Nothing strikes fear in the heart of yarn or fiber enthusiasts like finding evidence of yarn eating pests in their stash. There are a number of insects that like to consume wool or other natural fibers, chief among them are the moths which can hide in the dark corners of your storage, wrecking havoc as the larvae munch through your best yarns and fibers.

The first step is Identification, then Extermination, and finally Protection from future incursions.

These moths are much lighter and smoother than pantry moths (who are much more interested in your bread than your clothes). Besides the moths, look for dark pellets (larvae poops) hiding in nooks and crannies.

The casemaking moth is much darker (sometimes grey) than the webbing moth. You should look for little caterpillar cozies (cases) that the larvae make as they eat. They will be the same color as what the little buggers have been eating, which would be cool if it didn't mean holes in your yarn!

There are a few kinds of carpet beetles, with the main difference being their coloring. They like undisturbed corners and hide under shelves and furniture. The love wool carpets, but they are equally happy chewing on your yarn. Look for dead beetles in the bottom of your yarn storage.

There are many other insects (and mammals!) that are opportunistic feeders and will munch on your yarn if nothing tastier is available. Keep an eye out for any insect activity near your yarn stash and take action right away!

Once you know that you have an infestation, it is important to take action right away! A good first step is setting pheromone traps (make sure you get the right kind for the species you have) to catch the males and cut down on breeding. Next, pull out ALL of your fibers and go through each one for evidence of insect activity. Throw away any yarn or fiber that is damaged beyond repair.

There are chemicals that will kill the insects, but they are also toxic to you and smelly to boot! Freezing or heating will be just as effective in killing the larvae and adults. Freezing takes about a week at 0 degrees F. This WON'T kill the eggs, so after the first freeze, leave the yarn in a warmer place for another week before freezing again to kill off the now-hatched eggs.

Heating can be done in a hot car in the summer or lain out in the sun.

If you don't currently have a bug problem, or you want to prevent another one in the future, you can use lavender or cedar oil to repel many insects. These only work if you replenish the oils periodically. Sadly, cedar chests, shavings, balls, etc. don't work at a high enough potency to really keep your stash safe.

You can use pheromone traps to detect the beginning of a larger problem so that you can eliminate the problem before it starts.

Do you have any other tips? Shoot us an email!