When mite is not right: Taking on moths
Call it hubris; moth-free for decades, I though that counted for something.
But one day in late September, I pulled out a fine wool shirt out of my closet, and saw a drowsy moth staggering down the front.
I freaked. Where did they come from?
Turns out, through the back door. We have a small storage locker off site, to warehouse items that our sons want but can't use right now—mostly furniture, but also several antique rugs. I failed to store them properly; we had simply rolled them in a corner.
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The unit has a wire mesh ceiling, so moths, hearing the siren call of old, undisturbed wool, set up shop, then likely jumped to something carried home.
We visit the unit rarely and had never seen anything, but this time, we found a wild kingdom, from larvae to mature insects (ewww).
The carpets were destroyed beyond repair.
If you rent a storage locker, check their pest-protection practices. Our facility is sprayed regularly, but because of that open ceiling, moths (or their nasty friends, carpet beetles) carried in by someone else become free-range. We cleaned thoroughly and took all wool out. The unit now looks moth free.
The evening one fluttered by in our apartment, I knew they had breached our home. Searching frantically, I found a drawer full of wool berets, infested.
Several friends made their own discoveries after hearing my plight. Where their new pets were hiding:
- Vera's armoire, where she had sentimentally kept (but never worn) her mother's old fur coat,
- Helen's daughter's closet; N. had long moved out, but kept some favourite old clothes there, and
- Natasha's spanking new apartment; they seem to have crashed the housewarming, arriving from somewhere.
Natty asked me to buy her a kilo of lavender from the market; lavender or cedar sachets have some deterrent effect (depending on concentration) but do not vanquish an infestation according to this Guardian article.
For a good tutorial on both prevention and dealing withthe sons of bitches pests if they gain a winghold, see this article, and here is Martha Stewart's advice.
The only guests I want are the kind who come over for a roast chicken dinner, not the type who say, "Hi, if you're not wearing that sweater, can I eat it?" But they are here.
I shall fight in the closets, I shall fight in the drawers, I shall fight around the baseboards; I shall never surrender.
Has anyone tried those pherome-emitting traps?
But one day in late September, I pulled out a fine wool shirt out of my closet, and saw a drowsy moth staggering down the front.
I freaked. Where did they come from?
Turns out, through the back door. We have a small storage locker off site, to warehouse items that our sons want but can't use right now—mostly furniture, but also several antique rugs. I failed to store them properly; we had simply rolled them in a corner.
The unit has a wire mesh ceiling, so moths, hearing the siren call of old, undisturbed wool, set up shop, then likely jumped to something carried home. We visit the unit rarely and had never seen anything, but this time, we found a wild kingdom, from larvae to mature insects (ewww).
The carpets were destroyed beyond repair.
If you rent a storage locker, check their pest-protection practices. Our facility is sprayed regularly, but because of that open ceiling, moths (or their nasty friends, carpet beetles) carried in by someone else become free-range. We cleaned thoroughly and took all wool out. The unit now looks moth free.
The evening one fluttered by in our apartment, I knew they had breached our home. Searching frantically, I found a drawer full of wool berets, infested.
Several friends made their own discoveries after hearing my plight. Where their new pets were hiding:
- Vera's armoire, where she had sentimentally kept (but never worn) her mother's old fur coat,
- Helen's daughter's closet; N. had long moved out, but kept some favourite old clothes there, and
- Natasha's spanking new apartment; they seem to have crashed the housewarming, arriving from somewhere.
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| Natty's lavender |
For a good tutorial on both prevention and dealing with
 |
| No free lunch! |
I shall fight in the closets, I shall fight in the drawers, I shall fight around the baseboards; I shall never surrender.
Has anyone tried those pherome-emitting traps?
Comments
Thank you for the additional info links to help us all keep the enemy at bay.
Not just wool is susceptible. They'll also go for silk (animal protein is the draw) or leather, although that's quite a chew. . . In our main home, where I have a huge stash of wool, we've been lucky so far, but I'm always vigilant.
Good luck!
I had a cashmere scarf that was eaten beyond repair a few years ago and I never saw any moths flying about in the house. I store all my wool sweaters in a plastic tub over the spring and summer seasons and so far we have been lucky. But it is probably just a matter of time before they attack.
I have heard that cedar is a deterant so you may want to buy some in addition to the Lavendar.
materfamilias: Have begun to air things in rotation. My godfather, who sold exquisite quality woolens, always said, "Mess 'em up"- meaning your clothes; moths like undisturbed corners.
lagatta: The berets are a hell of a lot cheaper than those rugs, which I doubt we will replace.
hostess: If you read the Guardian link, apparently cedar has to be in quite high concentration of the oil in the wood to have any effect. I do have cedar balls and tiles in my drawers but I have not sanded them, which apparently brings back some of the deterrent scent.
Also as you say, constant vigilance.
It's a war we can't win, just hope to keep them at bay.
Lilibet
Even my lovely moth-consumed Austrian loden coat was worth more than all my bérets, and it didn't cost as much as most oriental rugs, even small and less precious ones.
But one does love one's bérets.
One unusually wet summer I had an infestation of these moths in my pantry cupboard - nothing was spared, they even got inside glass jars and laid their eggs everywhere. It was dreadful and I had to throw all food stuffs out.
I now use pantry moth traps which contain a lure and it's extraordinary how many moths are caught. They are only needed in summer and seem to be effective.
I also place bay leaves and lavender around the cupboard and place sealed bags around especially delicious (to moths)foods.
I truly sympathise with your much larger losses and have taken away some useful tips re storage of goods.
Sue
Don´t use the pheromone traps, they just attract more into your house!
I will share the advice I picked up at the yarn shop where I worked -- and where people brought things for the owner to mend invisibly. With clothes, scarves, bérets, etc., it's important to store everything CLEAN. It isn't 100% guaranteed to keep moths out, but they do like the combo of animal fiber with a little human "flavoring" a lot more than clean fiber. It's a pain in the neck, and pricy, to hand wash what you can and dry clean what you daren't, but in the long run, it's money well spent compared to the pain and expense of losing cherished garments.
I still have some wool rugs (and tons of knitting wool) in my storage unit in the States -- I'm hoping everything is safe from harm. Guess I'll find out when I am home this winter.
Sue: I've had pantry moths but they never invoke the horror in me that clothes moths do. There are pherome traps for both types of moth.
Anon@ 5:46: In my continuing research I learned that ducts in apartment or condo units can actually blow moths into your place.
I use your essential oil method with lavender oil, which i put on cotton balls, then into open small boxes in the drawers.
rubi: I knew that and always kept on top of the cleaning for garments. I just zoned out about the rugs which of course must have had organic debris in them, even if they looked more or less clean.
And as materfamilias pointed out they will eat many fibers other than wool: silk, cotton, feathers and even natural bristle brushes.
Jane
Everett Tyler @ General Store-All Mini Storage
"cedar closets" with cedar oil and cedar 2x4s (which will not kill existing moths or larvae, only deter new infestation.) I clean clothing and keep seasonal items in snap boxes, but hanging things like wool coats are still vulnerable.
JuneHuston: They are not interested in you, just your textiles.