How do moths lay eggs

Extreme heat can kill clothes moths if the temperature is high enough -- something that may be accomplished by washing clothes above degrees F.

On the opposite end, freezing may also kill the clothing moth if the temperature is below 18 degrees F. Note: If you are freezing woolen materials, be sure to remove as much air from the plastic freezer bag as possible. Take clothes to the dry cleaners to have the dirt and perspiration removed when they become soiled or dirty. Vacuum carpets, rugs, upholstery, baseboards and any other areas on a regular basis, especially if you have noticed symptoms of an infestation.

When placing clothing and other materials in a container, carefully inspect the lid and the container -- the lid should fit very tightly so the tiny hatchlings cannot crawl inside - this should be done each time you are storing fabric materials, particularly woolen clothing and upholstery. Extreme heat or freezing can be applied when you find larvae, eggs, or fecal matter on clothing or fabrics. Home All About Clothes Moths. Clothes Moths Moths.

They may seem harmless, until you find holes in your favorite sweater — or in your outdoor fruit or tree leaves. Moths can be indoor or outdoor pests, depending on the species and what they like to eat. So, how do you keep moths away? This page will help you identify a moth infestation, what moths look like, their lifecycles, as well as when and why they eat what they do.

More Learning Resources. What are Moths? The methods used for getting rid of moths depend on whether your moth problem is indoors or out. Here are some of the common species: Brown House Moth: Adult house moths are brown with a few darker spots. They grow up to 14 mm long, and their larvae are up to 20 mm in length.

This is the most common type of house moth. Common Clothes Moth: Adults are straw-colored and have no other markings. They grow up to 8 mm long. Their wings are fringed along the bottom, and they make irregular-shaped holes in fabrics.

Clothes moths produce cream colored eggs that hatch into creamy-white caterpillar larva that grow to be around a half-inch long. White-Shouldered House Moth: Adults have thick, dark-colored forewings with a few light spots. Their larvae are white and about 10 mm in length. These moths are rarer than the others, and they make circular-looking holes in clothes.

Case-Bearing Clothes Moth: Adults have mottled wings and a brown head and are about 10 mm in length. Their larvae are white with a brown head and about 12 mm in length. These moths are not interested in your clothes. Reproduction Cycle of Clothes Moths Adult female moths can lay up to 50 eggs within 3 weeks and die soon after.

Common Outdoor Moth Pests Moths can also cause damage to outdoor plants. Three common outdoor moth pests include the coddling moth, the gypsy moth and the winter moth: 1. They eat the leaves of hundreds of species of trees and shrubs, and when in large numbers, they can defoliate trees, including: Oak Douglas firs Western Hemlock Poplar Sweet gum White birch Apple 3.

The caterpillars feed on a variety of trees and ornamentals, including: Roses Maple Oak Crabapple Ash Reproduction Cycle of Outdoor Moths Female outdoor moths lay their eggs in the branches, trunks, leaves or bark of trees. But there are other indications to watch for, too: Small maggot-looking larvae in clothes drawers, storage areas and pantries.

The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U. Prevention tips: Use older food products first and store all bulk foods in thickly walled glass or plastic containers. Clean up all spills, including flour and sugar.

Larvae can survive on small amounts of food under cabinets and in corners. Transfer bulk items from plastic bags to sturdy glass or plastic containers. Pantry moth larvae can chew through plastic and Ziploc bags to access food. Control tips: Identify, remove, and dispose of all infested food items. Larvae spin a web as they move and leave behind silken threads; signs of webbing or clumped grains or flour may be a sign insects are present. Take the interior bags out of boxes, roll them around looking for clumps or webbing.

Check the corners of boxes and creases of bags. Remember to inspect all cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, dry animal food, spices, tea, chocolate, and candies. After removing all infested items, consider storing the remaining items in a large plastic tote to monitor for any eggs or larvae you may have missed.

Use a vacuum with a crevice attachment to clean out all corners of the pantry. The adult moths lay their eggs on a narrow range of plants in the nightshade family including tobacco and hot pepper. Li et al. Further experiments showed that this receptor was tuned to respond to 12 odorants that also stimulated responses in the egg-laying organ of H. Together these findings suggest that this odorant receptor in the egg-laying organ helps the moths find suitable host plants to lay their eggs on.

During heavy infestations, it will also consume pine, spruce and hemlock needles. It tends not to feed on ash and tulip poplar. Gypsy moth larva first instar Gypsy moth larva late instar. As it grows, the caterpillar molts 3 or 4 times. It needs to shed its skin in order to grow. The period between each molt is known as an instar. First instar larvae are very small and can be difficult to spot. Fourth and fifth instar larvae are very large, with an appetite to match their size. The majority of the defoliation is caused by these later instars.

Mating moths. Females laying eggs. D ead females around the base of a tree. The adult gypsy moths do not feed. The adults live for about 2 weeks, for the sole purpose of reproducing. Though they cannot fly, adult females have wings. They are lighter in color than the males.