The question of how to remove moths from an apartment is asked from time to time by many owners who have encountered this parasite. And this is not surprising, since the appearance of small flying butterflies is directly related to damage to things. At the same time, there are two types of moths and each of them will have its own diet - for some, wool and fur products are preferred, while others parasitize on cotton fabrics.
Habitats and parasitism
First, it’s worth finding out where moths start? This household pest prefers only natural materials, and accordingly, it will parasitize in close proximity to the following:
- firstly, it is a wardrobe, because it is there that luxurious fur coats, hats, woolen coats and other similar wardrobe items are carefully stored;
- secondly, moths may take a liking to the natural upholstery of your new sofa or chair; in this case, you should look for parasites in the folds and seams;
- thirdly, if there is a carpet woven from natural threads on the wall or floor, then the pest can parasitize on it, both from the inside and from the front.
On a note! The clothes moth is a poor flyer, so it is unable to move long distances on its own. Accordingly, you bring it into your home yourself: with new things, pieces of furniture, etc.
general information
In general, the butterfly itself does not cause any harm. It reproduces offspring and provides them with the food necessary for life.
With the offspring, everything is not so simple: the eggs will turn into caterpillars and begin to engage in sabotage. Before getting rid of moths in the house, it will be necessary to combat all types of insect development, using various methods.
Furniture moth and clothes moth: what is the difference?
Clothes moths and furniture moths will have their own separate diets - the first feeds on cotton products, the second on fur and wool. In nature, this is what happens, but in an apartment, each of these species can quite easily move from one food to another. Therefore, today these butterflies are collectively called clothes moths.
In fact, these insects have many similar characteristics:
- the body is small in size and length is no more than 9 mm;
- the color is straw-yellow, rather inconspicuous, especially with folded wings;
- Only males can fly, but representatives of both the first and second species do it rather ineptly;
- females of both species do not use wings, although they have the ability to fly; their wings are somewhat smaller in size compared to the wings of males.
Distinctive features can only be noticed upon closer examination - the furniture moth will have a darker color and dark areas at the base of the wings.
Moth larvae as the main pest
However, the greatest damage is caused not by winged insects, but by their larvae. It is the small caterpillars that parasitize in your sweaters, expensive fur coats and carpets; they are the ones who leave behind holes in clothes and furniture upholstery; they are the real household pests.
The growth and development of house moth larvae directly depends on diet and temperature conditions:
- if the food they absorb consists only of natural materials, then the development of the caterpillars will occur quite quickly - in 3 weeks they will have time to molt about 12 times and pupate;
- if the food is rich in synthetic fibers, which are very poorly digested, accordingly, the growth of the larvae will slow down somewhat - this period will take 2 months or even six months;
- As for temperature conditions, when the ambient temperature drops significantly, the rate of growth and development of young animals noticeably decreases, the caterpillars become smaller, and at especially low temperatures they weave cocoons around their body, stop feeding and freeze.
But if your apartment is cozy, warm and there is something to profit from, in particular, products made from natural materials, then moth caterpillars will feel great there. With their mandibles, which is the name of their oral apparatus, presented in the form of two large outgrowths, they deftly trim fabric fibers and wool. Thanks to powerful jaw muscles, the larvae quickly gnaw fairly large areas of matter and direct food into the stomach, from where it enters the intestines.
On a note! Compared to the body, the stomach and intestines of the larvae are enormous in size and can hold quite a large amount of food!
The larvae of clothes moths and furniture moths are somewhat different from each other.
Absolutely all larvae lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not crawl far from the place where they emerge from the egg. Until they turn into a butterfly, they spend almost all their time in one place. But as soon as the larva becomes an adult, it stops feeding and spends the rest of its life, which lasts only a few days, only on reproduction.
Moth larvae as the main pests of clothing
Clothing, furniture upholstery, and carpets are quite convenient food items for moth larvae. If the materials consist of natural fabric, it doesn’t matter whether it’s wool or cotton, the stomach of any larva will digest it. In addition, the oldest things are preferable for caterpillars, since the fabric and lint on them are more easily chewed by the caterpillar's jaws. Each caterpillar is capable of eating very little tissue. For example, minor damage to carpets may not be externally noticeable. But due to the fairly large number of larvae in each brood, they almost simultaneously leave several lesions that are already clearly visible.
And the items of clothing themselves that have a characteristic hole on them are no longer considered wearable. Moths are spread between houses and apartments, usually by the person himself. These butterflies are not able to fly long distances, and the owner of the apartment usually brings larvae into the house on purchased clothes, and these larvae give rise to a new micropopulation. This is especially true for clothes from second-hand stores and old carpets from relatives on which carpet moth larvae travel. Food moth larvae, accordingly, “travel” along with food.
Fighting methods
How to destroy moths in an apartment? For this purpose, you can use the following methods and means:
- heat treatment;
- chemicals;
- folk remedies.
Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Heat treatment
As is known, these insects are able to exist in a certain temperature range, which is -5°C ... +45°C. And if the thermometer scale crosses one of these, the moth is guaranteed to die. What can be done?
