How to get rid of moths and save your favorite things and products

A moth's lip is not stupid. She is not interested in cheap synthetics - give her fur. Silk and wool, natural and expensive, will also work. If she’s really hungry, she won’t disdain feathers and cotton. How to protect your most valuable things from an insatiable pest?

To win the war against clothes moths, you need to carefully study its preferences and find vulnerabilities, and then deprive it of pleasures and strike where it hurts the most. Only then will it be possible to get rid of the voracious insect once and for all.

Who eats our clothes

The clothes moth (also known as the house moth) is a small butterfly with golden wings with fringed edges. However, she is not the main enemy of our things. Irreparable damage to the wardrobe is caused by its larva - a transparent white caterpillar up to 1 cm long. The caterpillar is very lazy, inactive, but when it needs to find food for itself, it begins to move.

When you see a moth flying around the house, you don’t even have to run after it, trying to swat it. The fact is that only males or females who have already laid eggs fly. They will no longer bring you harm, and they will soon die themselves. You need to hunt for their eggs and larvae.

How moths get into our houses and apartments

The easiest way is through an open window or door. However, clothes moths are also capable of entering a home through a narrow gap. The flying butterfly finds suitable conditions for reproduction and food and lays eggs there.

If you brought an antique or simply used sofa from somewhere, it is quite possible that there were already eggs or moth larvae in its upholstery. The same goes for used clothes.

Clothes moth larvae can come to us, although rarely, through the fur of domestic animals.

What does it look like

The name “food moth” refers to insect pests belonging to the Moth family. Representatives of different species of the same family differ in appearance, but also have common characteristics:

• small size (the wingspan of the largest species does not exceed 4.5 cm, but in most species this value is about 1 cm);
• pale coloring of wings and body;
• highly sensitive antennae;
• a fleecy border along the edges of the wings;
• large organs of vision.

In our latitudes, the following types of insects can most often be found in an apartment:

• flour moth;
• mill fire;
• southern barn moth.

It is almost impossible for a non-specialist to distinguish between species characterized by small sizes and dimly colored wings. Adults look like small moths with a scaly body and grey-brown patterned wings. They are nocturnal and highly fertile: in good conditions they lay up to 400 eggs.

The larvae are small, smooth-bodied caterpillars of a light yellow color. They live and feed in flour, baked goods, any cereals, pasta, baby powder formulas, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It is in these products that adults prefer to lay eggs. The listed products are what the caterpillar eats. As the larva develops, it envelops itself in a cocoon, so thin threads and soft lumps-nests can be seen in spoiled products.

Most often, the sources where the insect comes from are store-bought food products

You should be especially careful when purchasing packaged bulk foods. They may be improperly stored in warehouses and stores, processed and transported incorrectly.

A small insect causes significant harm to humans and renders large volumes of food supplies unusable. Cereals or flour affected by the pest are usually thrown away. If there is little flour, then it can be thoroughly sifted, if there is a small amount of cereal, then it can be sorted out. But it is impossible to clean a large volume of product.

Food moth and clothes moth: how to distinguish

There is no need to worry about whether food moths are eating clothes. The insect feeds exclusively on food. But when food moths appear in the house, you need to carefully check the closets where clothes are stored. The fact is that food moths and clothes moths are friendly neighbors; where one insect appears, there is a high probability that a second one will appear there.

Clothes moths are a more common problem than food moths. Both species are similar in appearance, but they also have different characteristics. An adult clothes moth is a light yellow iridescent insect with a reddish down on its head. Reddish hair also borders the wings, with a span not exceeding 1 cm. Adults become blind and helpless in daylight, so during the day they hide in closets and dark places in the home.

The food moth is smaller than the clothes moth, its body length in a calm state is no more than 0.5 cm. The clothes pest has a longer body. Also, food moths have darker wings, gray-brown in color.

Also read: How to quickly and easily get rid of house moths

Each species lives directly near its food source. Both food and clothes moths are characterized by a special type of flight. The insects flutter their wings and move in a spiral, which makes them different from other nocturnal moths.

The larvae of both species are almost identical in appearance, actively feed and develop, and as they develop, they weave a thread from which they construct a cocoon.

What does a moth like?

Let's deal with the preferences of house moths.

• Clothes moths love dirt. If there are traces of sweat on your clothes, for example, it will go there first.
• She feels great in conditions of high humidity. If the closet is damp and cool, expect her to visit.
• Clothes moths feed on natural fabrics (wool, silk, cashmere, cotton, etc.) and furs. Therefore, pest larvae gnaw not only clothes, but also any objects made from the mentioned materials: carpets, blankets, upholstery, fabric spines of books, stuffed birds (she also loves feathers), etc.

Treating things with hot water

To get rid of moth larvae, you need to put all the items in the closet into the washing machine and set the washing machine to the highest temperature setting. The moth larvae will simply cook and will not be able to continue their harmful activities. Moth larvae found on carpets and furniture can be destroyed by treating them with a steam generator. However, insects die only when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, for processing you should use only hot water, with a temperature of at least 70 degrees. Things should remain in boiling water for at least half an hour, so you can be sure that all the larvae have died.

What are house moths and their larvae afraid of?

Now let’s try to understand what the moth is trying to avoid in every possible way.

