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
This page contains the following solutions.
I folded mine and dropped in a few mothballs and some leftover potpourri, then sewed shut. instant moth-repellent that doesn't smell too bad.
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.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
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!
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.
Take an orange (the fruit - preferably organic) and insert in the skin lots of cloves - you will need a lot! Leave all around a space for a ribbon and hang it in your closets or just put it in the middle of your clothes.
Do you have birds or keep wild birdseed in the house? You can end up with tons of moths due to the bird seed, one way to get rid of them is to freeze the seed in a tupperware container and only take out what you need for each feeding. Be sure to empty the shells out of their dish and throw them outside of the house, also clean the bottom of the cage everyday and remove the seeds that fell to the bottom of cage and be sure to place them outside also.
I have the same problem with pantry moths, put anything that is susceptible to moth infestation into plastic sealed containers (or glass). I just keep smacking them when I see them. I threw out the cat food they were hatching in, but still have a few diehard moths hanging around.
Pantry moths are extremely hard to get rid of. They will seem to die off, but are actually in a stage of larva that hasn't hatched yet. They hide anywhere, under rims of jars that haven't been opened yet, in between the matches of matchbooks, in cupboard cracks, nesting in curtains, etc--not just in food.
I cleaned out my pantry every week for months fighting them. And yes, they will fly around the house and do everything regular moths do. I now open everything as soon as I bring it home. I have found boxes of dog treats infested, along with cat food, dog food, bags of rice and macaroni, sacks of flour, etc. Flours get bagged and put into the freezer to kill anything that might be in them. E
verything gets put in sealed plastic bags or glass, airtight containers. Open and check everything--they hide out in boxes (cake mix, cereal, hamberger helper, etc)--don't just check the food, check the inside of the box too! It takes a while to get rid of them and will often feel defeating, but be vigilant. I found that they'd swarm in the evening, so I'd look for them about an hour after we went to bed and kill the ones on the ceiling, walls, cupboard doors (check the inside of the doors too), etc.
We'd only been infested that one time and it was so much trouble that I check everything now, not wanting to go through it again. I seriously panic when I find one. Good luck.
I have found many great ideas already posted. I have used bay leaves in all my cabinets on each shelf. Lavender in my dresser drawers and cedar blocks in my closet. Then I began to watch and noticed that many flowers and mints deter bugs so why not moths too?!
I also quit buying boxes of food. I now buy fresh whole foods and bulk items. I no longer have the challenge so much. I rarely see moths around. O and to put clothes away for the seasons. I just use peppercorns, no bugs there either.
Cedar chips in closets and cupboards will get rid of clothing worms and moths. They don't like the smell.
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.
Oy. Been there. So frustrating.
The best way to get rid of moths is to take everything out of your closet and vacuum it out completely (toss that bag or canister contents outside immediately after you finish. Then wash out the closet walls and floors with as hot a water as you can for what you have. Dry clean all of your dry cleanables and wash everything else. You may want to leave shoes,purses etc. out in the hot sun for a few hours before putting them back. Then for the wool, silk, and cotton items (they seem to leave blends alone) find a better storage method..using something that is airtight.
I have one friend who wears by those bags you suck all the air out (but I think they make the clothes smell bad when you finally free them from the plastic). She claims putting them in the sun after freeing them gets rid of the plastic smell.
Another friend has a professionally built cedar closet (I think her clothes smell like cedar, but that is me, I am very sensitive to smells) but it works.
If these solutions don't work for you, having your closet be not packed, but having a little space between items helps. If you see the chomping starting again, you will have to go through the cleaning again.
Sadly I could not control the issue I had to so I got rid of all wool (I guess I was lucky--I could not afford silks and they seemed to leave my cotton items alone). Once I got rid of my woolen items, the problem went away. It was so sad, they ruined my favorite black skirt and a favorite coat.
I hope you find a good solution. Take care!!
Clean well, than use this product called space bags. It stores everything perfect ,taking out the air and making storage more manageable.
