One of the most aggravating thing about insects is that they eat just about anything. For example, insects can survive on wood, pollen, nectar, and even things like leaves. Along with this, you also add fabric to the list. What we are talking about here are clothes eating insects.

The reason why some insects eat clothing is largely due to the presence of keratin or starch. The protein keratin is found in natural materials like wool, silk and leather. However, clothes eating insects are also attracted to other things that are found on human garments. This includes things like sweat, dead skin cells, and other organic materials.

Common types of insects that feed on clothing fabric

So, what insects should you watch out for when it comes to your clothing? By far the biggest culprit here are clothes moths. These pests get into wardrobes then lay their eggs. These eggs then hatch into larvae and it’s these larvae that feed on keratin.

Then you have the carpet beetle. These small pests come in two varieties. You have the black carpet beetle and the common carpet beetle. These pests are around 3mm long and lay their eggs on things like fabrics and furniture. They may also lay eggs deep inside cracks and crevices. Once these hatch out, the larvae emerge and begin eating not only carpets, but clothing too.

Surprising clothes eating insects found in the home

Other clothes eating insects include, believe it or not, cockroaches. These pests are not ordinarily associated with the destruction of clothing. The problem is that cockroaches will eat literally anything, even faeces. What this means is that when there’s no other food around, they will happily start on your clothes.

Then there are silverfish. These insects mainly consume items with a high starch content, which, among other things can include textiles. Most people think of silverfish in the bath, or eating paper items, but did you know that they also have a penchant for silks, cotton and other fabrics. Silverfish are also attracted to the bodily fluids, perspiration or food stains that can be found on natural fibre garments. Like moth larvae, they can leave holes in your clothes.

Although these are fairly unusual insects in the UK, crickets are also known to be attracted by clothing. These pests do not strictly eat the clothing itself. Instead, they are attracted by the dirt from your body and will also feed on food that has stained clothing. Funnily enough, these pests are also known to enjoy eating laundry starch. The way these pests destroy clothing is by damaging the fibres during feeding. This eventually causes holes and other damage.