HEEEEEELP! How do I get rid of Clothes Moths???!!!!!!!!!!

[aimeesmummy]

Have noticed some pesky little brown moth like things flying around in the last couple of weeks or so - they're really odd, they fly in a very random way, they're all over the place - and when they land they immediatly start crawling around quite quickly, again in a very random direction.
Have just googled and the bloody picture for cloths moths is exactly like the ones I'm swatting every evening! I seem to be killing off about 5 in an evening but how the hell do I get rid of the blighters and where do they come from?????

Put cedarwood balls or oil on a hankie/cotton ball in with your clothes.
Moth balls do the job but smell horrid.

Find out where they are nesting - probably in something old and not very clean (sorry - we have had them twice if it's any consolation )

it could be old clothes / coat / jumpers / carpet / sofa / rug etc, anything textiles or wool

when you find the nest you will have to dispose of that item, probably. It's a bit revolting - they have larvae and eggs and stuff

then have a general clean up and don't have old unwashed textile items in your house if you canavoid it

The caterpillars do the damage. I have genuine cateropillar phobia and have always lived in old houses with lots of clothes moths - does my head in!

Anyway, seek out all natural fibres and inspect. You'll need to wash or freeze (freezing kills) all clothes with evidence of eggs, larvae and cocoons.

Funnily enough I spoke to the pest person at the council today about this for he was running a stall at the local music fest... he said you have to get special spray and not to get some other sort of spray which keeps the feckers at larval stage. anyway, you basically need to get the pest people out to deal with it properly.

Sometimes it can be wool lagging on pipes in old houses - do you have that?

Do you have wool carpets or stuffed chairs that are not synthetic?

Usually wool jumpers or blankets or wool coats stored in the wardrobe that is the problem area...

Can you tell I'm obsessed with this subject?

Oh and it is the females that do wonky flying so kill them with gay abandon, the males can do what they like as they don't lay eggs. bleurgh!

Spot on NLNN once when we had them it was old unwashed wool jumper in the wardrobe, the other time old stuffed armchair

franny.

Franny is also absolutely spot on when she says that dirty clothes are real magnets to the moths. Figures, because I bet many of us will wear a silk/wool top once over a t- shirt maybe and then store it without fully washing because it isn't exactly 'easy care'.

They can detect the faintest whiff of 'body' on clothes.

I once found a female moth trying to lay eggs in my made up moses basket. It was when I was waiting for ds2 to be born and had made the basket up about a week or two early with cooton sheets and blankets.

PS they like silk and leather too.

I'm starting to scratch and itch readin this and othe stuff on Google...! and there's one of the blighters flying arounf the living rom as I'm typing - will go and squish it in a mo.
It is my bedroom where there's usually 3 or 4 each evening (so what counts as an "infestation"?!) so I guess I'll have to drag everything out of the wardrobes and cupboads and have a good look through. Thing is, I only decorated and had a new carpet put in a few months ago! Wasn't an expensive one but I hope they're not in there.

I would think much more likely to be an old coat / jumper in the wardrobe

good luck

I'm currently in the process of packing to move house. Today I packed winter coats, and discovered that one of my nicest coats (and a designer item bought in Rome) was eaten up with moths. It probably had 200 little holes dotted all around. I almost cried when I threw it away.

Frustrating part is that I keep those lavender and/or lemon scented hanging moth deterrents in the wardrobe and change them regularly but clearly they weren't effective.......

I've got a lovely wool coat in there from Kew which I LOVE - the b@stards had better not got their teeth into that......
Am off to check...

Hope your coat is OK.

I honestly don't know how to get rid of moths, but it is frustrating when your nicest things are ruined. I've never seen any moths, but clearly they are around.

Will keep watching the thread to see suggestions for getting rid. Makes me wonder what may be lurking in my clothes/closets, and what I may be transporting to our new house....

The coat is ok, as are some very old wellworn much-loved leather trousers, so are suede trousers plus several Monsoon dresses. Phew! And as I was walking upstairs to go to bed, I saw one of the critters staggring around the carpet and as I nudged it, it burrowed into the carpet between the carpet and the wall - so this evenings entertainment will be hovering (properly... )throughout the house!

Oh dear

if they are in the carpets I think you may have to get a pest control expert out

I am notspeaking from experience, so don't know if I am right, but it seems to me it would be very hard to get rid of them if they are under the carpets, other than pesticides

My house now smells like an old ladies house (ceder and lavender rather than stale wee) but not one moth tonight (yet) - yippee

Best treatment ever. Be prepared to leave room infected for two days get a can of beaphar flea rec spray from pet shop household keep pets and whole family out for that period 600 no can for around £6.99 Best thing you will do after summer we have had 2018 keep a window open get some net curtain and tape edges over window don't let more in or Velcro net and frame it sticks to job windows get the other none sticky and sew on the net measure all edges before spraying vacuum room thoroughly then spray paying particularly to edges of carpet fine light spray curtains front and back all over carpet; after first day get cheapest table salt and puff around all edges kills and dries up larvae like slugs . Then througherly vacuum room and curtain tops right down to bottom bingo all gone. Another thought second hand rugs start clear if you persist on one make sure you steam clean with a wallpaper steamer (which by the way defrosted freezers in ten mins wrap tea towel round pipe end and wedge in top door keep as closed as possible with bucket wedged at door . Don't bring any fury or fluffy toys in from carboot larvae love fur if you do and they are clean put in two carrier bags and pop in freezer for 3 days. Good tips salt kills wood lice plastic tubs are best give you a puff action puff under skirting boards. I have used all these methods and thank the Lord they have worked I live in country by loads of trees good luck it works perfect

That was 600ml can for £6.99 from pet shops or eBay. beaphar it is for pet fleas really but deals with all bugs forgot to say must spray behind radiators they love dark places this spray lasts for 6 months control by that time if no pets moths will have gone

Also as they are quick I have knocked them down with firm hold hair spray as they flew past. Look on you tube at salt guns amazing for moths and flies no mess on walls eBay sell them amazing I will invest in one only use table salt spiders the lot