What does the moth eat and why does it feed on clothes? What feeds, how it multiplies and how much a mole lives

For sure, each of you understands that the appearance of moths does not promise anything good. This small flying parasite causes irreparable harm to products and clothes. From this article you will learn what a moth eats.

What is this pest?

The ordinary mole looks like a comparatively small and quite harmless butterfly. However, in addition to adults, there are also larvae, which are consumers of keratin, easily extracted from woolen fibers, carpet nap and fur fur. After them, there remain the products of life, clogging "places of the past lunch."

Of course, no one person is able to completely destroy the carpet or fur coat, but the thing will still be spoiled, since it will have several rather large holes. Those who study that a moth eats are sure that in one day each individual is able to thoroughly pierce a woolen or half-woolen product.

The main types of insects

Modern biologists know about forty families of ordinary moths. And some of them live in our latitudes. The most voracious, and therefore dangerous for human housing are:

• Furniture moth, eating upholstery materials. This species often lives in natural wood.
• Clothes moth. This insect harms woolen products.
• Cereal moth, which lives in the kitchens and eats all sorts of cereals.

Features of reproduction

An insect that has found itself in a residential building or has occupied crops, begins to actively breed. This process takes place in four stages. First, the female lays eggs. They can be collected in one place or scattered over the entire area of the site, which will later be occupied by parasites.

Those who do not know what a moth eats, will be interested that during the development and growth of caterpillars the previous generation of pests gradually dies out. This is what explains the noticeable decrease in the number of flying butterflies.

Actively feeding larvae begin to increase in size. A well-fed individual pupates and spends about two months in his cocoon. At the end of this period, a moth appears, resembling a chaotically flying butterfly.

If the eggs are deposited in the early autumn, then the larvae must spend the winter in woven cocoons. Individuals who find themselves inside living quarters continue to eat intensively, and all the others fall into hibernation before the arrival of spring. It should be noted that not all varieties of flying parasites can withstand the winter frosts. With the onset of heat, butterflies appear from the cocoons, which in turn begin to reproduce the offspring.

Cotton moth

Scientists disagree about the homeland of this insect. Some believe that this is Australia, others - India, the third - China. The saboteur introduced into Egypt turned into a real disaster for the inhabitants of the country. The thing is that this moth is eating cotton. It began to rage on the plantations, where valuable long-fiber varieties grew. From India and Egypt, it moved to Japan, Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Greece and South America. And everywhere, where this pest appeared, people had to bear colossal losses of harvest.

The complexity of combating this variety of moths and the rapid rate of its spread across the territory of countries engaged in the cultivation of cotton is due to its biological characteristics. The main difficulty is that the caterpillar is able to hibernate inside the boxes that are left on the field. They in large quantities penetrate the storage of seed, fiber and raw materials. In winter, the caterpillars are in a state of diapause. Therefore, they fairly tolerate the effects of pesticides, as well as high and low temperatures. The duration of such a condition is up to two and a half years.

Cabbage moth

This is one of the most common pests, combating which takes a lot of time and effort. The main danger is not the adults, but the larvae. Such a moth eats cabbage. This native of Southern Europe adapted well to the harsh Russian winters. Due to its color (from light gray to brown color), it is often mistaken for ordinary dirt.

Most often she settles on cabbage, but does not disdain and other cultures from the family of cruciferous. She liked plants such as mustard, rapeseed, radish and radish. Large vegetables are inhabited by whole pest families. First they destroy the top layers of leaves, then switch to buds and buds. They pose a particular threat for the late varieties of cabbage, which are planted in the open ground.

What is dangerous food mol?

If you eat this pest, you will find out later. It's sad that this insect can start even in the most sterile kitchen. He is comfortable in conditions of insufficient ventilation and high humidity. The food moth often settles in a variety of cereals and pasta. Also it can be seen in seeds, nuts, coffee, tea, flour, dried herbs and baby food. Therefore, those who believe that this moth is eating wool is deeply mistaken.

This hardy and very hardy pest can tolerate severe frosts. He loves to hide in secluded corners. Often the moth is hammered under the wallpaper, in the skirtings or in the cracks. An excellent environment for their habitat is the place of a large accumulation of dust. In the dwelling, the food moth gets along with the groats bought in the store. Therefore, before purchasing a package, you need to make sure it's integrity. The package delivered home should be checked for the presence of larvae.

Those who have already realized that a moth eats, it must be understood that in the process of development of an insect in the grain there remains a large number of dead larvae, skins and feces. All this makes the cereal unsuitable for further use. It is better to throw such a product into a garbage disposal.

To avoid the occurrence of moths, you need to clean the kitchen regularly, paying special attention to the cupboards in which dried fruits, cereals and bulk products are stored. The shelves can be treated with a soap solution and wiped with a clean damp cloth.