-i!-:..!î;asssaïî'f'SïB'ï: (iJuLlic.r ^rollis ami (larpcL What Larvae and 13(^^1.1<'S . HOW TO COMBAT THEM Adulfs Look Like

Where I Are Like

Good H as Conti

PestprooMîiï Yci- Woolens with EQ-ä3

HOME AM) (JARDEIV BLIJJ'.TIA No. 24

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURI THIS BULLETIN was prepared by the Division of Stored Product Investigations, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural Research Administration. It brings up to date in- formation in Leaflet 145, Clothes , and Leaflet 150, Carpet Beetles, both by E. A. Back, and supersedes those publications.

Washington, D. C. Issued April 1953

SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF DISCUSSED Webbing clothes bisselliella Casemaking Carpet beetle Anthrenus scrophulariae Furniture carpet beetle Anthrenus flavipes Varied carpet beetle Anthrenus verhasci Black carpet beetle Attagenus piceus Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles . HOW TO COMBAT THEM

Clothes moths are well recognized as heads. The adult moths are yellowish or fabric pests. Housewives throughout the buff, and have a wing spread of about country are on guard against them. The 1/2 inch. fact that they cause widespread damage The larvae of the carpet beetle, the is due more to weaknesses in control furniture carpet beetle, and the varied measures than to lack of awareness of the carpet beetle are elongate-oval in shape, need for control. are never more than 1/4 inch long, and Not so well known as clothes moths, have brownish or black bristles that give but just as destructive to fabrics, are them a fuzzy appearance. The full-grown carpet beetles, or "buffalo moths." Car- larvae change into small beetles mottled pet beetles are more abundant than with white, yellow, brown, or black. clothes moths in some localities, and The black carpet beetle is easily dis- damage that they do is often blamed on tinguished from the other three . clothes moths. The larvae are yellowish, golden, or dark The larvae of clothes moths and car- brown ; they may get to be 1 /2 inch long ; pet beetles damage fabrics by feeding on the slender bodies are tapered from the them. They feed on anything that con- head to the end of the body, where there tains wool or other fibers. The is a tuft of long brown hairs. The adult adult moths and beetles do no damage. beetles have solid black bodies and Estimates of the damage caused each brownish legs. year by clothes moths and carpet beetles The illustrations on page 5, which are in the United States range from $200 in natural color, will help you identify million to $500 million. clothes moths and carpet beetles in your home. What they look like Two species of clothes moths and four Stages of development species of carpet beetles commonly infest homes. Clothes moths and carpet beetles pass The webbing clothes moth and the through four stages of development- casemaking clothes moth look much egg, , , and adult. alike. The full-grown larvae are about The female moths and beetles lay soft, 1/2 inch long, and are practically hair- white eggs in the nap of clothing, in the less; they are white, except for the dark pile of upholstering, in cracks, and in other concealed places. A moth lays from air ducts of heating systems, on closet 100 to 300 eggs, which hatch in 4 to 8 shelves, or in dresser drawers. days in summer. A beetle lays about 100 Adult clothes moths prefer darkness, eggs, which hatch in 8 to 15 days in and do not flit about lights; but they summer. Hatching takes longer in cool may be seen flying lazily in darkened weather. corners, or at the edge of a circle of Under conditions normally existing in illumination. When clothing or other homes, the black carpet beetle has one objects on which they are resting are generation a year ; the other carpet beetles suddenly moved, the moths run or fly to and the clothes moths have two, three, conceal themselves. or four generations a year. Adult carpet beetles fly readily, are As the carpet beetle larvae grow, they attracted to daylight, and are sometimes shed their skins, or molt, several times. found on window sills. They like sun- light, and in the spring large numbers are Food and habits outdoors feeding on the pollen of flowers. As soon as they are hatched, the larvae begin eating. They feed on wool, mohair, How infestations begin hair, bristles, fur, feathers, and down. Thus they attack clothing and a wide In urban areas some infestations are range of household furnishings, includ- started by adult carpet beetles or clothes ing blankets, comforters, rugs, carpets, moths that fly from house to house. An drapes, pillows, hair mattresses, brushes, infestation is more likely to be started upholstery, and hair padding in uphol- in this way by beetles than by moths. stered furniture. The insects are sometimes carried into They also feed on organic matter- homes on articles containing wool or hair that falls from pets, lint, and dead other animal fibers. Most commonly these insects—that collects in places infre- articles are secondhand clothing, up- quently cleaned. holstered furniture, and house furnish- Besides feeding on all these materials, ings. black carpet beetle larvae feed on grain Carpet beetles breed and feed not only products. in homes but also outdoors, in such Clothes moth larvae usually stay on places as bird and rodent nests, and the their food material. A webbing clothes adults sometimes enter homes from these moth larva spins a silken webbing to places. form a feeding tube, which is attached Carpet beetle larvae may crawl from to the food material. A casemaking one room to another. If a hall carpet clothes moth larva spins a protective in an apartment house becomes infested, case, which it drags about. it is almost certain that some of the larvae Carpet beetle larvae, which do not will crawl from the hall into rooms that spin webbing, are more active, crawling open onto it. from place to place. You may find them The practice of exchanging woolen on cotton goods or other things on which scraps for use in making rugs accounts they do not feed. They often live behind for some infestations. When such scraps baseboards and moldings, in cracks in the have lain unprotected for long periods, floor, in corners, behind radiators, in the they may become infested. FABRIC

