How to get rid of moths and save your favorite items and foods

The clothes moth has excellent taste: in any season it prefers expensive cashmere, natural silk, pure wool, feathers, furs and cotton. The food moth has simpler requests: it will be satisfied with everything that can be found in the kitchen. If your wardrobe is dear to you, you should take steps to protect it without waiting for the first holes. And if the moth has already begun to feast in your kitchen cabinet, then it's time for decisive action.

How to get rid of a clothes moth

1. Arrange a general cleaning

The moth loves to hide in warm secluded corners, so the first thing to do is remove everything from the wardrobe, vacuum every shelf and drawer, and then wipe all internal surfaces with a rag soaked in any detergent.

It will also not hurt to vacuum carpets and hard-to-reach places where dust usually accumulates: behind furniture, in the corners of dresser drawers, behind radiators. Finally, wash all clothing, as well as curtains, bedspreads, rugs, and furniture covers.

2. Freeze clothes

In winter, you can take your clothes out onto the balcony, while the rest of the time, use the freezer. Moth larvae die at sub-zero temperatures, so put your clothes in bags and stuff anything that fits into the freezer.

3. Take your clothes out into the sun

Bright sun rays act on moth larvae in the same way as frost. For insects to die, it is enough to hold clothes in the sun for a couple of hours.

4. Wash your clothes often

Moth loves dried sweat particles, so don't put anything that needs to be washed first, especially if it's knitted items, in your freshly sanitized closet.

5. Store woolen items in covers

When it gets warm, fold your favorite winter sweaters, dresses, and scarves into covers or zip bags and place in each moth repellent. Life hacker will tell you what is best for scaring away moths below.

6. Quarantine for antiquity

Vintage wardrobe items inherited from a great-grandmother or bought at a flea market must first be dry-cleaned and only then hung in the closet. Even if at first glance things do not arouse suspicion, moth larvae can easily live in the seams.

7. Buy cedar hangers

The moth cannot stand the smell of cedar, so hangers made of this tree will reliably protect your clothes from gluttonous pests.

8. Stay alert

Review your clothes from time to time, and regularly ventilate rooms and closets. Do not store things that you do not wear: either throw them away or give them away. Moths most often start on clothes that have not been taken out of the closet for a long time, and almost never on those that are constantly worn.

9. Use natural repellents to repel moths

The most effective natural remedy for moths is lavender. Also, a carnation (not a flower, but a seasoning) does a good job, however, it has a rather strong smell, which will inevitably be absorbed into clothes, and not everyone likes it.

10. Use aerosols to kill moths

If you are determined to poison the moth with the help of chemicals, the most radical and effective way would be to spray infected items and storage areas with powerful insecticides. In addition to the usual dichlorvos, products are produced based on permethrin, pyrethrins and pyrethroids.

However, do not forget that many of them are very toxic, which means that they are not applicable in all situations and can cause a strong allergic reaction. Before spraying aerosol, carefully read the instructions on the packaging, especially the part on precautions.

How to get rid of food moths

1. Throw away all contaminated foods

Check all cans and bags of cereals, animal feed, dried fruit, seeds, tea, and other bulk products. This also applies to unopened packages. Infected foods may contain moth eggs, similar to sticky semolina, larvae and characteristic cobwebs. If you see any of these, throw away the entire stack.

2. Inspect and clean the entire kitchen

Moths can live not only inside kitchen cabinets, but also on and behind them. Sometimes it is even found behind the edges of the wallpaper, under the base of the chandelier or behind the ceiling plinth.

Vacuum and rinse cabinets and other moth habitats. When washing, it is recommended to add laundry soap to the water, and then wipe the surfaces with a vinegar solution. Remember to let the cabinets dry before putting your supplies back in.

The containers in which the food was stored should also be thoroughly rinsed and dried, and also kept in the freezer for a day.

3. Process leftover food

The cereals can be sorted out and kept in the freezer for 4–5 days, or they can be calcined in the oven for at least half an hour at a temperature of 60 degrees. Then pour the cereals into containers with tight lids.

4. Use pheromone traps to trap male moths

By themselves, males are harmless, since they do not even have a mouth apparatus. However, they fertilize females that lay eggs.

5. Use bay leaves and lavender

You can spread lavender sprigs, dried cloves, and bay leaves on the shelves to scare away moths. Some housewives put bay leaves directly into containers with cereals, but this method is suitable only for those who have nothing against the faint aroma of this spice in cereals and side dishes.

6. Go without inventory

Try not to buy cereals for future use and do not store them for more than a couple of months. And if you have already decided to make supplies, then hold the purchased products for several days in the cold.