Fabric Pests

Fabric-destroying insects cause losses in commercial fabric and garment manufacturing or storage operations. Materials that are readily infested are wool carpet, sweaters, coats, upholstery, rugs, blankets, furs, hair, leather, feathers, horns, insect and animal collections, dead rodent carcasses (hair, nails), and stored foods (meat, fish, meal, and dried milk products). dead rodent carcass (hair, nails)

Insect pests of fabrics are troublesome because of their ability to digest and use a natural protein called “keratin” as an energy source. Keratin is the main component of human tissues (hair, fingernails, and skin) and mammals (horns, hooves, and feathers). The ability to digest keratin, combined with the widespread use of wool and other vertebrate animal hair, is the basis of fabric pest problems.

Fabric pests are naturally occurring outdoors and enter houses and facilities through doors and windows, or can be accidentally brought indoors on improperly stored, infested items.