Vacuum well. Make sure you dont store items for a while without washing. Moths are attracted to body oils. They sell cedar planks you can put in the closet to repel moths.
Everything has to be cleaned - clothes/closets/carpet near closets.
After that is done you can use plastic vacuum bags, sealable plastic bags, cedar hangers, cedar hang ups for the closet -
Do not have any cardboard boxes in closets.
Be sure everything is cleaned before storing and it probably will not happen again.
www.amazon.com/
Martha Stewart has some good suggestions:
www.marthastewart.com/
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.
You might want to ask the Pest Control agency to see if they have any pheromone traps that will attract the adults, too. This will get rid of the adult females that will continue to lay eggs. Or they may recommend a surface treatment for the carpet. (Have them test it in an inconspicuous area first.)
The book says "Upholstered furniture can also support clothes moth larvae on the outer surface between the rows of pile and underside. Regular vacuuming of these areas on susceptible furniture can help infestation and damage."
Good luck! I hope this helps!
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.
I can't answer all your questions but I can tell you what I know about clothing moths. They are everywhere. You really can't get rid of them entirely or avoid them entirely. They do not ever get on people. You can only protect the clothing they like to eat. I use cedar oil (or pieces of aromatic cedar wood) for my wool clothes instead of moth balls.
A cedar chest is wonderful if you have one. The fumes from mothballs aren't good for anybody to breath. When you use moth balls, make sure they are in an airtight container so they aren't contributing to air pollution. Things that you wash on a regular basis shouldn't be a problem. You may want to consider an exterminator on a one time basis to get rid of the worst of them. Good luck.
Thanks for your help. Doesn't the clothes smell from the cedar wood? Where can I buy cedar oil? I never see moths but all of my tee shirts have holes in them.
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.
Yes get rid of anything in boxes like pancake mix, cake mixes, flour, bran cereals, any powdered foods, etc. and wash your cabinets down inside and out with bleach water. Kill any worms or webby like things. Get rid of all cleaning cloths and trash. This worked for me. One cycle of moths can produce up to 400 eggs! You can bring them home from the grocery store also.
Hope this will work for you!
B from Delaware
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.
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
Fogging is the answer. I've had a webbing clothes moth infestation for an entire year. The pheromone traps (Safer or Pro Pest) do catch lots of males (over a hundred in this case), but didn't stop the breeding cycle.
Two weeks ago I fogged my apartment with a can of Pro Control. It has low toxicity for humans, and no residue. I have not seen one moth since. I ordered a couple more cans in case a new batch hatches. The product and process were recommended by an exterminator that my apartment manager brought in.
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.
Powder the rugs heavily and evenly with boric acid powder front and back (follow package directions carefully) then put them back into the plastic bags-seal tightly and leave for at least two weeks.
Vacuum up the boric acid and you should see a moth-less rug. You may need to repeat the treatment a couple of times to be sure you got all of the moths but the boric acid powder should work.
You can find the powder at any grocery, big-box (like WalMart and Target) or at a feed 'n seed store. Works on fleas, ants, spiders, and roaches too, great stuff! But be sure to follow the directions exactly for safest and best results.
How do I get rid of household moths?
By Kathleen
There are products on the market called Pantry Moth Traps. I've used them with success. They are $5-10. for a pack of 2. They have a pellet that has moth attractant on it that lasts several months, which you put on to a sticky trap that comes with it and holds and traps them. I used both traps at the same time in different rooms. The little triangle traps don't look too bad, they are 3 sided with the sticky inside. They are about 6 X 6 inches. I didn't measure them.
They can be bought at some garden stores, milling stores, big box stores and on line. Good luck.
How do I get rid of moths in my front storm door?
By Tracy from Wellington, CO
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I have a problem with clothes moths and am not sure how to kick it. This happened a few years ago, too.
I was wondering how to get rid of moths in my closet. They are eating holes in my t-shirts. Do I have to wash all the clothing first and then treat them?
I need a cheap way to kill moths, anything that eats holes in my clothes while in the wardrobe or chest of drawers.
