Moths!

[thepatchworkcat]

Help! I think we have a moth problem. Found some pj bottoms of mine with small holes in, didn't think anything of it for a while, thought maybe they'd snagged on something, but now husband has noticed holes in some of his tshirts. So I guess we need to get everything out the wardrobe and inspect. I'm a bit scared. We are total slatterns and our bedroom is a tip to be fair so I know we need to sort ourselves out. What do I need to do?!

You've almost certainly got carpet moths. If you have a good clean out of the wardrobe you may find their cocoons. You can buy sticky pheromone strips to hang up in your wardrobe or anywhere else you have clothes from eBay which will at least keep numbers down.

Thanks for replying! Been through wardrobes and drawers and not found any further evidence! So not I'm not sure!

*now

Check the drum of your washing machine for damage, as sometimes that can catch on clothing. Worth a look.

Thank you Debs will do!

It might be carpet beetles, they also eat holes in clothing and fabrics. Also known as Woolly Bears. They are cute little things that climb the walls when they are larvae which is when they eat your stuff. The adults are tiny beetles.

Best thing to do is clear out all your fabrics, clothes, bedding, towels and have a good look, then treat the house with pet flea spray like Indorex or Acclaim and diatomaceous earth on the floors. Same if it turns out to be moths. Store fabrics in ziplock bags and keep an eye on the carpets if you have them. Spray carefully round edges of rooms and gaps in floorboards, cracks etc.

Moths dont like lavender apparently.

Lavender sachets and drawer liners I think help but google it

I think lavender helps keep them away once you've got rid of this lot. I noticed in a National Trust house they had lavender bags hanging at the windows, I put a couple on our bedroom window and have had fewer moths, as well as putting them in between jumpers piled up in the wardrobe.

After living in a rental with moths already in situ I began keeping my perishables in sealed bags, also made my own lavender bags, those little voile bags from China and 'grey' lavender from a farm or internet and you can change the lavender when it wears out.

I also store my stuff (in bags) in plastic lidded boxes with a couple of lavender bags.

I am fighting carpet beetles in this house so follow the same procedure, everything is bagged, sealed with lavender and boxed. Spare duvets are in bags, taped shut, then in another bag. Everything is bagged grin