Any solution to the problem of clothing moths?

We've tried several brands of traps with little success lately and are afraid of poisins because of cats and birds. Asked by newbie4946738 54 months ago Similar Questions: solution problem clothing moths Recent Questions About: solution problem clothing moths Pets > Cats.

Similar Questions: solution problem clothing moths Recent Questions About: solution problem clothing moths.

There are more things you can do to control them. A combination of several methods may be important for you to have success. I won't deal with traps since you are already using them.

However, there may be places you hadn't thought of that harbor the moths that reinvade the areas you have cleaned. Even the family piano can be a haven! .

Although most people can control clothes moth problems themselves, some infestations are best handled by a pest control applicator who has the equipment, materials, and experience necessary to deal with a difficult control job. Methods to carry out at home include: periodic dry cleaning or laundering of woolens kills eggs and larvae sunning and brushing woolens outside to kill and remove eggs and larvaeproperly storing clean items in air-tight containers freezing, heating, or fumigating items with dry ice trapping (which also helps you to detect an infestation in its early stages) using an insecticide (which you don't want to do because of safety concerns)maintaining low humidity (such as running a dehumidifier in the one closet where woolens are stored)sealing crevices and cracks that let the moths into the buildinggood housekeeping, including vacuuming under furniture and in crevices, cracks, closets and heating vents. MORE DETAILSThe Environment and Construction of Your HouseIf humidity can be kept low inside your house, an environment that is not suitable for clothes moth development will be created.

They will not be able to establish colonies. You may not be able to do this in the entire house depending on the climate where you live and the structure of your house. However, you may be able to set aside one closet that you can keep drier, possibly by running a dehumidifier, or store your woolens in tightly sealed containers in which you can put silica drying gel.

You also want to keep the moths from entering to begin with. If you like to go to garage sales, then make sure to dry-clean or launder any clothing you get this way. If something can't be cleaned, such as an heirloom wool carpet, then putting it out in the sun and brushing it thoroughly will help ensure there are no hitchikers.

Building construction that is free of many tiny cracks and crevices also contributes to fewer clothes moth problems, as well as fewer pest problems of all kinds. In some cases you can rectify this yourself with caulk. Good Housekeeping PracticesPeriodically clean areas of a home that may harbor clothes moths to prevent or control infestation.

Those areas include many seldom-cleaned spots, such as: under heavy pieces of furniture; along baseboards and in cracks where hair and debris accumulate; closets, especially those in which woolens and furs are kept; and heaters, the areas behind them, and vents. The vacuum cleaner is the best tool for most of this cleaning. After using it in infested areas, dispose of the bag contents promptly; they may include eggs, larvae, or adult moths.

Clothes moths may first become established on woolen garments or scraps stored for long periods. If such articles are to be saved, they should be stored properly, or periodically hung in the sun and brushed thoroughly, especially along seams and in folds and pockets. Brushing destroys eggs and exposes larvae.

Larvae are strongly repelled by light, and will fall from clothing when they cannot find protection. Dry Cleaning and LaunderingDry cleaning or thoroughly laundering items in hot water (temperature above 120°F for 20 to 30 minutes) kills all stages of insects. This is the most common and effective method for controlling clothes moths in clothing, blankets, and other washable articles.

(Because many woolen garments should not be washed in hot water, dry cleaning may be the only suitable cleaning option. ) Keeping fabrics clean also has another advantage: insects are less likely to feed on clean fabrics than on heavily soiled ones. Protecting Items in StorageClothes moths often damage articles that are not stored properly.

When storing susceptible items, be sure they are pest-free and clean, and place them in an airtight container. Insect repellents can be placed in the storage container. A new product made from lavender oil is available as a gel-filled sachet that can be used inside drawers and storage boxes, or hung in closets.

Research studies are currently underway regarding the efficacy of this product. Moth balls, flakes, or crystals containing naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene are also available for protecting clothes in storage. These materials are toxic and must be kept away from children and pets.

They also leave an unpleasant odor on clothes and other cloth objects. If placed in contact with plastic buttons, hangers, or garment bags, they may cause the plastic to soften and melt into the fabric. As these chemicals evaporate, they produce vapors that, in sufficient concentration, will slowly kill insects.

The vapors build up to the required concentration only in an airtight container. If the container is not airtight, the chemicals only weakly repel adults and any larvae already on clothes continue to feed. Questions are often raised as to the effectiveness of cedar chests and closet floors made of cedar.

Aromatic eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, contains an oil that is able to kill small larvae, but it does not affect large larvae. After several years, however, cedar loses this quality. Having the chest tightly constructed is more important in the long run than the type of wood used to make it.

Freezing and HeatingClothes moths can also be controlled by heating the infested object for at least 30 minutes at temperatures over 120°F, freezing the object for several days at temperatures below 18°F, or fumigating with dry ice. The trick with freezing is to place the object in an almost empty freezer in order to drop the temperature as rapidly as possible. Using Insecticide SpraysIf clothes moths are detected, articles that cannot be dry cleaned, laundered, heated to temperatures over 120°F, frozen, kept in cold storage, or fumigated with dry ice (see "Household Furnishings") can be sprayed with an insecticide.

