The moth

The world of wool lovers is divided into two: those who have already had an immediate encounter with the Moth, and the innocents who don't (yet) know what it is.

Clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella) are a species of moth whose larvae feed on keratin and therefore love to chew on our wool and silk, among other natural materials. Moths are our mortal enemies.

With the arrival of warmer weather, which is conducive to the hatching and multiplication of this friend of ours, we thought we'd talk a bit about the precautions you can take, as well as what to do when you come across them.

Around here, we believe that there are no means of “gentle intimidation”, such as placing horse chestnuts or cedar in the middle of the wool, that will truly prevent the moth from feeding on your favorite garment (and they will always choose your most beloved wool, because they're that mischievous).

Our friend, the moth, caught red-handed eating a bag of mohair in 2021.

The only solutions, on a scale like ours and without involving insecticides or other heavy weapons, are Surveillance and Maintenance.
Here are some tips that have worked for us:

1. Check that the wool that enters your space has no signs of moths (cocoons, etc.), to ensure that there are no surprises.

2. Store the wool in transparent airtight bags. Airtight to avoid insect entry/exit and thus cross-contamination. Transparent because they allow light in (which moths don't like) and allow us to easily check what's going on inside the bag.

3. Check stored materials regularly. Moths invariably thrive in quiet, dark places. That's why the big trick is not to leave your possessions forgotten for too long.

A felted piece by Ana Rita that was attacked by moths while it was being stored in her studio. This piece has been frozen and washed to eliminate contamination.

What should we do if we find contaminated items? Eliminate all traces of the insect (moths, larvae and eggs).
If the material isn't too badly affected, or if it's a cherished and/or valuable piece (like the Ana Rita de Arruda piece you can see in the picture), our advice is to freeze the piece or put it in a very hot place to ensure that all traces are eliminated. After that, the piece will have to be washed.
If it's not valuable material and it's heavily contaminated, it's often preferable to discard it and prevent the infestation from spreading.

The truth is that anyone who works in the world of wool is unlikely to be faced with a moth or two, so you'll want to learn how to deal with them!