Clothes moths and pantry moths are different insects that eat different things. Clothes moth caterpillars eat animal fibres such as wool, silk, fur and feathers. Pantry moth caterpillars eat dry food such as flour, rice, cereal, nuts, spices and pet food. The quickest way to tell them apart is to look at where you found the moth and what is damaged nearby.
The quick check: place and damage
- A moth in the pantry, on the kitchen ceiling or near food packets is almost always a pantry moth.
- A moth in a wardrobe, a drawer of jumpers or under a wool rug is most likely a clothes moth.
- Holes in a wool jumper point to clothes moths. Webbing and clumps in flour point to pantry moths.
In both types, the caterpillars (larvae) do the eating, not the adult moths.
What a pantry moth looks like
The most common pantry moth in homes is the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). The NSW Department of Primary Industries common pantry insects fact sheet lists the adult at 7 to 9 mm long and the grown larva at about 12 mm.
The DPI sheet says adult pantry moths do not feed on the food. They lay eggs among it. The caterpillars that hatch crawl around and feed on the outside of the food. During the day, the adults often rest on walls or the ceiling.
Signs of pantry moths:
- Silky webbing on flour, rice, muesli or pasta
- Food stuck together in clumps
- Small holes in bags or thin cardboard boxes
- Insect droppings (called frass), shed skins and dead moths in the food
What a clothes moth looks like
Clothes moths are smaller and shyer. The History Trust of South Australia guide to identifying collection pests describes the adults as small and grey-brown, about 5 to 7 mm long. They tend to scuttle rather than fly, and they fold their wings along their back when resting. They prefer the dark, so you may see damage long before you see a moth.
Two kinds are common in homes. The webbing clothes moth leaves trails of webbing mixed with dirt and droppings. The case-making clothes moth builds a small tube from the fibres it eats and carries it around.
Signs of clothes moths:
- Small, uneven holes in wool jumpers, suits, scarves or blankets
- Bare patches in wool rugs or wool carpet
- Small cases, silk tubes or fine webbing on fabric
- Damage that starts in dark, unused spots, such as the back of a wardrobe
Do clothes moths eat cotton?
Not as their main food. The Queensland Museum explains that clothes moth caterpillars feed on hair, wool and feathers. These are made of keratin, a protein that very few insects can digest. The museum counts 38 species of clothes moths in Australia, with at least 9 of them introduced pests. It also says they are more drawn to wool that has sweat or other stains on it.
Blends are a different story. CSIRO notes that clothes moth larvae have fed on synthetic and blended fibres, mostly when those fabrics are stained with sweat or food. So a cotton blend top packed away with sweat stains can still be chewed. A clean cotton T-shirt is not their usual target.
How pantry moths get into sealed packets
A sealed bag is not always enough. Pantry insects can chew through unopened paper, thin cardboard and plastic packets. An infestation can also start at a processing plant or storage site, come home inside food you buy, or get in through open doors, windows and cracks in walls.
Haldon Street in Lakemba is known for its spice and grocery shops. If you keep bulk spices, rice or nuts at home and moths keep coming back to that shelf, book moth control in Lakemba so the breeding spot can be found.
Are pantry moths harmful?
The main problem with pantry moths is spoiled food. The DPI sheet says infested food becomes fouled with silk, droppings, shed skins, pupal cases and dead moths. Food in that state should go in the bin.
Because the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults can all be there at the same time, one clean-out can miss a stage. That is one reason moths can seem to come back.
Beamish Street in Campsie is lined with grocers that sell rice, noodles and other dried goods. If a Campsie kitchen keeps finding webbing inside packets that were never opened, arrange quick moth control in Campsie to track down where the moths are breeding.
Why the type changes what happens next
Pantry moths are a food storage problem. The DPI sheet suggests airtight containers, clean shelves and freezing new items for up to 48 hours. None of that helps a wool jumper.
Clothes moths are a fabric problem. CSIRO says they like dark, closed spaces and clothes that sit unused for a long time. Checking stored clothes often matters more than any pantry step.
Earlwood sits on hilly streets above the Cooks River. If holes keep showing up in wool clothes stored in an Earlwood wardrobe, book urgent moth control in Earlwood before the larvae move into rugs and other wool items.
Some homes have both types at once. Roselands has a large shopping centre with houses all around it. If moths keep flying out of a Roselands laundry where dry pet food or seed is kept, book fast moth control in Roselands so both the pantry and the wardrobe get checked.
A quick test before you call
Catch one moth on sticky tape or in a clear jar. Photograph it next to a ruler. Write down where you found it and what is damaged nearby. Then contact reliable pest control in Bankstown with the photo, so the technician knows whether the job is in the pantry, the wardrobe, or both.