4 BLACK CARPirr BEETLE ./, Larva; fe. pupa; c, adult. Batk- ground shov.s damagt- to fabric.

■4 WEBBINCi CLO'l HES MOTH ,/. Lar%a and iilken fffding tube; h, cocoon; r. cocoon with cai>t pupal bkin protruding; a. adult. Background shows typical clipping <>t nap.

All insects about six times natural si?e. ) CONTROL AND PREVENTION

To control clothes moths and carpet Corners, cracks, baseboards, moldings, beetles, and to prevent them from dam- and other hard-to-reach places. aging fabrics, do these things: Vacuum-cleaning is the best way to (1) Practice good housekeeping con- remove lint and hair from hard-to-reach stantly. places. Use the radiator-cleaning attach- (2) Protect clothing and household ment of the cleaner. furnishings from insect-feeding damage. To clean rugs, carpets, drapes, and (3) Kill insects living in the struc- upholstered furniture, use the vacuum ture of the home, principally by surface cleaner or a brush. spraying. Clean rugs and carpets thoroughly and If your home is now free of infesta- frequently, and rotate them occasionally. tion, you can keep it that way by closely Rotation is important because insects following the first two of these lines of usually feed under heavy pieces of furni- effort; but to eliminate an infestation, ture, where cleaning is inconvenient, you must follow all three. rather than in the open, where regular If you must cope with a heavy or cleaning, light, and movement of people widespread infestation, you will do well keep down infestation. to obtain the services of a reputable After vacuum-cleaning, dispose of the -control firm. Such a firm has the sweepings promptly. They may contain equipment, materials, and experience larvae, eggs, or adult insects. If you leave necessary to handle a difficult control job. sweepings in the cleaner, you may trans- fer an infestation from one place in the Good housekeeping home to another. Woolen scraps or garments that lie for Certain elements of good housekeep- long periods on shelves, or in corners, ing have a specific bearing on control of boxes, or drawers, are often a source of fabric pests in the home. infestation. Store these things properly In cleaning, do a thorough job of re- or, if you do not want them, get rid of moving organic matter on which larvae them. feed. Besides depriving larvae of some of their food supply, you may, at the same time, remove insects and their eggs. Protective measures Clean often enough to prevent lint and hair from accumulating. Give close atten- There are a number of things you can tion to— do to protect fabrics and furs against Rugs and carpets ; insect-feeding damage. Some measures, Drapes and upholstered furniture ; such as dry-cleaning and the use of Closets, especially those in which crystals and flakes, kill the insects. Others woolens and furs are kept; do not; they keep the insects away or Radiators, and the surfaces behind cause fabrics to be resistant to insect them ; feeding. Clothing and Blankets (3) Pour EQ-53 into the first rinse water at the rate of 1 tablespoonful for EQ-53 FOR WASHABLE WOOLENS each pound of dry woolens. Washable woolens are protected from (4) Soak