VISITORS to Chesters and Housesteads Roman Forts are being asked to join in ‘Operation Clothes Moth’ to help combat the threat of pests.

Last week, English Heritage warned that historic houses, important interior collections and even family homes were at risk from damage caused by an increase in clothes moths and household pests.

On the re-opening of many historic sites and houses last week, the heritage charity revealed that their team of expert conservators had seen the number of clothes moths double over the past five years.

A new species, Monopis spilotwella, also known as the Pale Backed Clothes Moth, was also beginning to appear for the first time.

To help combat this threat, anyone visiting an English Heritage site will now be able to collect a free ‘clothes moth trap’ to place in their home, which the charity hopes will help to map the spread of insect pests across the country.

Traps are available from all English Heritage staffed properties, and visitors are asked to place them in their own homes and feed their findings back later this year.

Head of collections conservation for English Heritage, Amber Xavier-Rowe, said: “While we suspect factors including warmer weather and the increased use of heating inside homes is partly to blame, we hope this campaign helps us to better learn how to combat the rise of the clothes moth!”