by Camille Myers Breeze It's not usually a favorite topic of conversation, but conservators can always bend your ear about bugs. As spring approaches, dormant eggs hatch, larvae grow and then pupate, and mature adults emerge days or weeks later capable of mating and creating more eggs. And this is when some of our most important work is done. Most insect infestations occur in dark and moist areas where plentiful food is available and there is little disturbance. Ideal places include closets, trunks, boxes, plastic bags, suitcases, cupboards, and beneath carpets. You may know you have an infestation because you see the insects or their larvae, but just as often you see only piles of fiber, droppings (frass), webbing, and holes in your textiles. Insects choose which textiles to infest based on what the material is. Most textiles fall into one of three categories. Protein fibers are made from animal products and include wool, silk, feather, fur, and leather. Cellulosic fibers come from plants and include cotton, linen, hemp, jute, and paper. Synthetic fibers are mostly man-made polymers, including rayon, a man-made cellulosic fiber. The most common insect pest that causes damage to cellulosic textile fibers is the silverfish. Resembling a ½-inch-long shark, silverfish are attracted to starch found in food, building materials, paper, and textiles, as well as mold or fungi. They are often found in damp places, such as bathroom linen closets, and are mostly nocturnal. Most structures are home to the carpet beetle, which subsists on protein (keratin). Varied carpet beetles, measuring as little as ⅛-inch long, are the species most common to the US north east. They are oval with a brown and tan striped pattern on their scales. Both the carpet beetle larvae its casing are fluffy and brown. Carpet beetles thrive around dead insects, human and pet food, natural history and taxidermy specimens, carpets, furnishings, and wool or silk clothing. They can be found near warm windows and light fixtures, especially in spring. The two most common moths that infest household and museum collections are the webbing clothes moth and casemaking clothes moth. Both are frequent pests on wool and silk clothing, carpets, tapestries, upholstery, and craft supplies. Webbing clothes moths grow up to ⅜-inch long and are pale tan in color. They tend to avoid light, however they can be seen flying around, especially in spring and summer. Casemaking clothes moths are smaller, measuring only ¼-inch long, and may be browner and faintly speckled. The larvae create a silky case and carry it around with them, depositing fiber and frass on it as they graze. The larvae cannot live outside their case. Casemaking clothes moth larvae are just as voracious as webbing clothes moths and will leave holes and large areas of denuded threads. Despite their similarities, webbing clothes moths and casemaking clothes moths have key differences. The larvae of the webbing clothes moth will eat for 68–87 days, however the casemaking clothes moth larvae can survive as long as 2.5 years before pupating. The adult case-making clothes moth lives a mere 4–6 days, but the webbing clothes moth has up to one month to mate and lay eggs before dying. If you believe you have an insect infestation, contact a conservator immediately. Do not use pesticides, such as bug spray, moth balls, or boric acid because they are potentially harmful to pets, people, and your textiles. You may carefully vacuum the effected textiles and surrounding areas to remove insects, larvae, and eggs only if you are certain you can do so without damaging fragile fabrics. Quarantine effected items in zip-top or garbage bags and contact a conservator.
For a more detailed discussion of insect pests that affect textiles, download the latest MTS Handout, Identifying and Mitigating Insect Infestations, from our website.
22 Comments
Heidi
6/20/2012 01:09:35 am
What did these insects do before humans wore furs/clothes, wove material etc.? In prehistory. Did they evolve with us? I can't find any information.
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6/20/2012 01:46:31 am
Hi Heidi,
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Helen Hart
5/13/2013 07:20:59 am
Thanks so much for this link. I have had some kind of moths and yes, they like "dirty" wool. I am passing your links on.
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4/5/2017 07:47:33 pm
these bugs have eaten through important art and art paper as well as other paper items
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Jodi Shinn
8/26/2021 03:19:14 pm
I NEED HELP PLEASE…. Im being over RUN BY THESE IDK TINY BOOMERANG BUGS!! Idk what to do! This is what I’m seeing with some aid of a strong lint roller… small tiny blue fibers all over my body they try to get in my nose eyes ears mouth & whatever they can burrow into. I have found after scraping my body with a flat strong urge to it scraping my body then the eggs will come off & I find Small tiny mainly white man sometimes with a dark center and to filament fibers coming off of that one tiny white cotton ball looking thing…then burrowed in skin are these little round black things with a tiny clear jelly looking thing that can also spring off your finger sometimes you can get out the tiny cotton ball with the filament fibers & once out of the skin it can poof back up as if never even submerged into a body of fluid 😱! ALL THIS SEEMS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY AND ID NEVER BELIEVE IT IF I DIDNT EXPERIENCE THIS GOD AWFUL TIME CONSUMING EXHAUSTING NIGHTMARE ON LEVINS ROAD!! I cant even hold my brand new grand baby for fear of transferring any of this to her & my daughter & her husband. At night I can feel a tingling…crawling sensation on large portions of my body & I have to dry my clothes before I put them on to give myself any relief. I’ve Done all I know to do but I’m still finding the tiny balls in the seems of my clothes and I’m getting bit at all different times…
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9/2/2021 09:43:50 am
Hi Jodi shinn I’m experiencing the same damn thing. And my family does not believe me. My kids and I have been getting bit for the past 2 months. I live in California and I’m hoping this will all stop once the wather gets colder. Because I can’t find a way to get rid of these bugs. We’ve tried everything. I’ve spent lots of money and time and I’m sick of this already. Did you happen to find out what they were called? Or how to get rid of them? Please let me know. Any advice would be amazing! Thanks and I hope you. And your family are doing better. Also here’s my email [email protected]
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Vickie
2/24/2022 04:59:47 pm
Plz tell me did u ever find out what those things r me an my husband r dealing with the same things .they don't bother me much but they r just so bad on my husband he has drove his self crazy an I have been trying for 2 years to figure these darn cotton bugs out !!! 2 year an still no clue what on earth they could be !! Plz help if u know .Thank u!! My email~ [email protected]
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Jennifer D Inch
9/4/2021 11:00:28 am
Please help me with this God awful situation. I have tried everything. Nothing is working . And I have even had them in my eyes and went temporarily blind. My skin is very sensitive and I have serious lung problems. I believe that if I don't find help this will shorten my life 😭😭😭
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julia biondo
9/15/2021 12:13:35 pm
Can i ask you a couple of important questions,so that might supply a few helpful hints.?
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Michelle Desouza
9/26/2021 02:38:15 pm
Ive got 1 Dog and there are a few trees in my street but nothing like a forrest. Im in Perth Australia, where are you guys from? not sure if we have the same pests as other countries but this sure does sound likes its the same thing.
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Michelle DeSouza
9/26/2021 02:32:48 pm
Any luck finding out what these bugs are? i'm in Australia and am experiencing the same things as you @Jodi Shinn.
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11/12/2021 08:21:31 pm
Anybody find any answers? Same thing in Chicago area! Email [email protected] or text 708-254-5252
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Jennifer Harris
4/5/2022 08:49:47 pm
Hello, I live in kentucky and me and my family have been dealing with the same thing for almost 2 years now we have tried everything from spraying permethrin, vinegar baths, epsom salt baths, washing clothes in boiling water, borax on everything, vacuuming everyday and it seems like it helps just a little and then it comes back in just a few days 10 times worser. I am at my witts end. Dont know what else to do. Our family thinks were crazy and that were on drugs. I just wish they knew what so many people like us are dealing with this.
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