Clothes Moth (13 Photos): Means For A Closet With Clothes To Get Rid Of Moths. What Does A Larva Look Like? Home Traps And Other Ways To Fight

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

Clothes moth is one of the most common household pests. It is very common at home. But it must be borne in mind that the clothes moth is masterfully hidden, so it can be extremely difficult to see it. You should know more about this insect, and how you can effectively deal with it.

Description

The dress moth is a miniature butterfly with characteristic golden wings with fringed edges. However, this insect is not the main enemy of human clothing. It is the larva of the moth that can cause the most serious damage to the wardrobe . It looks like a small white caterpillar, the length of which rarely reaches more than 1 cm. This pest has a rather lazy behavior, is inactive, but in search of food, the caterpillar immediately begins to move much more actively.

When people notice a moth flying by in their houses and apartments, it is pointless to run after it in order to swat it . The fact is that usually only males or females who have already laid eggs are sent on a flight. These insects will not be able to bring you any extra problems, and they themselves will soon die. It is necessary to hunt for eggs and moth larvae.

Many people are interested in where this harmful insect comes from in the house . Basically, the moth flies into the dwelling through an open door or window. But this is far from the only way an insect enters the house.

The moth passes even through tiny and narrow cracks, and not just through open windows. The butterfly that flew into the room quickly finds the best conditions for breeding and feeding. It is there that she is engaged in laying eggs.

If you brought an antique or just a previously used sofa, then the insect larvae may already be in its upholstery . The same goes for worn-out wardrobe items. Pest larvae can even enter the house on pet hair, although this happens very rarely.

How does it hurt?

The dressing moth is a widespread and annoying pest. It is the larval stage of this insect that is considered the most destructive . Insects actively feed on wool from outerwear, as well as carpets, carpets and even upholstery materials for upholstered furniture. Clothes moths are also attracted to furs, natural animal hair, felt linings, and even fishmeal, which is found in large quantities in various fish foods.

The moth in question can also greedily devour both synthetic and cotton materials, if they contain at least small amounts of wool . Also, insect larvae often use cotton fibers to form the basis for a pupa from them.

Significant damage usually occurs in subtle, enclosed areas. For example, this could be under the collar or cuffs of the garment. If it is furniture, then defects will form in the cracks. Carpets underneath furniture often begin to show visible damage from clothes moths.

It should be noted that tissues that have been contaminated with food, sweat or traces of urine are the most susceptible to attacks by these pests. This is due to the fact that unclean areas attract moths even more with their characteristic odors.

How to get rid of?

You can and should get rid of the clothes moth. This pest can cause a lot of damage if you do not start fighting with it in time. Fortunately, people have many effective methods at their disposal to get rid of clothes moths quickly and easily. In the fight against it, people use a variety of means and compositions . You can remove this parasite with both natural and chemical components. The main thing is to adhere to all the rules for applying any chosen option. Let's take a look at some of them.

Fumigators

The use of fumigators is the simplest way to remove clothes moths. It is enough to place a special naphthalene tablet in the place of infection . Many people use this kind of thing, but few have even thought about its toxicity at least once. The process of processing with naphthalene does not stop its effect, therefore the couples will influence the person without interruption. If you use poison, then only in a place that will always be closed, where children will definitely not get.

When using fumigators, at first the moth will evade areas with a characteristic mothballs aroma, and then it will simply begin to die . There are also special varieties of fumigators, which are supplemented with added substances unpleasant for moths. Most of these products contain a component such as naphthalene.

Contact drugs

At home, you can deal with clothes moths with special contact drugs. They are sold as aerosols. The use of such means is required specifically in the affected area by moths. In this case, special attention should be paid to woolen things. Before starting processing, it is very important to carefully examine all the contents in the cabinet. It is necessary to remove the old, contaminated and already infected with insects.

Even if the aerosol exposure is negligible, many toxic compounds will be released into the air in one way or another . After using poisonous compounds, it is not allowed to stay in the apartment for at least 6 hours. All rooms must be very well ventilated.

For the period of processing, it is strongly recommended to take away the younger household members and any pets from the apartment.

Pheromone traps

These anti-clothes moth remedies are not capable of harming human health. They contain special substances that emit a smell that attracts male insects. A person is not able to catch it, contact with any toxic elements is completely excluded. Over time, the number of males begins to decline, while the females remain unfertilized and do not lay eggs. The period of effective operation of one such trap is always indicated on the package . As a rule, it is 10 and sometimes 12 weeks.

Of course, in fact, this period is not so long, and there is no guarantee that any male has attached to this trap.

Folk remedies

It is possible to fight with clothes moths with the help of folk remedies. Let's find out about some of them.

• Exposure to high temperatures . To destroy dangerous moth larvae, it is enough to wash all things by hand or in a washing machine. To improve the efficiency, it is recommended to additionally boil the laundry. As a supplement, you can turn to steam treatment.
• Exposure to low temperatures . If things can't just be washed in hot water, they can be frozen. To do this, you can only hang the clothes out in the cold and leave them in a similar environment for several hours.
• Through plants . A good and simple solution is to put plants in closets with clothes that have a pronounced odor that irritates parasites the most. For these purposes, wormwood, lavender and tansy are perfect.

Prevention of the appearance

If you do not want to face the problem of removing the clothes moth, it makes sense to resort to certain preventive measures. Thanks to them, household members may never know about what serious damage this little pest can cause.

To prevent the appearance of a clothes moth, you can turn to many folk remedies. For example, repellent plants are highly effective. With a specific aroma, they can scare off various insects, including moths.

Onions, geraniums, vinegar, lilies, lavender, rosemary, and citrus peels are good prophylactic agents

The effect of these components is much longer than that of common chemicals, but at the same time they are safer for the health of households and animals.