woolens a few minutes, then insect damage when washed or rinsed in stir 3 to 5 minutes with a paddle or by water containing a few spoonfuls of hand. EQ-53, a product developed at the (5) Follow with the normal rinsing Savannah, Ga., laboratory of the Bureau and drying. of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. // you use a washing machine— EQ-53, which is sold under different (1) Weigh dry woolens or estimate trade names, is an emulsifiable concen- weight. trate in which the active ingredient is (2) Put woolens, water, and soap in the DDT. There are two other the tub, as if preparing for washing in ingredients—a solvent and an emulsifying the usual way. agent. Wool immersed in water contain- (3) Pour in EQ-53 at the rate of 1 ing EQ-53 picks up DDT, which remains tablespoonful for each pound of dry after the wool dries and gives protection woolens. against insect feeding. (4) Wash, rinse, and dry in the usual With this product the housewife can way. pestproof washable woolens, such as To apply EQ-53 to clean woolens, blankets, sweaters, scarves, or socks, at follow the same directions but, instead the same time that she washes them. The of washing the woolens, merely rinse procedure is especially convenient in the them; do not use soap. spring, when woolens are being prepared Your woolens will be free of any odor for summer storage, but it can be used of EQ-53 after they are dried. any time. Woolens shrink and become matted if Stored washable woolens treated the improperly washed. When treating wool- EQ-53 way are protected against the ens with EQ-53, follow proper washing feeding of the larvae of clothes moths procedures. Use lukewarm water and a and carpet beetles for a year or more. mild soap or detergent. EQ-53 itself does Where woolens are put in use after a not affect shrinking or matting. treatment, rather than stored, they are PRECAUTIONS-If EQ-53, or water protected for a season unless they are containing it, gets on the skin, the solvent washed or dry-cleaned. Washing may re- may cause irritation. To prevent skin duce the insecticide below an effective irritation: If EQ-53 is spilled on the skin, level, and dry-cleaning removes it. wash it off promptly with soap and The unique advantage of EQ-53 is that water; wash hands with soap and water it permits pestproofing to be combined after handling wet, treated woolens; with washing, but it can also be used to wear rubber gloves if you put your hands pestproof clean woolens, if they are wash- in water containing EQ-53. able. To apply it to soiled woolens, fol- To avoid irritation to infants' skin: low these directions: Treat an infant's sweater, blanket, or //' you wash woolens by hand— other woolen article only if it is to be (1) Weigh dry woolens or estimate stored. Before putting it in use, dry- weight. clean it. (2) Wash woolens in the usual way. After using EQ-53 in a washing ma- chine, drain the wash water from the moved from the fabric by washing but machine without undue delay. Rubber will withstand several dry-cleanings be- agitators may be injured by long contact fore they are reduced to an ineffective with the solvent. level.

