Carolyn F. Walker, age 12, of South Hill, Va., for her question:

HOW DO MOTHS GET INTO CLOTHES?

It's time now to pack away our winter woollies. But no matter how carefully we stash them, a few moths get in and manage to ruin our favorite sweaters and such. Or so it seems. The real troublemaker is the female moth, though she does not do the actual damage. She is driven by mother instinct to lay her eggs in a suitable substance  and the tiny creature can squeeze through the tiniest holes and cracks.

The larvas that hatch from her eggs feed on wool, plus various other plant and animal fibers. Somehow the female moth senses when such suitable foods are inside our closets and storage boxes. So she scouts around until she finds an entrance. The trick, of course, is to seal our packages with no cracks at all. She prefers greasy or soiled clothes  so let's clean everything before packing. It also helps to add certain chemicals that repel both the moth and her larvas.