- If parasites have settled in your apartment during the cold season, then you can simply open the windows and freeze out all the pests in just a few hours. In this case, both adult butterflies and larvae are guaranteed to die.
Important! Don't forget that low temperatures can not only kill moths, but also damage the heating system! Therefore, the batteries must be protected first!
- Another method is to wash contaminated items at the maximum permissible temperature in automatic mode. But it is clear that this method is only suitable for clothing; furniture and carpets should be processed using industrial units.
- If moths have infested fur products, there are special refrigeration chambers for them.
On a note! It is useless to destroy only flying butterflies mechanically, that is, using a rolled-up newspaper or a slipper, since the main pest will remain in the clothes and continue to spoil them!
Chemicals
The best results in the fight against body parasites come from using insecticidal preparations specially created for this purpose. They are available in several types: aerosols, fumigators and repellent sections.
Aerosol
Anti-moth aerosol is the most convenient chemical preparation that is quite effective. With its help you can destroy both butterflies and small larvae. Each aerosol is based on a powerful toxic substance, but does not leave behind any unpleasant odor. Moreover, most of these products contain aromatic fragrances.
Using aerosol insecticides is very simple: spray the product on clothing, the inside of cabinets, carpets and upholstery. Modern preparations can rid your home of parasites in a short period of time and at the same time will be completely safe for fabrics - they will not leave any stains or unpleasant odors.
Important! It should be remembered that an aerosol cloud consists of tiny particles that can quickly and easily penetrate the respiratory tract. A high concentration of toxic substances often causes severe poisoning. Therefore, before using this or that anti-moth aerosol, you should carefully study the instructions and do not forget about personal protective equipment!
Among the aerosols against moths, the most popular are: “Moskitol”, “Armol”, “Antimol”, “Dezmol”, “Foxide”.
Fumigators
Fumigators are also quite effective in combating moths. There are two types of fumigators on sale: electric and pyrotechnic. The principle of their operation is largely similar - the first begin to emit toxic substances after the electrical plates are heated, the second emit toxic smoke after the spiral is set on fire.
The most popular moth fumigators today are: “Moskitol”, “Raid” and “Raptor”. In fact, they are designed to kill mosquitoes, but, as the manufacturer assures and practice shows, they are quite effective against moths. These devices are safe for human and pet health and do not leave any odor after use.
On a note! You can find two types of electric fumigators on sale: the first ones work on plates that need to be changed every time they are turned on, the second ones have a reservoir with liquid and this device lasts for a longer period!
Sections
Sections are the most primitive and at the same time simplest way to get rid of moths. These devices are small plates impregnated with a special substance that repels pests. The sections should simply be hung in a closed cabinet or placed on shelves. After some time the moth will disappear.
On sale today you can find a huge number of sections against moths. They have different shapes and aroma, which allows the consumer to choose a model to suit their taste. The sections “Raid”, “Raptor”, “Antimol”, “Gardex” and “Moskitol” are popular today.
Nutrition of larvae
The way moth larvae look does not affect their nutrition in any way: although they are very small, they are capable of eating a lot. In nature, moths eat bird feathers in nests, animal fur, grain crops, berries, nuts, and vegetables.
Getting into human housing for moths is the same as hitting the jackpot for a person, since the conditions here are incomparable to natural ones: a comfortable temperature is constantly maintained, and there is always plenty of food. Therefore, on the shelves of our cabinets you can find much more larvae than live in natural conditions.
Among the pests there are those that are not interested in clothing, furniture and food. Among such insects is the wax moth, which spoils honeycombs. And some species that settle in anthills destroy the larvae of the home owners.
Very often, insect species change their “specialization.” This does not mean that the larvae of food moths will begin to snack on the cabinet, but having spoiled all the rice, they are quite capable of switching to flour or cookies. Likewise, a clothing moth, “tired” of chewing a fur coat, is able to move to the carpet or to a shelf with woolen items. In particularly difficult times, moths can even survive on semi-synthetic clothing. It is the omnivorous nature of the larvae that is the reason for their high survival rate. In order to preserve things and products, it is necessary to start fighting the emerging pest as early as possible.
Folk remedies
And finally, you should find out how to remove moths using traditional methods. All the tools and techniques that will be described below do not involve the use of any chemicals, are available to everyone and are inexpensive. However, at the same time, it is quite problematic to destroy moths with their help; they are intended rather to repel insects. For this reason, to achieve a positive result, they should be used to combat parasites in combination with more powerful modern drugs.
- Essential oils. For moths, the smells of essential oils such as orange, geranium and lavender are repulsive. They need to soak cotton pads and place them in places where moths accumulate.
- Repellent plants. Dried geranium or lavender herbs are tied in bunches and hung in the closet.
- You can use scented toilet soap as a deterrent.
- Newspaper helps against moths. They wrap or rearrange things in it and leave them in the closet. However, this method is not suitable for light fabrics and fur products.
As you know, taking preventative measures is always easier than fighting moths afterwards. Therefore, do not forget to regularly ventilate your closet, clean fur and woolen items, and shake out items on shelves and hangers from time to time.