DDT OIL SOLUTIONS PARADICHLOROBENZENE AND You can protect woolens against feed- ing damage by spraying them with a You can protect stored woolens by 5-percent DDT oil solution. Woolens in putting paradichlorobenzene crystals, or storage are protected for several years naphthalene flakes or balls, in the con- by this method ; those in use are protected tainer or closet in which they are stored. for a season if not washed or dry-cleaned. As these chemicals evaporate, they pro- A simple way to prepare woolens for duce a vapor. To be effective, the vapor spraying is to hang them on a clothesline. must be in a concentration sufficient to Apply the DDT spray lightly and uni- kill insects. The proper concentration formly until the surface is moist. Do not kills both clothes moths and carpet soak or saturate the woolens. When too beetles. The mere odor of paradichloro- much spray is applied, the excess shows benzene or naphthalene does not repel up as a white deposit after the spray dries. insects and is no indication that there is A slight excess deposit can be removed enough vapor to kill them. by light brushing. A heavier deposit may Much depends on whether the con- require washing or dry-cleaning ; the pro- tainer or closet will hold the vapor. The tection is lost with the removal of the container, which may be a trunk, chest, DDT. box, or garment bag, should be airtight. Allow treated woolens to dry before If you store the woolens in a closet with- storing them. out first placing them in individual con- tainers, see that the closet is tightly FLUORIDE SOLUTIONS closed. If there are cracks around the Spraying woolens with a commercial door, seal them with tape or fit the door fabric-treatment solution containing fluo- with gaskets; if there are cracks in the ride is another way to protect them interior walls, floor, or ceiling, close against the feeding of the larvae of them with putty or plastic wood. Pro- clothes moths and carpet beetles. tection is lost if the closet door is opened Before spraying, be sure the woolen frequently. Even in a tight closet that is articles are clean and free from stains. kept closed, it takes several days for the Apply the spray freely until the surface vapor to build up to an effective level. is uniformly moist. When the articles are Effectiveness is greatly increased if a dry they are ready for use or for storage. closet is used for storage only. Fluoride solutions are for treating In a trunk-size container use 1 pound woolens, not for spraying on walls or of crystals, flakes, or balls. Scatter them floors. Their purpose is to protect the between layers of garments or blankets. woolens against feeding damage, not to In a closet use 1 pound to each 100 kill insects. cubic feet of space. The vapors are Treated woolens in storage will be pro- heavier than air. The crystals, flakes, or tected a year or more; those in use a balls should therefore be placed in a year, unless washed. The fluorides are re- shallow container on a shelf, or sus-

