Where can I buy something illegal and toxic to kill clothes moths?

[latrucha]

As I only have about four tops left without holes.

Bugger bugger bugger.

What do I do?

No not scented fresheners they were proper hangy up moth things. Maybe I need to replace them, they've been up some months now. I also bought moth killing spray. I'm going to do the whole lot again and wash as much as I can.

God this all sounds very work intensive

I seem to recall the lady who lived here before had every cupboard filled with clothes. Am getting paranoid now.

the hangers usually last three months, some last for six. It is worth writing the "replacement due date" on the hanger on on a post-it note on the wardrobe door.

If you always have a spare pack handy it will be easy to replace when due.

Maybe yours was just a one-off that flew in to the house, but once you've had a bad infestation, it takes a lot of work to clear it.

Hoover behind and under furniture too, and I'd spray if it is going to be hard to reach in future.

you can tumble-dry anything at risk, even without washing it, as long as it is clean so will not set stains.

I get my Transfluthrin hangers from Dyas but sometimes you can bulk-buy off the 'net

Thank you Piglet! Appreciate your helpful advice.

I'm going into blitz mode later this week.

piglet, what about the hoover - I'm thinking that eggs, larvae could be sucked up in that and left to continue the lifecycle. shall i bung some repellant inside it?

I've never thought about that, my vac gets quite warm, but I suppose eggs might hatch out and eat the carpet fluff inside

grubs would more likely get smashed up by the beaters, if an upright.

You can get flower-shaped killers made of impregnated cardboard for small spaces, I suppose you could put one in the dustbag. The amount of vapour they produce is tiny, so if blown round the room it would be way below the usual dose, but when the vac is lying idle, it would probably fill the bag.

Sympathies ? we exist in a state of low-level warfare against clothesmoths, and with spring the flutterers are in the air again. We can stop them eating our clothes and carpets, but we?ve never totally got rid of them for good. We keep the carpets hoovered and the corners dusted and we use mothtraps and various chemicals, but I think they must lurk in inaccessible places like the gaps between the skirting and floor. I miss Doom!

I would take your grandmother?s linen out of the drawer, give it a really good shake, hang it out to air for few hours, then assuming nothing is crawling/fluttering among the folds I?d re-fold it and put it back in the drawer with some Rentokil moth killer strips layered under/on top/ between the linen. The strips just look like thick paper, they don?t smell and they seem to be effective. They don?t seem to stain but for precious items I might put them between tissue paper just to be on the safe side. If there are any signs of critters I?d get the linen properly cleaned first, and hoover the drawer thoroughly.

As for the hoover, I don?t bother but my DH puts a section of moth-killer strip inside the dustbag!

you can get insecticidal sprays to do the edges of a room for the gap between skirting and carpet

here's one Other brands can be cheaper but look at the Ingredients and instructions

When I had to do a house (not mine) that was mothy, I looked at the ingredients of some sprays and found a cheaper one in a large 1 litre trigger-squirt plastic bottle, I think it was marketed for Ants and Crawling Insects but it dries and leaves a contact film that kills the when they walk on it. I've done the same for pet fleas.

The sprays do smell a bit chemically so I think it best to apply, then close the door and leave the room while it dries, then air later. Check the instructions to make sure they say "safe for children and pets once dry." Insecticides are usually dangerous to fish.

Just one part of the cleaning regime. I'm sure an upright hoover is good as it beats the eggs out of the carpet, but the edges by the sirting are always difficult. A steam cleaner or carpet shampooer will also kill them.

pet fleas? no, not fleas that were pets.

I once ate some nuts from a big jar at my parents' only to realise when they tasted nasty that they were full of moths larvae and actual moths too. So don't let them near any Brazil nuts!!

Well, I hope I am not jinxing anything but I think I am on track at being moth free!!

I have thrown out the rug they were munching on, hovered everything within an inch of its life, spread mothballs and hanging things everywhere I can and used flea spray on the carpet (it is a silicone product which leaves a film over the carpet and anything under the film cannot move and therefore dies.

The first couple of days after I saw one or two flying around but haven't seen any for a couple of days now.

I guess I will have to see what happens in the next few weeks to see if any more hatch or similar but I am quietly hoping that the battle has been won!!