In fact I am not entirely sure what they are and had to do a bit of research into them.
Mothballs are a combination of pesticide and deodorant that deter the activities of moths and the development of mould amongst, mainly, items of stored cloth such as clothes, bedding and the like.
They are still sold in DIY outlets under various brand names and styles which I found surprising as infestations of that type are surely confined to distant memory.....or are they?
Turns out that as a freakish side-effect of the recent dry, hot spell and the underlying and fundamental changes in climate in the UK some regions are in the grip of a massive attack by clothes moths.
This was brought to my attention just today during a visit to a house in York, North Yorkshire.
You may recall my recent writings on the destruction of lawns in the York area by birds in their frenzied feeding on grubs which had suddenly surged in numbers and coverage in the subsoils of many suburban gardens. It may be a coincidence but householders across the very same City have been suffering from the effects of an invasion of another pest, in the form of clothes moths in recent weeks.
There appears to be no escape either out of doors or indoors for York residents from an almost plaque like pestilence of creatures intent on wreaking havoc.
The house in question was like a scene from a horror movie, a voodoo emporium with every room having a modern version of the mothball hanging on the back of a door or the front of a cupboard.
The problem had surfaced with the mysterious goings on with the living room carpet which had started to shows signs of shrinkage in size. Originally well fitted on grippers and presenting a sharp edge to the skirtings the occupants noticed a gap appearing which could not be attributed to such things as natural shrinkage, dampness, earthquake or other phenomena.
After a period of casual monitoring it was clear that the carpet, a nice wool one, was being devoured by the larvae of the species Tineola bisselliella or clothes moth.
There had been considerable distraction caused by the matter of the carpet but with the identification of the culprit it soon became all too clear that clothing was also a primary food source for the creature.
It was understandable that the problem had suddenly emerged as the larvae are very tiny, less than maggot sized and hard to detect. If there had been an influx of the mature winged moths then this would have started the alarm bells ringing but as they say. when the moths arrive the damage has already been done.
The larvae are a prime example of evolutionary genius.
They have the metabolism to digest the keratin protein in wool and silk primarily but have also been known to diet on cotton and fur. In addition they favour dirty environments with a particular liking for natural fibres infused with human sweat and what can be tactfully described as organic liquids although that covers just about everything from foodstuffs to you know what.
For those of you glancing anxiously around their own soft furnishings and fashion items the breeding grounds for the larvae are under furniture and in piles of clothing that are waiting to be ironed or put away.
Just grab the hoover and explore those dark areas, gaps and natural crevices around the home and have a policy of re-washing any clothes that have been lying around.
Treatment kits are a bit of a current boom business for Pest Control operatives but as important in the fight against the carpet and fibre munchers is a good domestic cleaning routine.
As well as the climatic conditions favouring the upsurge in larvae and moths the increase in infestations has also been attributed to the addiction of consumers to Designer clothing which uses the very natural fibres that sustain the voracious appetite of the larvae in their preparation for transformation into the mature moth.
The traditional mothball and their archived, distinctive odour may be making a comeback.
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