The Brown House Moth – A Homeowners Guide

It’s nice to have people over, especially close friends and family. However, not everyone is invited inside. Then, there’s the houseguest who refuses to leave, no matter how many times you ask them to. When you find a swarm of Brown House Moths, this is exactly the case. There are several species of moths that can sneak into your home and cause havoc without you even realizing it. Insects like the Brown House Moth are a nuisance that require constant vigilance.

Have you seen any Brown House Moths around your house? The next step is to educate yourself on this species and its elimination.

About the Brown House Moth

It is widely known that the Brown House Moth, or Hofmannophila pseudospretella, originates in Asia. This moth first appeared in the Americas around 1840, and its introduction to Europe in the 1840s led to its rapid expansion across the continent. The brown house moth is tiny and unremarkable. Since moths are nocturnal and like to hang on walls until then, you may not notice you have an infestation until you discover a dead one.

Brown House Moths are present all year but are particularly active in the summer. Brown House Moths can be found in a wide variety of household items, including pantries, carpets, clothing, attics, cupboards, roof voids, and lofts, despite their more appropriate classification as Pantry Moths.

The larvae feed on a wide variety of materials, including fur, clothes, bookbinding, corks, leather, and even fur.

Brown House Moth Identification

Hofmannophila Pseudospretella can appear either reddish brown or brownish gray, with brown and black spots. Spots that are a shade or two darker than the rest of the body can be found all over the wings. The typical size of its wingspan is between 15 and 26 mm.

The larvae of the Brown House Moth resemble those of many other species of house moths. They have brown heads and bodies that are drab and translucent white. It’s interesting to note that the larvae’s coloration shifts significantly according to the diet they consume. Larvae of the Brown House Moth, for instance, will look different depending on what they feed.

The larvae may become even more difficult to spot if they take on the color of your beloved cashmere sweater, since they will mix in with their surroundings.

On average, the length of these larvae is about 6 millimeters.

Brown House Moth Life Cycle

In most years, adult Brown House Moths pass away during the months of April and June. Each female House Moth is capable of laying up to 600 eggs during her lifetime. Depending on environmental conditions including humidity and temperature, the incubation period might span anywhere from eight days to one hundred and ten days. It’s important to act quickly, because the eggs only have a narrow window of time to hatch.

As soon as the eggs hatch, the larvae of the Brown House Moth will begin feeding on whatever is available. Depending on what is available, the larvae will feed on cereals, grains, fur, leather, and other natural fibers for the following 70-150 days. The larvae of the Brown House Moth need relative humidity levels of 80 percent or higher in order to complete the pupation process. If this doesn’t happen, they will stop growing.