To think I've gotten rid of the moths in my curtains?

[EShellstrop]

Little tiny ones, living in my curtains. I have huge windows, replacing them will be £££

Instead I took them down and left them outside on the line for about a week, then washed them on a high heat, and left them on the line for a day again.

AIBU to think they're gone?

Hmm. They are evil little buggers once they take hold.

I mean - that sounds like it ought to have got them, but it is all about risk - if you put them back and they haven't all gone, are you risking also having to replace a carpet and a 3 piece suite ? Is that a gamble you want to take ?

Put them in the freezer for 48 hours.

Put them in a plastic bag and in the freezer for a week, it will kill any potential remaining eggs or larvae .

Vacuum storage bag will also work if you will struggle to get them in the freezer.

Sorry, none of that will kill the eggs - being outside is their ideal environment. Maybe high heat wash -but think eggs can survive that.

You're going to need to break the life cycle. And the caterpillars are the damaging part, the moths don't do much (other than lay more eggs).

I like the freezer idea - anyone you know have a chest freezer? Might be cheaper to eat/defrost the entire freezer food than replace the curtains!

On the basis that the moths probably live outside, hanging them out may well be aslightly worse than putting a sign in your window saying "hungry moths here-tasty curtains"

Tbh they're probably else where in your house too not just in your curtains

Yes, I do worry they are elsewhere!

I'm going to have to burn the house down, aren't I? 😔

We’ve got these moths , they’re so destructive!
I’ve carpet moth powder , spray , moth balls and papers and the little buggers are still munching away
Every time I see one I squash it
I think it’s a very bad year , there are a lot around

I hate those arsehole moths. Freezer does it

So the question is, do I put them in the freezer over the weekend, having no curtains up when friends are visiting, or do I wait until they leave, and risk us being surrounded by the tiny, feathery feckers? Ugh!

We have them too. Found huge amounts in curtains last year and so chucked them out.

But they are back this year. How on earth do you identify where they live. They are through the house.

I'm in a large Victorian terrace, I have no hope of getting rid properly. One fluttered out of my dd's drawer just this morning.

Get someone in to spray the house

Or house bombs to distribute the gas to kill them

Nope.

You need to spray the inside of all drawers and wardrobes with Zero Moth Killer, put everything back clean and well shaken out with the right concentration of Zero killer papers, AND put a sticky pheromone trap in every room.

The pheromone traps are key!

And spray the killer spray in the room with the curtains, shut door and leave all day.

But they are back this year. How on earth do you identify where they live. They are through the house

If you have wool carpets, then they can lay their eggs in there, as well as natural fibres in your clothes like wool, silk, cotton etc.

@MarianneUnfaithful

Nope.

You need to spray the inside of all drawers and wardrobes with Zero Moth Killer, put everything back clean and well shaken out with the right concentration of Zero killer papers, AND put a sticky pheromone trap in every room.

The pheromone traps are key!

Oh god, this is going to take ages to get sorted.

I am fighting the battle too. My current regime:

Vacuum cleaner always out. Every time I see a moth I vacuum it up.
Sticky traps in rooms I see them most often. They trap the males so reduce breeding. As does vacuuming up every moth I see.
Moth killing sachets in every wardrobe.
The two wardrobes most affected were cleared out, vacuumed inside, sprayed with moth killing spray and left empty other than a sticky trap. All the clothes from them were sorted and either got rid of (wool trousers and knitwear which had been eaten), put in textile bank (things I didn't want that hadn't been eaten) or washed and placed in vacuum sealable bags with moth killer sachets. They have been in the bags for weeks now. I have a bag of items I am currently using and it's like living out of a suitcase.

I replaced my three sticky traps three days ago and so far have only caught one moth. I vacuum up a couple most days but more in the living room than the bedrooms now.

I am hopeful of getting to the point there is only one sex left so they can no longer breed. What I don't understand is how I got them in the first place - I live in a modern building and don't buy second hand clothes.

Also change of habits. I had not opened some wardrobes for several months as they held old clothes I no longer wore including wool stuff. I now open my wardrobes each day so there is more light in them to discourage them. If they move out of the wardrobe they get vacuumed up!

It's so disheartening. Moth solidarity to all in need.