MOTHS have become a problem for homeowners again. They're eating our clothing, upholstery, soft furnishings and they’re driving us crazy. The public is on a killing spree. Sales of moth repellent and strip killer are up 87 per cent, says David Baker, owner of Deckwells DIY and chairman of Expert Hardware. And Rentokil’s MD Michael Mahoney has reported its moth business up by 147 per cent between January and May 2011.

And it’s not just your favourite cashmere sweater that the pests are after. One unfortunate apartment owner had her carpets and her tenant’s clothes totally destroyed by an infestation. The carpets had to be ripped up and disposed of, new flooring laid and Rentokil had to make four house calls to make sure they were exterminated. She estimates the episode cost her around €1,000.

So what’s causing the rise in the moth population? Warm houses are partly to blame, says Dr Colm Moore, Rentokil’s technical manager. So too is the move away from floorboards and back to carpets. Vintage furniture can also carry the problem into your home.

The larvae of moths are often found in the dark corners of wardrobes and drawers and tend to feed off wool or silk clothes. There are some 10 breeds of moth listed on Rentokil’s website. These include the common clothes moth and the scarily-named case-bearing clothes moth, who sounds like he just might clear out your closet. All eat any natural fibres.

So what do you do when you find your place moth-ridden? Mothballs themselves have been mothballed, replaced by cedar balls that this writer founds to be not nearly as effective but at least don’t leave a smell that lingers. Rentokil has its own brand of repellent – a hanging strip cozting €2.50 that traps the insects. It also has an Insectrol moth spray, marked “very toxic” in large black letters that Deckwells DIY, on South Great Georges Street in Dublin can’t keep on its shelves. It’s €10.50.

To prevent the problem altogether Moore suggests regular and very thorough cleaning of all cracks and crevices in the home, including vacuuming under carpet edges and getting into every corner of your wardrobe and drawers. An annual spring clean that pays particular attention to the attic is essential. Old carpet-cut-offs and clothing stored in dark places are particularly attractive to the larvae, who do all the eating, Moore says. He thinks putting woolens and other household fabrics into vacuum bags in summer before storing them is a good idea.