Moth Control across Cape Town

The webbing clothes moth, Tineola bisselliella, is a small, pale gold moth that avoids light, and its larvae feed on wool, cashmere, silk, fur, feathers and woollen carpets. The case-bearing clothes moth is similar but its larvae carry a small silk tube around as they feed. The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, has wings that are pale near the body and coppery towards the tips, and its larvae spin webbing through muesli, nuts, dried fruit, flour, birdseed and dog food. The brown house moth is a common scavenger in older homes, feeding on wool, fluff and debris under floorboards and in wall voids. The big moths that fly into lights at night on a summer evening are garden species and are not the ones damaging your clothes or food.

Moth or fishmoth? Sorting out the names

Cape Town households use the word moth for three quite different insects, and the right treatment depends entirely on which one you mean.

• Clothes moths are tiny, narrow and straw coloured. They tend to scuttle into folds rather than fly off, and only their larvae eat fabric made from animal fibre.
• Pantry moths fly well, sit on walls and ceilings, and always trace back to food somewhere in the house.
• Fishmoths are not moths at all. They are silver, wingless, carrot shaped insects that wriggle like a small fish, and they graze on paper, starch, glue and cotton.

If the damage is on a cotton shirt, wallpaper or a box of old letters, fishmoths are far more likely than moths, and that is a separate job covered by fishmoth control. Moth larvae chew right through the cloth and leave neat holes. Fishmoths tend to scrape the surface, leaving thin, grazed patches and yellowish marks.

Moth problems by type of property

Older family homes

Houses in Rondebosch, Newlands or Constantia that have been in a family for decades often hold the things clothes moths like best: Persian rugs, a grandmother's knitted blankets, felt piano hammers, a stuffed animal head in the study. Heirlooms sit in the same place for years without being moved, which gives larvae all the time they need.

Coastal flats

Flats in Sea Point, Muizenberg or Fish Hoek have small cupboards, often on an outside wall, and the sea air keeps them damp for much of winter. Clothes moths do better in humid conditions, so a built-in wardrobe that smells musty is worth emptying and checking properly once a season.

Guesthouses and holiday lets

Spare duvets, throws and wool blankets in a holiday let get used for a few busy weeks and then stored for months. That rhythm suits clothes moths perfectly. The time to check the linen cupboard is before the December rush, not after a guest finds a hole in a blanket.

Student digs and shared houses

Rooms near the campuses in Rondebosch and Observatory tend to collect second-hand jerseys, clothes in piles on the floor and wool blankets brought from home. Many are then left closed up over the long summer break, which is exactly when moths are most active. Students coming back in February sometimes find a whole winter wardrobe full of holes.

Vintage shops and pet shops

Second-hand clothing, old fur collars and vintage textiles bring clothes moths in with the stock, so new arrivals should be checked and isolated before they go on the rail. Pet shops, feed stores and anyone selling birdseed are more likely to run into pantry moths, and they show up first around the seed bins.

Getting ready for a moth visit

1. Do not wash or throw away everything in a panic before we arrive. Keep one or two damaged items so we can see the larvae, cases or droppings.
2. Clear the floor of each wardrobe and the space under beds so the technician can reach the carpet edges.
3. Make a short list of which rooms and which items have damage, and roughly when you first spotted it.
4. Leave pet food and birdseed where we can check it, even if it normally lives in the garage.
5. Tell us about delicate or valuable pieces such as a wedding dress, a fur coat or a rug that cannot be washed, so we can plan around them.

A clear WhatsApp photo of the moth, or of a damaged item, to 021 012 5825 is usually enough to tell which type you have. Our moth control in Cape Town page explains how we treat both, and the suburb list below has local notes for areas such as Sea Point.

Quick answers

Moth Control by suburb