Clothes moth wasps

Description

Clothes moths occur world wide and have a reputation for causing damage to fabrics and materials including furniture and clothing in the home. They thrive in warm, humid conditions.  Trichogramma wasps are able to attack the egg stage thereby breaking the life cycle. Trichogramma are incredibly small and very difficult to see without the aid of a microscope.

When to release

Release Trichogramma wasps at the first hint of clothes moth activity.  These tiny wasps are able to seek out moth eggs into which they can deposit their own eggs. Monthly releases of Trichogramma are recommended until there is no further evidence of clothes moth activity.

How many to release

Release rates are difficult to recommend and will vary with the level of clothes moth activity. As a guide release one cup of Trichogramma wasps for each 1-2 square metres of clothing storage space or 5 square metres of floor area.  For treatment of large areas or severe infestations we supply a sheet of 60 release cards, each containing 1,000 wasps.

How to release

Trichogramma wasps are supplied as a pack of 5 paper cups containing 12,000 wasps (2,400 wasps per cup) or as an A4 sheet with 60 cells each containing 1,000 wasps.  We send them as parasitised eggs and they should emerge as adult wasps within a day or two after arrival. Simply remove the lid of paper cups (or distribute perforated cells from a sheet) to allow wasps to emerge.

Other strategies

Storing clothing that will not be used for some time in ziplock sealed plastic bags soon after washing or dry cleaning can reduce the risk of an infestation.  Using a vacuum cleaner to remove moths and larvae from furniture is also recommended.  Clothes suspected of moth activity  can be placed into a freezer for 3-4 days to kill the pests.

Clothes moths are less active under cool and dry environmental conditions.

Chemical use

Many chemical products are highly toxic to Trichogramma wasps.  We strongly suggest that you avoid pesticides in and around your home.