8 pended from a clothes rod or hook in a light, larvae missed in the brushing will thin cloth bag or perforated container. fall to the ground from clothing left Clothes moths or carpet beetles in a hanging in the sun. closet can be quickly killed by vaporizing paradichlorobenzene crystals with a Rugs and Carpets vacuum cleaner. A special attachment is provided for this purpose. Spray a 5-percent DDT oil solution on rugs and carpets every 12 to 18 months. CEDAR CHESTS Use 114 to 2 quarts of spray on a 9-by-12 Cedar chests make good pestproof con- rug of average weight, if you spray the tainers primarily because of their tight entire rug. construction. They should be made of red Fluoride solutions are also satisfactory cedar {Juniperus Virginia). At least 70 for protecting rugs and carpets. Follow percent of the chest proper should be the manufacturer's directions for apply- made with 3/4-inch heartwood. They ing. may be veneered on the outside with Give special attention to parts of the hardwoods, such as walnut or mahogany, rug that will be under a piano, sofa, book- without affecting the pestproofing value. case, or other heavy furniture, and to The cedar-oil vapor kills small larvae but parts that will be under radiators or is not effective against larger ones. There- around heat registers. If there is a rug fore make sure that woolens are free of pad containing animal hair or wool, and larvae when stored. it has not been treated by the manufac- Treat cedar chests that are several years turer, spray it on both sides. old as you would any other container in In spraying wall-to-wall carpeting, which you store articles susceptible to in- give special attention to the edges, all the sect damage. Scatter crystals, flakes, or way around. balls between layers of the stored articles. If you have expensive broadlooms or OTHER PRACTICES oriental rugs, and fear that lack of ex- Woolens can be protected from feed- perience in spraying may cause you to ing damage by wrapping them in paper mar their appearance or otherwise injure or sealing them in a cardboard box. Be- them, it is advisable to call on a pest- fore wrapping or sealing, be sure the control or carpet-cleaning firm that is woolens are not infested. In making a experienced in treating rugs and carpets. paper bundle, carefully fold back and Commercial rug cleaning destroys lar- seal the edges of the paper. vae, eggs, and adult insects in rugs and Dry-cleaning kills all stages of clothes carpets but prevents reinfestation only if moths and carpet beetles but givts no a special treatment is given for this pur- protection against reinfestation. Protec- pose. tive treatments are applied by many clean- Rugs and carpets are protected against ing establishments and pest-control firms. insect feeding when placed in commer- You can rid woolen articles of insects, cial storage. In home storage they may and their eggs and larvae, by brushing be protected by spraying with DDT oil and sunning them. Brush thoroughly, solutions or fluoride solutions or by using especially in seams, folds, and pockets. paradichlorobenzene crystals or naphtha- If they cannot find protection from the lene flakes. Household Furnishings insects that crawl over it. Thus it may kill insects before they have a chance to To protect furniture upholstering and damage fabrics, and may prevent them drapes containing wool or mohair, spray from becoming established in your home. them with a 5-percent DDT oil solution For continuous control and prevention, or a fluoride solution. spray surfaces once or twice a year. The DDT spray helps prevent infesta- Contact spraying, the purpose of which tion in the down in pillows or in the hair is to kill insects by direct application, padding of furniture or mattresses. Apply does not always giwe full control. Moths it to the outside of the articles. and beetles hit by the spray are killed, To protect the felts and hammers in but they may be only a small part of the pianos, carefully apply a 5-percent DDT total infestation. Many may be in pro- oil solution or a 10-percent DDT dust. tected places where you cannot reach These parts in some pianos have been them with a spray. given a protective treatment by the manu- facturer. If they have to be replaced, try SELECTING AN INSECTICIDE to get treated replacements. Select an insecticide that is effective If you fear that you may apply in- as a surface spray. secticide improperly to a piano or to A 5-percent DDT oil solution, used expensive drapes and furniture, you may as a surface spray, kills clothes moths but wish to call in a pest-control operator. not carpet beetles. It kills both moths and beetles if it hits them. Furs A household spray containing 2 per- If you store furs at home through the cent of or I/2 percent of lin- summer, protect them with crystals, dane is effective against both clothes flakes, or balls in a tight container. moths and carpet beetles, whether used We do not recommend applying pro- as a surface or as a contact spray. tective sprays on furs. Hence use DDT only if you are sure Furs in commercial storage receive pro- that your problem is the control of clothes fessional care and can be insured against moths alone. If you have an infestation damage. of carpet beetles, or are not sure which insect it is that requires control, use chlor- dane or lindane. Killing insects in structure of home APPLYING THE SPRAY Apply the insecticide with a household Surface Sprays sprayer that produces a continuous coarse Surface spraying is the chief means by mist. which insects living in the structure of Satisfactory surface treatments can be the home are eliminated. It also has pro- applied with pressure sprayers that look tective value. like aerosol dispensers but produce a The insecticide is applied to surfaces coarse spray. These liquefied-gas surface where larvae and adult insects are likely sprayers are distinguished from aerosol to crawl. When the spray dries, a thin dispensers by their labels, which show deposit of insecticide remains. For sev- that they are for use in spraying surfaces. eral weeks or months the deposit kills Places to spray: Along the edge of

