The Moth Guide

Wool and especially Merino wool is an amazing, natural material. Outside of its excellent temperature regulating abilities, it has spent a good few evolutionary cycles learning how to look after itself. This means Merino wool knitwear will naturally resist stains, wrinkles and odours.

However, wool and moths have a troubled history. Especially in warmer months when the moths get greedy. The good news is that there is a way to prevent moths from nibbling on your favourite knitwear. Just follow the strategy below:

Step 1: Know your opponent.

Only two moth species will damage your clothes: The casemaking clothes moth (Tinea pellionella) and the webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella). They start getting hungry around Spring time and are most active till Autumn. Moth larvae feed on keratin — a protein found in natural fibres, like wool. However, they are mainly attracted to unwashed items that contain lingering body oils or food residue.

Moths hate light and movement and also don’t like cotton, so storing knitwear in a cotton bag, like our recycled cotton storage one, will have them think twice about entertaining a nibble.

Step 2: Take Action

1. Gently rinse your knit to remove any (invisible) skin, bodily remnants or food and drink residue.
2. Place your knit in a sealable cotton bag, like the Sheep Inc. recycled cotton one, with the cotton being a great natural deterrent.
3. Add sachets containing dried lavender and cedar discs to the bag. We advise against using mothballs. As they are a pesticide and therefore can be harmful.
4. For an extra layer of protection, you can place the cotton bag containing your knit, inside an airtight, ziplock type bag.
5. Moths hate light and movement, so keep your closet open, air it out regularly, and move clothes around every now and then.

Step 3: If you have already been attacked.

The main concern is the larvae… so if you see an adult moth inside any of bags or near your knits you should:

1. Freeze your knit by placing it inside a a sealed bag and into the refrigerator for up to 72 hours to kill the larvae.
2. Take the actions in Step 2.

We also recommended cleaning any knitwear you might not wear over the warmer months, before the season really hits.

We hope this guide is useful to protect not only your Sheep Inc. knit but all garments you own made from animal fibres.

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Sheep Inc.