a greasy scalp covered in a layer of dead skin cells - they can't get through that to feed!
You didn't get moths because you were unclean. You got them because the wool was left accessible.
posted by Jane the Brown at 12:30 PM on November 13
Wool is normally kept in a sealed chest for a reason.
Similarly head lice strongly prefer a clean head and clean hair to someone with a greasy scalp covered in a layer of dead skin cells - they can't get through that to feed!
You didn't get moths because you were unclean. You got them because the wool was left accessible.
posted by Jane the Brown at 12:30 PM on November 13
Response by poster: Re: carpet beetles, well I looked up info on this and have never noticed anything like that, but I'll keep an eye out. I get plenty of bugs in my poorly sealed house and with my Swiffer of a dog running in and out so it's not beyond possibility.
posted by HotToddy at 2:39 PM on November 13
posted by HotToddy at 2:39 PM on November 13
Response by poster: Trap users, how quickly did you see moths in the traps?
posted by HotToddy at 10:41 AM on November 16
posted by HotToddy at 10:41 AM on November 16
Within hours, I think. Assuming you have moths, and the right pheromone trap for that type of moth.
posted by pipeski at 12:37 PM on November 17
posted by pipeski at 12:37 PM on November 17
Response by poster: Hmm, well it’s been three days and I haven’t caught any.
posted by HotToddy at 8:57 AM on November 18
posted by HotToddy at 8:57 AM on November 18
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