10 sweater, blanket, or other woolen article Precautions only if it is to be stored. Before putting it in use, dry-clean it. IN GENERAL. — Most are OIL-BASE INSECTICIDES.—DO not spray poisonous to people and to . . . . oil-base insecticides near open flames, Keep insecticides where children and pets sparks, or electrical circuits. . . . Do not cannot reach them. . . . When apply- spray them on , rayon, or other fabrics ing them, do not contaminate food, that stain easily. ... Do not spray dishes, or kitchen utensils. Do not stote them on asphalt-tile floors, because they them with food. ... Do not breathe will dissolve the asphalt. . . . They will too much of the spray mist or the dust. also soften and discolor some linoleums ... If insecticide is spilled on the skin, and certain plastic materials ; if in doubt wash it off promptly. . . . Change your about spraying such a surface, test the clothes if you spill insecticide on them. spray on a small inconspicuous place. . . . Keep children and pets off sprayed ... If you apply one of these insecti- surfaces that have not dried. . . . When cides to the cracks in a parquet floor, you have finished applying an insecticide, apply it lightly ; an excessive amount will empty unused material into the original dissolve the underlying black cement, container, clean the sprayer or duster, and the dissolved cement will stain the and wash all exposed surfaces of the floor. body with soap and water. WEIGHT ON DAMP FURNISHINGS.—Do CHLORDANE AND LINDANE.—Do not not put any weight or pressure on sprayed apply chlordane or lindane to rugs or rugs, carpets, or upholstered furniture carpets (except along the edge of wall- (as by walking, sitting, or pressing with to-wall carpets), clothing, blankets, or the hand) until the spray has dried. furniture; and do not use it for over-all Doing so gives the damp pile a mashed- spraying of the interior of rooms. down appearance, which persists for sev- DDT.-Spray DDT on an infant's eral days.

wall-to-wall carpets ; closets ; behind radi- Aerosols ators; and corners, cracks, baseboards, moldings, and other hard-to-clean places. An aerosol is a spray in the form of a These are places where insects may be fine mist that floats in the air for a time. living. If you cannot reach some of them, It is applied by releasing it from the metal apply the insecticide as close to them as dispenser in which it is purchased. possible, so that carpet beetles (larvae An aerosol in a clothes closet kills fly- or adults) will crawl over it as they ing clothes moths; it also kills clothes emerge from hiding. moth larvae that happen to be exposed Take the clothing out of closets and to the mist. It does not moisten surfaces apply the insecticide to corners, to cracks as coarse mist sprays do; hence it does in the floor and walls, along baseboards, not give lasting protection. around shelves, and at the ends of clothes Few aerosols are strong enough to be rods. effective against carpet beetles.

11 Aerosol dispensers should not be con- attics or basements where there are nu- fused with the liquefied-gas sprayers merous cracks in which carpet beetle lar- mentioned in the discussion of surface vae can live. spraying. Fumigation Insecticidal Dusts Before present control methods were You may find carpet beetle larvae in developed, fumigation of an entire house floor cracks, especially under rugs. The was a common method of controlling blocks of parquet floors tend to separate carpet beetles. Clothing and furnishings slightly, leaving a checkerboard of cracks. were left in the house during the fumi- These cracks, with their accumulations gation. This method, which is expensive of lint, dust, and bits of hair, are places and requires vacating the house, is sel- in which black carpet beetle larvae can dom used today to meet ordinary control thrive. problems. Moreover fumigation is dan- Getting spray into numerous floor gerous. In some localities it is subject to cracks is a tedious task. You may prefer legal restrictions. As a general rule, fumi- to use a 10-percent DDT dust. If there gation should be done only by profes- is a rug, take it up; then sprinkle the sional pest-control operators. dust on the floor, brush or sweep it into Fumigation gives quick and satisfac- the cracks, and put the rug back in place. tory control, but there is no assurance You may use a dust gun to blow DDT that it will kill all the beetles in a house, dust into cracks behind moldings or base- and it does not prevent reinfestation. boards and into other places that are Although fumigation of an entire difficult or impossible to reach with a house is seldom necessary, the best action surface spray. to take against clothes moths or carpet You may use a 5-percent chlordane or beetles living in the down in pillows, or 1-percent lindane dust, but apply it only in the hair padding of furniture or mat- to cracks around the edge of a room, or tresses, is to have the infested article under rugs. There are indications that treated with hydrocyanic acid gas in a chlordane and lindane are more effective fumigation vault. This fumigation serv- against carpet beetle larvae than DDT, ice is provided by many pest-control and but they should not be applied through- storage firms. The treatment kills the out a room (see precautions, p. 11). insects, but it does not prevent reinfes- Applying a dust is an easy way to treat tation.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D.C. Price 15 cents.

>r U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1953 247575