The first word and the feel that pops into your mind when you think of the fabric silk is luxury. Silk has always been synonymous with luxury and pride. Silk is a fabric that is produced from the cocoons of the silkworm. The production of silk fibers from these insects always seems fascinating. Sericulture is the process by which silk fibers are produced from raising silkworms. China is the leading country when it comes to production of silk. In India, silk is widely produced in the southern parts of the country. The climatic conditions and the topography widely affect the production of silk fibers. As mentioned, silk is produced from the cocoons of the silkworms when the moth is in the stage of a caterpillar. The caterpillars are fed on mulberry leaves, which allows them to multiply and the environment in which the silkworms are raised is kept suitable at certain temperature and climate so that the cocoons can be utilized wholly during the production. Once the thread is produced, they are used to produce the fabric which in turn Is used to produce a garment.
How pests damage silk?
Production of fabric silk is not an easy task. It goes through a tiresome process. Apart from this, the maintenance of a silk fabric can be gruesome. This is the main reason why silk is one of the most expensive fabric. Proper care is required when it comes to maintaining a silk garment. Silks are often prone to damage by moths and bugs. For lifelong durability of a silk fabric, one has to protect it from these bugs. They tend to eat out the silk thread, leaving it hollow and damaged. They tend to deposit their eggs throughout the fabric, especially in silk sarees and silk carpets, and soon when the eggs hatch, these insects eat out the fabric. The best way to protect your silk from such insects and moths is to keep them in cool and dry place and in safe cupboards which are free from moisture and other unwanted pests. Apart from this, there are certain precautions you can take to protect your silk from moths and bugs.
Keeping those bugs away!
If you do not want a bad odour and want to protect your silk in a natural way, then the best method Is to out need leaves all around the place where your silks are kept. Neem leaves help to keep away these insects and also give freshness to your clothes. You can also wrap the neem leaves in a muslin cloth to avoid clutter. This is the cheapest way of protecting your fabric silk. If you are not sure about this method and are dependent on naphthalene balls, then you may put some of these balls in a small muslin cloth and keep it somewhere near the clothes in the cupboard. Naphthalene balls leave odour which is strong and not liked by all. It is a mixture of certain chemicals and hence it helps to keep away thee insects and moths. This is the only other method by which you can protect your silk and other fabrics. What matters is how properly you take care of your fabric, because they say show respect to your clothes because it is only then, your clothes will respect you.