Scientific name; Tinea pellionella also known as case-bearing clothes moth or ”bagworm”.
It eats mainly fibrous keratin, such as hairs and feathers. It can become a pest when it feeds on carpets, furs, upholstery, and woolen fabrics. It also consumes detritus, cobwebs, bird nests (particularly of the domestic pigeon), stored vegetable produce and wallpaper. It stays inside a snug case it constructs from debris such as fibers and hairs.
Normally found in risers due to presence of cobwebs and natural fibers around the area.
To prevent case-bearing clothes moth from coming back, these are some measures one can take:
- Keep floors, carpets, and moldings vacuumed and dusted
- Keep clothes and belongings washed before you store them away for long periods of time.
- Brush any clothes made of wool or fur after wearing them outside. Moth eggs can easily infiltrate your closet by affixing themselves to these materials, so scraping them off regularly can help keep any moth larvae from getting inside.
- Use moth balls as repellant for the larvae.