Termites can eat clothes, but only if the fabric is made from plant-based fibers like cotton or linen. These materials contain cellulose, the same compound found in wood, which is the primary food source for all termite species. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic are not at risk because they contain no cellulose at all.
Why Termites Target Certain Fabrics
Termites don’t seek out your wardrobe the way moths do. Their entire diet revolves around cellulose, a complex sugar found in plant cell walls. Wood is the most obvious source, but cotton, linen, rayon, and other plant-derived fabrics are also rich in it. When termites encounter these materials while foraging, they’ll consume them just as readily as they would a wooden beam.
The digestion process is surprisingly complex. Termites can’t actually break down cellulose on their own. They rely on a community of bacteria, archaea, and protozoans living inside their gut. These microorganisms convert cellulose into short-chain fatty acids that the termite uses for energy. No single microbe can do the job alone. The protozoans swallow wood or fiber particles, then bacteria living inside those protozoans handle the chemical breakdown. It’s a layered system of digestion that makes termites uniquely efficient at consuming plant materials in almost any form.
Synthetic fabrics are safe from being eaten, but not necessarily from being damaged. Termites can chew through thin plastic, carpet backing, and other non-cellulose materials if those materials stand between them and a food source. So a polyester shirt stored on top of a cotton pile in an infested area could still end up with holes in it, even though the termites weren’t feeding on it.
Which Termites Are Most Likely to Damage Clothing
The United States has three main types of termites: subterranean, drywood, and dampwood. Subterranean termites, particularly species in the genus Reticulitermes and the invasive Formosan subterranean termite, cause the most structural damage nationwide. According to the USDA, subterranean termites feed on wooden portions of buildings, utility poles, and fence posts, but they can also damage paper, fiberboard, and various fabrics derived from cotton and other plants.
Subterranean termites build their colonies underground and travel through mud tubes to reach food sources above ground. If those tubes lead into a closet, storage box, or laundry area where natural-fiber clothing sits in contact with the floor or walls, the clothing becomes accessible. Drywood termites, which live inside the wood they eat rather than in soil, are less likely to reach clothing directly but can infest wooden closets, dressers, and shelving. From there, nearby fabric is vulnerable.
Conditions That Put Your Clothes at Risk
Termites are drawn to moisture and darkness. Clothing stored in damp basements, crawl spaces, or poorly ventilated closets creates an environment that’s attractive to foraging termites. A pile of cotton shirts sitting on a concrete basement floor is a far easier target than clothes hanging in a dry, well-lit closet on the second floor.
Stains and residues on fabric can increase the risk. Starch, in particular, contains sugars that attract insects. If you’ve starched cotton garments or quilts before storing them, that sugar residue can draw pests to the fabric. Food spills, body oils, and sweat residue on unwashed clothes may also make them more appealing, though termites are primarily responding to the cellulose content rather than surface contaminants.
Direct ground contact is the biggest factor. Cardboard boxes sitting on a basement or garage floor are practically an invitation for subterranean termites, and any clothing packed inside those boxes is at risk. The cardboard itself is a cellulose source that can lead termites straight to your stored fabrics.
How to Tell Termites Apart From Moths
If you find holes in stored clothing, termites probably aren’t your first suspect, and in most cases they shouldn’t be. Clothes moths and carpet beetles are far more common fabric pests. But the type of fabric damaged is a strong clue. Moths and carpet beetles feed on keratin, the protein in animal-based fibers like wool, silk, and fur. Termites feed on cellulose, found in plant-based fibers like cotton and linen. If your damaged garment is 100% cotton, moths are unlikely culprits.
Other signs can help you distinguish the cause. Termite damage to fabric often appears alongside other evidence of infestation: mud tubes on nearby walls, damaged wood in the area, or small piles of frass (termite droppings that look like tiny pellets or sawdust). Moth damage typically comes with small cocoons, larvae, or webbing on the fabric itself. Termites also tend to eat through fabric in a more irregular pattern, while moth larvae leave cleaner, more rounded holes.
It’s worth noting that several other insects, including crickets, cockroaches, and silverfish, can chew through fabric without actually digesting it. These pests create damage that looks similar to termite or moth damage but is usually more superficial and scattered.
Protecting Stored Clothing
The simplest protection is keeping clothes off the ground and away from walls in dry, ventilated spaces. Sealed plastic bins are effective barriers since termites can chew through thin plastic bags but struggle with rigid containers. Avoid cardboard boxes for long-term storage entirely.
Wash or dry-clean garments before storing them to remove food residues, body oils, and starch that attract pests. If you starch quilts or cotton garments, consider using starch alternatives that don’t contain sugar, or wash the starch out before putting items into storage.
If you already have a termite problem in your home, clothing damage is a secondary concern. The primary issue is structural. Any evidence of termites near stored clothing, such as mud tubes, hollow-sounding wood, or winged swarmers, means the infestation likely extends well beyond your closet. Addressing the colony eliminates the threat to both your home and your wardrobe.