The Donegal public have been warned to watch out for moths this spring.
Donegal accounted for the third most callouts for pest control company Renotkil for the creatures in the last 12 months.
The spring months are when clothes, stored products and scavenger moths begin breeding and the insects become more active in this period.
Moth larvae can cause damage and create holes in textiles and fabrics such as clothes, carpets, blankets and curtains as well as stored goods by feeding.
The top three counties which accounted for the most moth callouts from Rentokil for the past 12 months were: Dublin, which accounted for 70% of moth callouts, Cork (21% of callouts) and Donegal (6%).
Textile moths are most likely to be found in spare bedrooms, under mattresses, infrequently used wardrobes and attics and as moth larvae feed on fabric they cause significant damage to clothes, blankets, carpets, curtains, and upholstery. By spring cleaning these areas and properly packing away winter clothes, homeowners can reduce the risk of moth larvae eating into precious textiles.
Stored product moths and scavenger moths can be a huge threat for businesses as they damage numerous products. The most common type of scavenger moth is the white-shouldered house moth.
The white-shouldered house moth feeds on a wide variety of materials including cereals, textiles, leather, and cork.
The presence of moths can become very costly for home or business owners, both financially and emotionally – nobody wants to find holes in a quilt handed down from a beloved grandparent or in a carefully stored wedding dress. And no one wants to see their hard work wasted with stored products destroyed through moths feeding.
Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical field Consultant with Rentokil said: “There are a number of steps that people can take to guard against the presence of moths.
By following this advice, you can help to avoid moths infestations in your home or business:
* Always ensure that clothes are clean before storing them – soiled and dirty clothes are more likely to attract moths
* Ensure that clothes which are stored for long periods of time such as suits and wedding dresses in appropriate sealed bags or suitcases
* Use fly screens or keep curtains drawn at night to prevent moths entering your home
Clean and Vacuum regularly in order to remove moth eggs before they hatch, this is particularly important in times of the year with increase moth activity such as in the spring and summer”
There are four commonly found species of moth in Ireland each with a preference for different textiles, and each varying in the damage that they cause to materials:
* Common clothes moth cause irregular shaped holes in textiles
* Brown house moth larvae is attracted to animal-based materials such as feathers and leather
* Case bearing clothes moth larvae causes smaller and more regularly shaped holes in textiles
* White shouldered house moth larvae are less damaging to textiles as they scavenge on a wide range of food