Find a product that lists clothes moths on its label and follow the directions exactly. Insecticides for clothes moths usually contain pyrethrins, which provide quick knockdown of clothes moths, and most can be sprayed directly on fabrics if needed (in situations where fabrics cannot be laundered or dry cleaned). Pyrethrin insecticides do not leave persistent toxic residues, which makes them more suitable for clothes moth control in many cases than many other products.

Some insecticides have an oil base. Do not spray them on silk, rayon, or other fabrics that stain easily. Do not use them around open flames, sparks, or electrical circuits.

Do not spray them on asphalt-tile floors. Use only lightly on parquet floors. On linoleums, first spray a small inconspicuous area and let it dry to see if staining occurs.

Widespread or heavy infestations often require the services of a professional pest control applicator. Special SituationsRugs, carpets, furs, and household furnishings require special attention for protection from clothes moths. Rugs and furnishings made entirely of synthetic fibers are not affected.

This includes most wall-to-wall carpeting. Rugs and Carpets. Closely inspect areas beneath heavy furniture and along carpet edges for infestation.

Area rugs can be dry cleaned or hung out in the sun and vacuumed. The edges on wall-to-wall carpets can be pulled back so that an insecticide can be applied to both sides of infested carpets. Spray the upper surface of the carpet lightly to reduce the possibility of staining.

If the rug pad contains animal hair or wool and has not been treated by the manufacturer, spray it also. It is preferable to wait until the rug has dried before putting any weight on it. Fur.

Applying protective sprays to furs is not recommended. If you store furs at home throughout the summer, protect them with moth crystals, flakes, or balls; or frequently shake and air them. Furs in commercial cold storage receive professional care and can be insured against damage.

Household Furnishings. Some furniture, mattresses, and pillows are stuffed with animal products such as hair or feathers. When clothes moths get into the stuffing, they cannot be controlled simply by spraying the outside surface of the item.

The best way to eliminate them is to fumigate the item with dry ice or to have a pest control or storage firm treat the infested item with a lethal gas in a fumigation vault. To fumigate an object with dry ice, place the item and the dry ice in a thick (4 mils) plastic bag. (Do not handle dry ice with your bare hands because it will quickly freeze your skin.

) If you use a plastic bag with a 30-gallon capacity, a 1/2- to 1-lb piece of dry ice should be adequate. Seal the bag loosely at the top until all the dry ice has vaporized; this will allow the air to escape and keep the bag from bursting. When the dry ice is gone, tighten the seal and let the bag sit for 3 or 4 days.

Proper fumigation gives quick, satisfactory control, and kills all stages of clothes moths, although it does not prevent reinfestation. Sometimes felts and hammers in pianos become infested and so badly damaged that the tone and action of the instrument are seriously affected. The services of a piano technician are then recommended; synthetic felts are available.

Sources: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7435.html .

Cedar You can use cedar, which is much nicer than those horrible-smelling, probably-toxic mothballs we used when I was a kid back in the old days when we walked 6 miles to school in snow up to our knees. You can buy cedar chips, more like chunks, really. Also they come in rounds the size of a small jawbreaker.

I believe I got some at a fabric store. Here are some ideas and places: containerstore.com tipnut.com also have recipes stacksandstacks.com localharvest.com Sorry these are not links, and I got great pics but they would not upload here properly. Incidentally, cedar is a great flea reppellent for animals too.

Keep it around. Sources: Been using these a long time. Websites sell them.

Natural Moth Control Cedar chips in a cheesecloth square, or cedar oil in an absorbant cloth will repel moths. The cedar should be 'aromatic cedar', also referred to as juniper in some areas. Homemade moth-repelling sachets can also be made with lavender, rosemary, vetiver and rose petals.

Dried lemon peels are also a natural moth deterrent - simply toss into clothes chest, or tie in cheesecloth and hang in the closet. Sources: eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm .

2 I have lots and lots of lavender growing in my garden and live in a mothy area. I've found that tying up a good sized bunch fresh lavender and hanging it in a closet with wool things does keep them away. I leave it there until it's dried and not so smelly and then I add a fresh bunch.

I've never had much luck with the pre-dried lavender you can buy as moth repellent, though. I find the really strong lavender smell a bit overpowering when I open the closet but it's _way_ better than the smell of mothballs and doesn't linger in clothes.

I have lots and lots of lavender growing in my garden and live in a mothy area. I've found that tying up a good sized bunch fresh lavender and hanging it in a closet with wool things does keep them away. I leave it there until it's dried and not so smelly and then I add a fresh bunch.

I've never had much luck with the pre-dried lavender you can buy as moth repellent, though. I find the really strong lavender smell a bit overpowering when I open the closet but it's _way_ better than the smell of mothballs and doesn't linger in clothes.

PLS" "I have tiny brownish moths which someone said were pantry moths. " ""a technological solution to a non-problem. "?

" "Can you recommend problem and solution books on algebraic topology? " "Do you believe the addage "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem"? " "Does anyone have a natural treatment to get rid of clothing moths?

I don't want anything that can be harmful to my cat.

I have chickens dogs and cats and have had goats in the past with no problem.

Problem/ solution faced by characters in legend of sleepy hollow.

I have tiny brownish moths which someone said were pantry moths.

A technological solution to a non-problem. "?

I don't want anything that can be harmful to my cat.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.