# Cotton Moth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 28, 1999, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548 "1999-09-28T00:19:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/1 "1999-09-28T00:19:00Z")

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I’ve noticed a lot of tiny holes in things like shirts (T and Polo), undies abnd other things made of cotton that I wear. My friend said they looked the holes he found in his wool suit and suggested they were the work of cotton eating moths. Do these exist? What else could be causing these holes. They’re not large (about an 1/8 th inch) and don’t seem to have any real pattern.

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**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/2 "1999-09-28T00:40:00Z")

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There are moths who’s larvae eat cotton fibers. Or it could just be wear and tear on your cottons. Take a look in your sock drawer for worm casings.

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“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/3 "1999-09-28T01:25:00Z")

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They could also be from hot seeds dropping on your clothes. 😉  
Peace,  
mangeorge

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Work like you don’t need the money…  
Love like you’ve never been hurt…  
Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased)

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**Author:** ![Melatonin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@Melatonin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melatonin)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/4 "1999-09-28T01:54:00Z")

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If you are finding these holes in clothes you don’t store (thus eliminating moths), it could very well be the crappy machine(s) you use to wash/dry your clothes.

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Life is short. Make fun of it.

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**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/5 "1999-09-28T05:36:00Z")

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These are clothes I wear regularly and my machines are both less than three year old Kenmores that were “top of line” minus one when I bought them. I did check both,though, for assorted nasties and came up empty.

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**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/6 "1999-09-28T22:47:00Z")

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I’ll vote for the hot seeds theory.  
(I thought he said _cotton mouth_)

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**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 1999, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cotton-moth/3548/7 "1999-09-28T23:01:00Z")

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Has anyone else noticed that there are an inordinate number of creatures here looking to find holes in just about everything?

Ray (no holes here; just hole earth cataloguing)