What do the moth larvae look like

When we say that “the mole has spoiled all things,” meaning both clothes and food, we are not quite right. It is not an adult that spoils all this, but only moth larvae, because moths have no proboscisthat she could do that. The adult lives due to those stocks that the larva managed to make. And in order to "hold out" longer in his adult state, the caterpillar eats everything around, which corresponds to its ideas about good nutrition.

Every housewife knows that not only clothes suffer from pests. But not everyone understands that hundreds of species of this insect can live in a house, each of which eats one type of food. Depending on the species, moth larvae eat tissues, furs, feathers, bread, flour, nuts, cereals, dry fruits, pet food and so on.

Only a professional can distinguish “in face” the larvae of moths of different species, since all of them are very similar to each other.

Pest benefits

Wax moth

It is curious that the moth larva can be useful. So, for the treatment of tuberculosis use pests of hives - wax moth. Caterpillars of this species are used as a base for tinctures and wax moth extracts. The enzymes used by insects to break up wax act in a similar way on tuberculosis bacilli. After exposure to the enzyme, the disease is more likely to be treated with antibiotics.

Other species, like larvae of burdock moth, are used as bait for under ice and other species, fishing.

Features of different types

In the house of the larvae of moths it is customary to divide into clothes and food. It is easy to understand that the first of them eat haberdashery, and the second - groceries.The larvae of the moths in the photo and during a “personal” meeting seem to be exactly the same, but there are differences between them.

Food moth

It is easy to recognize the moth larvae of food: they are small, white or almost transparent worms. The head is clearly marked, on 2 pairs of legs are located on the first segments of the body, 4 pairs - on the abdomen. The length of these worms does not exceed 2 cm. The volume of the caterpillar depends directly on the type of feed that it prefers. If it is fatty food, the faces of the food moth will be thick. If the caterpillar stayed on the "diet", it will be very thin.

On a note!

Caterpillars feed on food moths only food. Damage to furniture or things not on its conscience. Therefore, those mistresses who saw the larvae in flour, can be calm for the contents of the cabinets. But preventive measures should be carried out regularly, since there is no guarantee that there is no other type of moth that eats up fur coats in the house.

Food moth

Those products in which it is easy to meet the food mole:

• Flour;
• Cereals;
• Dried fruits;
• Nuts;
• Pasta;
• Sunflower seeds;
• Candies;
• Biscuit.

Moths and its larvae, eating food, prefer products rich in carbohydrates.The jaws of the moth caterpillar can gnaw through even the hard shell of the grains. You can find out what a pest has settled in the closet by the following signs:

• Web in the croup;
• Tunnels filled with waste products of the larvae;
• Lumps in small grains and flour;
• Abandoned skins.

Interesting!

If you break the shell of a cocoon or lumps of grains, you can see what a moth larva looks like, curled up in a cocoon. Caterpillar food moth almost do not move, they are often found already only in the prepared dish.

Larvae can be found everywhere, where favorable conditions for development and suitable food. This insect has already spread all over the world, where it successfully eats products on various scales: in warehouses, in homes, in stores, in grain processing enterprises.

Clothes moth

Worm moth larvae look like food caterpillars, only it is impossible to find them in the kitchen. Only keratin-containing items are suitable for food. It can be fluff, hair, wool and feathers. In our homes, these insects feed on:

• Woolen clothes;
• Fur coats;
• Carpets;
• Felt products;
• Natural edge on collars;
• Feather or down pillows.

Clothes moth

• Holes in clothes;
• "Bald spots" in furs;
• The pellets are cocoons;
• Moves on carpets or upholstered furniture.

Important!

Even shoes can be eaten by moth larvae. Not all, but made of fur or felt. Insect devours felt boots and insoles of felt.

Clothes moth is not less common than food.

Reproduction and development

The insect has several stages of development, in the larva stage several moults pass before pupation. The period that the insect will spend in the larval stage depends on the surrounding conditions and the specific type of insect. It is known that the caterpillar of the food moth develops faster than the clothes one, because there are more substances useful for the caterpillars in their diet. Such a larva can develop in just 1-1.5 months. And the warmer the house, the faster the cycle will end. In the same conditions, a clothes moth requires at least 2-3 months to finally mature.

