We all know how much damage clothes moths can do if they’re left to run rampant through your home, destroying fabric and other materials, feeding exclusively on animal fibres like felt, silk, wool, feathers, fur and so on.

And it seems that these common domestic pests are now wreaking havoc in some of Britain’s most historic and beloved buildings, finding all sorts of delicious tapestries and home furnishings to gorge themselves on.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Historic Royal Palaces, which manages six palaces in total, including Hampton Court and parts of Kensington Palace, say that they’ve seen the breeding rate of these insects more than double over the last ten years.

It’s thought that climate change has something to do with it, with longer, damper summer months providing ideal breeding conditions. And earlier winters, as well as more frequent cold snaps, mean that palaces have the heating on sooner in the year – and more often… which only helps clothes moths even more.

Kathryn Hallett, head of conservation and collection care, explained to the news source: “Our team of preventive conservators have been working hard to closely monitor these changes as part of our well-established insect pest management programme and, although we are finding higher moth numbers in some areas, we are effectively combating this by increasing both our conservation cleaning, to remove the insects and their food sources as quickly as possible, and how often we inspect the objects in our care.”

Moths prefer to tuck themselves away in dark, warm corners of the house, so give your wardrobe a good clean from top to bottom to kill off any larvae if you think you may have an infestation. Clothes can then be washed, as can curtains and any upholstery.

If you need the help of a moth exterminator to ensure that the pests have been removed entirely, get in touch with The Exterminator Pest Services team today.