The moth is a nondescript gray butterfly,leading mostly nocturnal. In nature, there are several hundred species of this insect. Some of them prefer to dwell in a human dwelling, turning into malicious pests. Their favorite food is fur, wool products, and food. To figure out how to deal with this insect, you need to know where the mole comes from, what species of this pest inhabit our homes and apartments, as well as reproduction features.
A few words about the insect
The mole belongs to the order of Lepidoptera (butterflies),which are characterized by small size and predominantly twilight lifestyle. It is the larvae of the moth that can cause serious harm. Adults, when they reach puberty, perform only the function of reproduction (they mate and lay eggs).
A distinctive feature of the moth isno proboscis. With this organ, common butterflies produce nectar hidden in the inflorescences of plants. Moth larvae - creatures more primitive and less fastidious about food. They have a well-developed mouth apparatus, which allows them to even gnaw the seeds of plants and the seeds of the fruit.
The absence of a proboscis does not interfere with normalthe life of the insect. This is explained by the fact that the mole, being still in the caterpillar stage, consumes food with the help of the jaws and accumulates in the body a store of energy for the future. Growing up, the insect not only loses the ability to eat, but also can not digest food. The main task of an adult individual is to breed.
Since the mole can cause harm, beingin the caterpillar stage, it is pointless to fight with adult insects. Before you notice the flying butterflies, their larvae will have time to settle in a dark secluded place and harm your things and food. And finding them will not be so easy.
How mole multiplies
The development of moths, like butterflies, goes through several stages:
- Egg.
- Larvae (caterpillar).
- Baby doll
- Adult butterfly.
Butterfly life expectancy on averageis about 3 weeks. Some species of moth live only a few days. During this short period of time, the female has time to lay from 40 to 200 eggs, from which a white translucent larvae hatch a week later. As soon as the caterpillar is born, it begins to actively feed and form a spindle-shaped cocoon from the surrounding nutrient medium. It is in the larvae stage that the mole causes the main damage. After a month and a half, the larva pupates, after which a butterfly appears from the pupa. An adult individual literally from the first days of life begins to reproduce offspring: it lays eggs in dark secluded places and soon dies.
So under proper conditionsthe reproduction of moths is an ongoing process. The duration of the development cycle depends on the type of insect, habitat conditions and varies from 1 month to 2.5 years.
Varieties of Home Moth
As for the species of winged pests,then most often in residential areas you can find clothes and food moths. It is worth noting that both species are similar in appearance, but they have different gastronomic tastes, lead a different lifestyle and do not pretend to each other’s territory. Simply put, if you noticed a mole of clothes in your home, then you can not worry about the safety of stocks of cereals.
Clothes moth: what eats and where it comes from
A mole in an apartment can spoil fabrics and materials of natural origin - wool, fur, cotton, flax. This kind of moth is called clothes.
Where does the mole of this kind come from?Ware pests can start regardless of the cleanliness and tidiness of the room. It can be both a miserable dirty apartment, and fashionable apartments. And in the second case, the chances for the appearance of uninvited guests are much higher, since the owners of expensive apartments just can afford to buy fur coats, clothes, furniture and carpets made from natural materials.
The greatest appetite for clothes moth causelong worn items with the smell of sweat and particles of the epidermis. Moreover, in order to get to the favorite delicacy, the pest will not stop even in front of polyethylene and will bite through the plastic bag in two accounts.
How to recognize the clothes moth?This type of moth looks like a small butterfly up to 8 mm in size. Its wings have a plain golden-beige color and fringed edges. Adults of this insect fly badly and often move curiously, and they do it fairly quickly.
The clothes moth is capable of laying up to 200 eggs.The life span of a caterpillar usually ranges from 70 to 200 days and depends on the ambient temperature. In cold conditions and in the absence of food, the larva of the clothes moth can live up to 2 years. During the year, only one generation of such moth is born, which is explained by the conditions of feeding of the caterpillars and the duration of their development.
It’s not possible to figure out where the mole comes from in the houseis always. But if, after buying a wool or fur thing, you begin to notice flying nocturnal moths, this means that the insect larvae already lived in the product.
Where does the mole come from?In addition to the human factor, the appearance of a pest in a home can be caused by a pet, which only acts as a vehicle when moving from street to house.
An open window or ventilation system may also contribute to the entry of moths into a dwelling.
Food moth
If the situation is more or less clear regarding the clothes moth, then where does the mole in the kitchen come from? In homes, warehouses, shops and granaries, the food moth prefers to live.
There are several types of such moths, and eachof them causes irreparable harm to food. So, the mole of flour is made in grains and flour, and the fruit is in dried fruits, spices, mushrooms, herbs and nuts. For an ordinary person, all varieties of the food moth look the same - these are small gray butterflies with a dark pattern on the wings. It is by the dark pattern that the food moth is determined.
Where this pest comes from is not always possible.to find out. But as a rule, infection by larvae of moths occurs even when food is stored in food depots, where a moth can lay eggs unhindered. Therefore, do not be surprised where the black mole in the apartment comes from, because you can bring a pest along with barley, bought in a store. Moreover, such a product will not save the hermetically sealed original packaging, since it was already infected during storage at the warehouse. Of course, immediately after buying the worms in the package may be absent, but after a while you will start to notice fluttering butterflies in the kitchen, and in the package with cereals you will find moths and caterpillars.
Based on the foregoing, it follows that in most cases the person himself brings the mole into the house.
Ways to deal with the moth dressing
Fighting moth larvae is not an easy task, as the pest lays eggs in the most secluded places. It should be noted that the clothes mole is much easier to remove than the food.
Methods of dealing with moth dressings are as follows:
- inspection of things for the presence of eggs and larvae;
- drying clothes and hats in the sun or washing at 60 degrees;
- spraying in the habitats of the insect special aerosols to destroy the larvae;
- placing funds to scare away the pest (lavender, essential oils, fumigators) among things, on the shelves and walls of cabinets.
How to get rid of food moths
To bring the food moth, you need to put a lot of effort.
First of all, all contaminated foodstuffs will have to be thrown away: cereals, flour, herbs, roots, and so on.
Against the flying moths can be usedspecial aerosol products. Kitchen cabinets must be treated with vinegar or a means intended for this purpose, which are sold in a hardware store.
After getting rid of moths and larvae as a prophylactic agent on the shelves you can decompose the sprigs of lavender or other special means that prevent the appearance of the pest.
Also, in the future not to askthe question of where the mole comes from, the cereals brought from the store must be roasted in a microwave or oven. This procedure will help kill the eggs along with the larvae.