The larvae of the home moth are preferred to pupate in dark solitary places. Rare species for this purpose creep closer to the light. The pupa can reach 6-9 mm. The outer parts of the "skin" of the caterpillars harden and darken. The transformation into a butterfly takes place inside such a shell.

After 1-2 weeks of the cocoon is selected completely adult insect, living only up to 3 weeks. In this short time, she must meet a partner, find food suitable for posterity, and lay eggs.

Laying eggs are very small, even imperceptible, without additional devices. Their length is not more than half a millimeter. Most often it is white oval grains. In suitable conditions, after only 7 days, a transparent small caterpillar emerges from them. Eating and growing up, it darkens.

Moths and moth eggs

Lifestyle

Term development of caterpillars depends on environmental conditions. The clothes moth prefers a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees. Under these conditions, it will take 3 months to develop. If the temperature rises to 30 degrees, this period will be reduced to 2 months. If you maintain a temperature of 13 degrees in an apartment, the caterpillar will be forced to drag out its existence as much as 6 months 10 days.

If the temperature drops below 13 or exceeds 30, the caterpillars will die.

On a note!

The movement of the pest between human dwellings takes place with the help of man. Most likely, it is the caterpillars that are transferred, because butterflies are almost incapable of flying. The larvae are brought into the house with clothes, carpets, food.

Larvae feeding

The way the larvae look like moths does not affect food moth: although they are very small, they can eat a lot. In nature, moth eats feathers of birds in nests, animal hair, grain crops, berries, nuts, and vegetables.

To get into human housing for moths is the same as breaking a jackpot for a person, since the conditions here are incomparable with natural ones: a comfortable temperature is always maintained, there is always a lot of food. Therefore, on the shelves of our cabinets you can find a lot more larvae than they live in natural conditions.

Among the pests there are those who are not interested in clothing, furniture and food. Among such insects is wax moth, spoiling the honeycomb. And some species, settling in anthills, destroy the larvae of the owners of dwellings.

Very often insect species change their "specialization".This does not mean that the larvae of the food moth will begin to have a snack in the cupboard, but after spoiling all the rice, it is quite capable of switching to flour or cookies. Similarly, the clothes moth, the “charter” to chew a fur coat, is able to go to the carpet or to the shelf with woolen clothes. In particularly difficult times, a mole can even survive on semi-synthetic clothing. It is the omnivorous larvae that is the reason for their high survival rate. In order to preserve things and products, it is necessary as early as possible to begin to fight the pest that has appeared.

Mole in the house

The main enemy of things

Any natural fabric can be food larvae clothing moths. The older the thing, the more chances it will have for moths, because such fibers are easier to destroy with small jaws. One caterpillar eats relatively little, externally, you can not even notice the damage. But remembering that the butterfly lays no less than 100 eggs, one can imagine what damage the hordes of these larvae inflict.

Wrestling

Although outwardly the larva looks not too dangerous, fighting moths it is necessary to begin as soon as the first signs of its occurrence were noticed. Methods of dealing with it are quite simple and effective.

Clothes and furniture moths can be removed by processing furniture, carpets and clothing by chemical means sold in any hardware stores. After processing and maintaining a certain time, things must be washed and the furniture washed thoroughly.

The larvae cling tightly to their clothes, so even with the usual shaking they begin to fall. If things hang in the sun or frost, the caterpillars will die. Moth larvae should be fought like this:

1. Shake up all your clothes.
2. Warm up in the sun or wash at a temperature of 50 degrees.
3. Spray clothes and cabinets with insecticides.
4. Use flavored repellents to prevent insect re-colonization.

To deal with the food moth is somewhat more difficult. Chemistry of larvae can not be, because the poison gets into the products. It should be done such a set of activities:

• Throw away all the bags and packages inside which tracks are found;
• Kill all visible butterflies;
• Treat food storage areas with aerosols from flying insects;
• Wash cabinets with soapy water;
• Do not purchase a large stock of products.

Prevention

Avoiding contamination of things and products with moths is easier than getting rid of it.To do this, you need to wash all purchased items and carefully check all products. In the kitchen and wardrobes should be spread out the rind of lemons and oranges, hang sprigs of wormwood, sage, train.