Getting Rid of Moths

I have a problem with clothes moths and am not sure how to kick it. This happened a few years ago, too. At that time, I had my apartment fumigated, but only a few days after that, I saw them flying around again! But after awhile they did seem to disappear. Now they're back, but this time, I can't find the source of the infestation.

My winter woolen clothing is cleaned and in plastic boxes with protective sachets and I've looked through all the sneaky places I found them a few years back, in tea towels in the kitchen, books, the back of picture frames on the walls, the felt on the bottom of furniture, everywhere. My apartment is in an old building though and the floorboards are full of cracks so it's possible that I'll never be able to really properly clean out the place.

So my question now is, is there an alternative to fumigation? For example, does anyone have any thoughts or experience with using incense to "smoke" them out? I mean, incense in great quantities, like twenty sticks per room. I realize they are tough to get rid of, but if I find it difficult to breath when one incense stick is burning, maybe a concentration of smoke will destabilize and ultimately kill any lurking eggs? Any thoughts or tips on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance.

By Anna from Chicago, IL

Answers:

Getting Rid of Moths

Lots and lots of lavender and cedar, moths hate both of these.

I got some cheap cedar rings from a dollar store or you could ask your local lumber yard for some shavings. Perhaps even pick up some cones yourself.

Lavender is everywhere right now so beg and borrow, make small bunches, dry them and put them in your clothes boxes and wardrobes. Or make lavender sachets with the dried flowers and put them in between the clothes.
Lavender bags are also brilliant tucked into your pillow case if you have trouble getting off to sleep! Which you might be doing if these pesky moths are worrying you. (07/06/2010)

By ayesha christmas

Getting Rid of Moths

We have recently had an outbreak of moths. I have looked online and from pictures I see, I believe they are 'pantry moths'. The only reason I am not absolutely certain is that while they look exactly like the pictures of pantry moths I have seen, they do not infest our foodstuffs at all (I saw one moth in the dog food once). They do not like any of the pictures I saw for clothes moths, nor do they seem to like our linens either.

They have infested an upper cupboard right above our linen cupboard. We keep holiday decorations and camping gear in this cupboard, not really any cloth (or any natural cloth at any rate, just the material on the tent and sleeping bags) or any foodstuffs whatsoever. Anyway, they have multiplied in there at an alarming rate!

I open the cupboard and they are everywhere! There must be at least 30-50 in there at any given time! I tried clearing everything out of there and spraying it down with a mixture of bleach and water however I saw about 8-10 hanging out in there just a few hours later. I have now dumped a large quantity of mothballs in there and then taped the whole thing up around the edges in hopes of killing them. We will see how this works. They are mostly in this cupboard, but then come out and hang out along the walls and ceiling of the little alcove in which this cupboard sits and I saw about 8 of them about 5 hours after doing the mothballs and tape up. They are driving me up the wall!!! If anyone knows what type of moths look exactly like pantry moths yet do not infest foodstuff or linen and how to kill them please please please let me know! (09/14/2010)

By Meredith