Here is a photo - don't get grossed out. I cleaned it afterward by soaking with vinegar, water, and a drop of dish soap. Try it with inexpensive colored glassware from thrift stores or church rummage sales.
By Jan Yofee from OH1
I have pantry and clothing moths. Please tell me how to inexpensively get rid of and prevent these critters that are eating us out of house and home! I prefer totally organic, if possible.
Thanks.
By Alicia
Put Cedar blocks and sachets in your closets and drawers. Make cedar sachets using the small animal cedar bedding and scrap fabric. I don't buy the pre-made cedar blocks anymore, I purchased an 8' cedar board at the lumber store and cut it down to various sizes, then drilled a whole through the middle. most were around 2" x 2" x 4" pieces.
I then cut metal coat hangers into hooks that could be threaded through the holes. I add beads and tassels to make them decorative and hang them in my clothes closet.
Also always be sure any seasonal clothing is thoroughly cleaned before packing away. These will last forever, if it seems the scent is not as strong as it use to be, take a piece of sand paper to the cedar block and that will bring the scent out again.
You can also use Tea Tree oil in your pantry and cabinets. It seems pricey at first, but you only put 8-10 drops in a squirt bottle and fill with water, then spray this around the inside of your closet especially in the corners (top and bottom) and door. It has a very strong herbal smell, but that will disappear shortly. This is also an excellent mold and mildew inhibitor.
Eucalyptus is also an excellent bug repellant as is Lavender, just be sure and use the natural essential oils, not imitation fragrance oils.
I've put sticks of spearmint chewing gum in all of my food cabinets and so far, no problem with moths. I was getting them with cat food for a while, but the gum seems to keep them away.
You should replace the gum with a fresh stick every 3 months or so.
Good luck.
Where can I buy something to get a moth larvae out of my good clothes? I have thrown away all of my clothes, but I want to keep a few special things and I have tried borax and Kleen Free Naturally and SLA spray nothing has worked.
If anyone could suggest something? Please.
Thank you. The pic is the inside of a pocket on a dress.
I'm going to put a dresser up in the attic to store clothes and I'm just wondering if anyone has ideas/tips on how to keep the moths away without using moth balls because I heard they do damage to clothing plus the smell is so overpowering and hard to get out of the clothing. Thanks for any advice you might have.
I've always heard that moths only eat wool that is not completely clean. Lavender, rose petals, and dried lemon peel are supposed to repel moths.
Hi,why don't you buy those plastic storage bags that you vacuum all the air out. You can store more things and you can use the bags over and over again. I think Walmart would have them.
Lavender has been used for centuries for all kinds of things including moth repelling. You can buy dried lavender by the pound and put an ounce or two into small bags or tie up in handkerchiefs. Place a couple in each drawer of the dresser or in any closet to keep linens beautifully fresh, and free of moths. Enjoy. You will probably become a lavender lover. It smells so good!
We had moved out of town for a few years and had our house rented out to various renters. Now we are back and the carpets, etc all have moths (the clothes moths not the flying kind). I know moths don't like cedar, tomato leaves, etc., and that may work for places like the closets, but what about the carpets?
We can't afford new carpets at this time. We've steamed cleaned them, etc., but have run out of ideas. Does anyone have any solutions that may help?Looking in a pest control book for an answer, my husband (who's getting his Master's Degree in Entomology--insects) found the following information. First, the book recommended using an INDUSTRIAL GRADE vacuum cleaner. Possibly try checking with a Pest Control agency to see if they have such a vacuum, or possibly a cleaning agency that does commercial grade cleaning.
When I moved into my house it was full of moths. After about 6 months of using crushed bay leaves on the carpet they were gone.
Can you tell me the exact cycle of clothing moths? All the exterminators tell me my house is clean. I have found few holes in clothing fabric and my towels are all stringed up. I have used mothballs, fogged, and cleaned along. 90 percent of the clothing has been cleaned at the cleaners.
I do not see anything flying, but have seen tiny black or brown hard bugs like a gnat. I put clear plastic behind the dresser and counter. My clothes are all bagged up. I am scared to put things away.
I have no more energy to deal with this plus the smell from mothballs is making me sick. I also have my terminally ill mother here and do not know if I have clothing moths. What can I use other than moth balls that works? I also have cleaned and vacuumed all the furniture and thrown away a lot.
I am concerned how do you transfer them room to room or do you? I'm ridiciulously scared to even live also my dog are they in here. Do I have the worms crawling on me if I wear the clothing? Please help me.
By Sundra A.
My house is full of moths! Does anyone know how to get rid of them?
By cassandra from Imperial, TX
If they are what is called pantry moths, you can get rid of them, but they are difficult. They usually come in on bird seed so if you have any of that in the house anywhere you should get it outside or in garage. Then, you might have to throw some foods away in your kitchen/pantry where you see the infestation. They spin tiny little webs in the packages. They can even burrow through plastic. You usually find them in dry goods like macaroni, spaghetti, and other dry goods.
I can't get rid of moths in my closet. I have tried cedar planks, lavender, but nothing seems to work. What else can I try? I am desperate, the moths are eating my clothes.
By Betty from Simi Valley, CA
If possible, I would completely empty the closet and hang the clothing outside. I would wash/clean everything I could. Wipe the shelves down, vacuum thoroughly. Once clean, find an insect spray that states on the label that it kills moths and spray the closet well and close it up for a day or two. Open it up to let any odor dissipate, then put only the clean things back in. Discard/replace any boxes or paper in there, or seal it in plastic bags. If there is anything you cannot clean, try putting it in plastic and putting it in the freezer for a few days. Good luck!
Before replacing clothing, you may need to place them in the clothes dryer on the hottest temperature they can tolerate or brush the clothing down with clothes brush both inside and out. Heat from a couple of cycles in the dryer, especially for sturdier items, usually kills insects. Clean empty closet as meticulously as possible.
To keep moths, etc, from attacking fruit on trees in the spring, place a plastic gallon bottle with one cup sugar, one banana skin, and fill it half full with water. Hang it from a limb of the tree.
I have scrubbed my closet top to bottom, scrubbed baseboards, used cedar, lavender, and moth balls. I vacuum every other day and have had the carpet cleaned and still the moths continue to eat my clothes, I am desperate for a solution!
By Linda M
I came back from the Middle East with some beautiful tribal rugs. I also brought back moths in one of them. I read that putting wool items in the freezer was the only way to kill moths in wool rugs, so I wrapped them in plastic bags and left them out all last winter. It didn't work. Can someone help me?
By Linda B.
