Ants can chew various things, including electrical wires, concrete, soft plastic, etc., so the fabric is not considered a bigger problem for them to chew.
Can Ants Make Holes in Clothes? Ants can make holes in clothes as they get attracted to sweet scents, moisture, and food stains on the fabric. They can tear fabric material with their teeth while walking inside the closet. Keep dry clothes inside the cabinet, as moisture or stains can force them to come. Clean them with the correct washing methods and avoid keeping dirty laundry for days.
Moths and beetles are not always responsible for creating holes in clothes and carpets, but some chewing ants can also make them hollow.
Why do ants make holes in clothes?
Ants can enter folded clothes inside the closet or laundry basket. However, there are different reasons for the insects to get attracted and reach there.
Most commonly, dirt and debris can attract insects as these crawling creatures are soil insects and prefer to live in dirty places.
The smell of sweat seems pleasant to their receptors and attracts them to the basket for food. The odor of sweet scents and body oils can also grab their attention from a distance.
Moreover, the darkness and warmth of the closet can attract these pests and make them live inside fabric layers. The wet floors of the laundry room can also become a reason for their entry.
They can chew the fabric while eating food particles attached to the material. The presence of stains can also make them tear the cotton shirts and leave tiny holes there.
So, you have to avoid the entry of insects in the closet to prevent them from damaging your attire because they will not stop tearing until they do not find them attractive.
How do ants make holes in clothes?
Ants have zinc-coated teeth that are sharp enough to pierce through the skin of animals, so it is not difficult for them to tear the fabric and make holes in clothes.
Moreover, they have pincers on their heads that can help pull the strands of fabric in an outward direction and make them hollow inside.
They can use their sharp mandibles to pull the stains and stuck food particles that can permanently damage the fabric. In addition, they can chew through the fabric to create entry spots.
In addition, it takes continuous effort for a few hours because these tiny insects have smaller bodies and teeth that have to chew consistently to make a hole.
A single ant cannot perform it as many workers begin to adjust the fabric thread between their mandibles and pull the strands towards themselves.
This way, they keep chewing the fabric and throw the strands at a close distance as they do not prefer to eat it and only chew it to create a passage for entry.
How to keep ants away from clothes?
You can only keep ants away from clothes if you know the reasons for their presence within the closet. Therefore, it is better to make the surfaces unattractive for these insects to get rid of them.
Keeping laundry baskets dirty for many days is not considered suitable because the stains and food particles can draw insects to the basket.
The smell of sweat or even the fragrance can also be the reason for their presence. Accordingly, you can avoid these insects only when you avoid keeping dirty laundry.
Moreover, choose the correct methods of cleaning dirty apparel according to the type of dirt and stains, as some are tough to remove with a single wash.
You have to wash them 2 or 3 times until the tough stains get removed; otherwise, the smell of stains can draw these insects toward your closet.
After washing, give proper time for drying as slight moisture within the fabric can create an ideal nesting spot for insects and allow them to multiply.
This way, you provide ideal conditions for these insects to reproduce, as they prefer to breed in warm and moist conditions.
So, proper drying can help reduce the chances of insect attacks and ultimately avoids creating holes.
In addition, it is essential to keep the closet clean and dry because they can also reach clothes due to dirt on the shelves and moisture in the wooden cabinets.
You have to vacuum clean the closets after every week as dirt can accumulate over time which can attract pests inside. This practice can help overcome these insects in a better way.
Furthermore, replacing the moist or rotting wood of cabinets is better to avoid damage to your wardrobe, as these destructive pests can create multiple gaps and make them useless.
What type of ants can make holes in clothes?
Clothes can attract a few species of ants that love moisture and odor of scents, washing powders, and sweat, which is commonly present in dirty laundry.
Most commonly, moths and beetles are the real culprits for making holes, but a few ants are also known for such chewing behavior and leave noticeable gaps behind.
The carpenter ants can reach your wardrobe when they come inside the closet to create tunnels within the rotting wood of cabinets.
Moreover, these destructive pests can damage your attire if they begin to live and multiply, leading to an increased number of insects that can chew the fabric.
Some other species of these insects, like crazy ants, pharaoh ants, argentine ants, etc., can reach the cloth line outdoors and get transferred to the closet when you fold clothes without noticing.
So, they begin to make their way through the fabric, create small holes sufficient for escape, and allow their tiny bodies to pass through them.
Can you use insecticides to get rid of ants from clothes?
It is not considered suitable to use insecticidal chemicals directly on the clothes as they come closer to your body and pose a risk of allergic chemicals.
These chemicals are not good to inhale or touch as they pose health or safety concerns. It is better to keep natural repellents within the closet if you are dealing with an infestation.
Moreover, vacuum cleaning of wooden surfaces to remove dirt and debris is a better option as it can help remove a small number of insects by sucking them inside the vacuum bag.
It can also help remove their eggs and dirt, posing a lesser risk of another attack, mainly if you clean the surface with vinegar solution to remove their trail.
Furthermore, these insects can also make holes in new clothes if your closet is dirty or moisture is still present within the fabric due to poor drying methods.
However, the risk of attack on dirty stuff is many times more than that of clean ones because dirt, debris, sweat, and stains can make them reach laundry baskets.
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