Rentokil quoting £5.5k to eliminate moths -- isn't that rather dear?

[Mothsemptiedmybankaccount]

We've had moths for a year in a 3-bed house. I notice ten or twenty of the fat blisters hanging about on the walls every night when I go to bed in our bedrooms at the mo. Don't know where they're coming from. They appeared when DH decided to reorganise all our books during Lockdown 1. We got Rentokil round today to quote for getting rid of them. They quoted £5.5k for five fumigation sprays, which have to happen once a week and we have to stay out for four hours minimum afterwards. Doesn't sound very safe. On the fourth week, they bring their 'heat pod', which all our clothes (family of 4), duvets, sheets, go into and it heats them to 60 degrees centigrade, for an hour.
I know moths are tenacious little bastards. But am I being unreasonable to think there must be a cheaper/less toxic way? NO - I have solved this problem without emptying my bank account and spraying my house with neurotoxins, here's how; YES - This is the only way, I speak from bitter experience.

Watching because we have started finding them. In my (limited) experience it’s relatively easy to find the source, wash on hot (or Chuck out) the clothes and steam clean the area to kill the eggs. Have you found the best?

*nest

Have you found where they are coming from?

I'd want them to eliminate all moths in a 5 mile radius for that much.

That's a "we don't want this job" quote

@skeggycaggy No I don't know where they are coming from. I think it might be the carpets. I did have some moths about twenty years ago from a vintage cardigan and I remember opening the wardrobe and moths would fly out. That's not happening this time -- nothing in wardrobes at all.

Thats MADNESS 😂 have you asked if someone's made an error with the quote? I have accidentally added a 0 on a quote a few times but noticed before sending. Even 550+VAT seems high. Id look into local pest control.

@scbchl I think I'll get another quote. He did it on his laptop right in front of us so he hasn't made an error.

That does seem a lot! Have you had a quote from another pest control company? A local one may be much cheaper.

That can't be right?! Have you got any smaller/local pest control companies near you?

You said it happened when your DH reorganised the books. Aren't there moths that love paper, especially old paper? We've had them. I just sprayed all the books with moth spray!

Wow that's quite a hole in your wallet there op!!

These are quite effective at killing them before they can lay more eggs.

www.amazon.co.uk/STV-International-COM004-Diamond-Refill/dp/B01I3E0RBG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&s=outdoors&keywords=Zero+In&search-type=ss&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1617289477&sr=1-4

You might as well buy all new clothes and bedding rather than pay that ridiculous price.

Remove any wool carpets if you have any.

I’m guessing that is all the moths in the world, for that price.

Not expensive if you live in a stately home!

I won't use Rentokil they are extortionate, get a couple of local quotes. I often get my house fumigated for around £100.

For that much I'd want them to be nuked from space as it's the only way to make sure.

Dust Hoover.
Wash all your clothes at 60 degrees.
Put the heating on high.
Use moth spray.
And leave drops of cedar wood essential oil placed on cotton wool behind curtains in wardrobes etc.

At that price just go shopping for new clothes and put down hard flooring.
Much more enjoyable!

Mine arrived because of wool carpet once removed and applied all the above no more problems.

Try contacting your Council to see if they have a Pest Control Officer; much cheaper than Rentokil.

@BLToutanowhere Thank you for that, it's the first laugh I had since the moth bloke left!

I always but the moth killer stuff from John Lewis or Amazon. I would buy a hundred quids worth and put it all round the house.

I had moths and managed to very almost get rid of them with store bought solutions...I think they were nesting in some old carpet underneath fitted wardrobes my landlord installed over the top of the carpet before cutting the rest of the carpet out and stripping the room back to floorboards, but anyway. Used a ton of sprays, those sticky moth traps and steam cleaning weekly. Never eliminated them entirely but it helped reduce them by 90% at least. Started to see improvements within a week, but kept it up for a few weeks then always had sticky moth traps about after that. They were the little white ones with wings that looked almost papery, if that helps!

Seriously though you have to clean corners.
We had them in food cupboards. They were obviously brought in via a rogue bag of flour.
I bleached my kitchen cupboards and sprinkled bay leaves in all the food cupboards as a deterrent.
Your clothes can be washed and aired on a sunny day.
Vacuum carpets, change bag and vacuum again using a nozzle on all edges.
Look for tiny holes in carpets or linens to see where they are mostly living.
You don't need fumigation if you're prepared to thoroughly clean every inch of your home. But if they are hidden under a carpet it will be tricky to find them so may be worth replacing old wool carpets with something moths don't like.