Could it be moths?

I suspect not moths. The moth has evolved for its larvae to live on the protein in animal hair. Think about a dead sheep... there are tiny creatures that decompose and recycle all the flesh - and the wool. If nature had not come up with something to get rid of all those sheep fleeces (and other fur and feathers) then we would be wading around, waist deep in millenias of undecomposed wool and hair. So moths have their place in nature. I can't think why they would suddenly start eating cotton as it is chemically unrelated to fur, wool and feathers, not even made of protein.

I appear to have a moth infestation at present and I must have killed around 20 in the last couple of weeks. I also found one of my favourite T shirts with little holes in it. JessMmoths have always enjoyed a healthy meal gorging on cotton, I would prefer it not to be mine. I have put moth ball strips everywhere, I do not know if it is too little too late.

Me too Charleygirl I discovered that my little blighters have colonised the edges of my carpet and were moving onto my nice (tastey) hearth rug. Ugly though it is, a fly paper has caught many, many adults and moth spay has been deployed round the edges of the carpets. Fingers crossed......

I understood that Moths avoided Lavender, so packed the pockets of my coat with lavender from my garden... The pockets were eaten to nothing. Perhaps it was some other pest??

I kept on finding teeny holes in the fronts of nice t-shirts, it was ages before I realised that it was bleach. The tiny droplets when I cleaned the sink weren't bleaching the colour out, they were burning the fabric.

I do have a moth problem though, I had a lovely camel cashmere coat that suffered, and a few cashmere jumpers that are now sporting a spot of embroidery. I looked on Amazon and found some good old-fashioned (now banned apparently) naphthalene moth balls. They smell, but rather that than holes. When they run out, I think I shall spray my wardrobes with rentokill sprays on a regular basis. both the red and the blue, to get rid of flying and non-flying cycles.

You can still buy naphthalene mothballs online, janerowena. e-bay sells them.

Kybosh is very good at keeping moths at bay, made by Bayer, however the can does not mention clothes, another method of killing the horrors are sticking clothes in the freezer

I couldn't find any, Ana. I think the ones I found came from India. Not eco-friendly, but really work.

ebay naphthaline moth balls

They sell them in different sized packets.

Several years ago DS2 came back with a smart wool jacket, he out it in his fitted wardrobe and didn't wear it again. Fast forward, to clearing out the wardrobe a coupe of years, after he'd married and left home. The jacket was there, eaten to SHREDS! it was totally unbelievable!

We cleared the wardrobe completely. A few other things had a few small holes. we scrubbed the wardrobe, repainted it and put back things that were, synthetic or thoroughly cleaned.

I am now completely obsessed with banishing moths. I found some sticky pads that catch moths, have moth balls etc. and also found a spray in Wilkos. All members of the family are told to kill the blighters, on sight. But not to mark the walls!
Apparently we are in the hold of an epidemic. x

Thank you, Ana instead of a star!

Sadly catching the moths on a sticky strip is too late, they have fledged/hatched, you have to spray before that, to kill the pupae.

This has been an ongoing problem for at least 10 years, and I keep a few cans in case, the time of year they emerge varies, I suppose depending on the weather,

Freeze the monsters

Oh heck, I'd better go and check my "going to the races" coat, camel coloured and a wool/cashmere blend!

(The fact that it was only about £15 from the charity shop is neither here nor there, I don't want to, and cannot afford to, replace it!)

The Beggars are probably becoming immune to the usual moth prevention chemicals.

Do you think they have multiplied because of the very wet winter?

Charleygirl, we seem to be inundated with the little blighters as well. DH killed one on the bedroom curtain yesterday, but if left a mark!! I keep bashing them, but he found one in his wardrobe yesterday as well. Does anyone know where to buy the cedar balls?

Perhaps from a reputable cedar castrator?

Lakeland, Amazon, ebay - the world's your lobster when it comes to cedar balls, rosequartz!

Or even "Wilkinsons", heck of a lot cheaper.
Marvellous store for things that you maybe think you can"t get anymore !!!!

"PHO", you had better get crackin" as Ebor is on in a month !

Still you can always view from the comfort of your favourite armchair , as we will be doing !!

Ah, Wilko's, will try them, Lakeland is too far away.

Thank you

phoenix Good one!

I believe there are many cedar herds roaming North Devon.

Ooh, not far away, will go with my scalpel.