• Clothes moth caterpillars are afraid of high temperatures (above 60-70°C).
• Oddly enough, she doesn’t like low temperatures either. It cannot survive freezing, for example, in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator.
• Ultraviolet radiation, both natural (sun rays) and artificial (ultraviolet lamps), has a detrimental effect on moth eggs and larvae.
• She can't stand some smells. For example, our grandmothers noticed that moths do not live where mothballs lie. Therefore, “aromatherapy” can be used as a preventive measure to scare away an unwanted guest from your closet.

Help from specialists

Often people turn to specialists for help when the situation is very difficult and they cannot cope with moths on their own. Also, specialized companies help carry out treatment in large rooms, warehouses, and enterprises; cold or hot fog is most often used.

The use of cold fog involves spraying an insecticide at a temperature that is equal to the ambient temperature. Can be used in areas where children and animals live. Hot mist means spraying an insecticide at a temperature of approximately 60°. It is used only in non-residential premises, as well as in greenhouses.

Folk remedies for moths

Most folk remedies do not fight moths, but simply scare them away, depriving them of the desire to settle on your territory, which is also not bad.

• Place bunches of dried lavender, tansy, wormwood or mint in your closet. You can make bags of dried grass and place them in your fur coat pockets. These smells will repel moths from your wardrobe.
• Clothes moths also do not like the smell of dried orange peels. Place the crusts between woolen sweaters and silk blouses - moths will avoid them.
• Place geraniums on the windowsill. Its pungent smell will force moths to leave your property.
• Essential oils – lavender and fir – are also considered good repellents. If you don't have a special aroma lamp, just saturate small pieces of fabric with oil and put them in the closet. Don't forget to update the scent from time to time.

All of the above remedies will certainly repel moths from your home. What to do if she has already moved in with you? There is only one answer - fight.

• Thoroughly clean all clothing made from natural materials with a brush or vacuum cleaner.
• On a hot summer day, take it outside and dry it. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, moth larvae, if they were able to survive the cleaning, hiding in the folds, will simply die.
• In winter or during the cool season, when there is no sun, freezing will help destroy moth larvae. Take the clothes out into the cold or, if the item is small, simply wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for several hours. Low temperatures will kill harmful larvae.

Chemical repellents for moths

Chemicals are also used to combat moths. Almost all of these insecticides are based on pyrethroids, poisons that have a nerve-paralytic effect. They are made in the form of tablets, aerosols, insect traps, etc.

• One of the most powerful poisons is dichlorvos (many drugs marketed under this name are not actually dichlorvos). They need to treat all clothing where house moth larvae were found. Do not forget to follow the safety instructions written on the packaging. For prevention, Dichlorvos and other aerosols (for example, Moskitol, Armol, Taiga, Raptor, etc.) should not be used, because their smell quickly disappears and it will not cause any harm to insects - but it can do you and your household.
• Preparations that fight the larvae and adults of clothes moths are also moth plates - small cardboards impregnated with substances poisonous to insects: Antimol, Doctor Claus, etc. They are laid out in places where moths and their larvae live on the upper shelves, because the smell descends from top to bottom. Once every few months, when the effect of the drug decreases, the plates are replaced with new ones.
• Many drugs against indoor moths (tablets and balls) are used as a prophylactic agent: they repel the insect. There are also many drugs that contain the old, but not so good, naphthalene. The poison that naphthalene releases in large quantities can cause poisoning and adversely affect the functioning of the liver, pancreas and other organs. Therefore, it is dangerous to use it in places where there are children.
• Sections are also used as repellents - products with a repellent odor are in a special case, which can be easily attached to the wall of the closet (adhesive tape on the bottom) or hung by a hook on a clothes rail.

Fumigators

They are a device into which special plates or vials of liquid are inserted. The fumigator operates from the electrical network. The plates or liquid heat up and evaporate substances that are poisonous to the moth. Very convenient to use and do not harm humans. The effectiveness of the fight can be increased by installing the device directly inside the cabinet using a carrier. The insect will die, and the clothes will not have to be washed to remove the smell.

Fumigator Mosquitall

Mosquitol's range is 30 square meters. m. The fumigator begins to operate immediately after you plug it into the network.

Fumigator Raid

Works on liquid and on plates. The spectrum of action does not differ from fumigators from other companies, but costs a little more.

Fumigator "Raptor"

It works similarly to devices from other manufacturers, from the mains on plates or liquid.

Preventing moths

What to do to prevent moths from appearing in the house? You need to follow some rules:

1. Before storing clothes in a closet, be sure to wash, clean, or dry-clean them.
2. Store seasonal clothing in special cases. Place a fur coat, sweater, hat, etc. in the case, add an anti-moth remedy (folk or chemical) and zip it up.
3. From time to time, vacuum cabinets (pay attention to every shelf and corner), upholstered furniture, floors and carpets. Don’t forget to wet-clean storage areas: first wash each surface with water and detergent, dry, and then wipe everything with vinegar. Moths cannot stand its smell.
4. House moths also do not like printing ink. Therefore, stuff newspapers into your shoes during storage. This will keep your boots and shoes safe.
5. Conduct a thorough inspection of your wardrobe several times a season. Air out your clothes and closets more often. Clothes moths almost never grow on clothes that are constantly used. But she loves the one that lies idle for a long time very much.

Moths are a dangerous enemy. However, it is still possible to defeat her. Order, cleanliness, repellents, insect control products - and victory will be on your side. How do you fight this fur lover?