Moths!!!

[Figgy2387]

Hi all
We have a problem with moths in our 100 year old house. We live in the SW London area. I’ve repeatedly sprayed chemicals, spring cleaned EVERYTHING and bagged all clothing up after washing at 60. All wool items dry cleaned or chucked out and then bagged. I have new wool mix carpets and can’t see any damage on them.

What the heck can I do now to try and rid the house of them? We have even set off gas bombs in the attic to try kill them off. I cannot find the source of them and don’t see any noticeable damage to anything since I have thrown out any damaged wool items.
I just found one yesterday under a storage box in my room on by bedside table. Some of them are black and some beige. It’s like two different species but mostly congregated in bedroom and hallway where I assume they fly to. I’ve also gutted the entire brand new kitchen in case they were there and everything is in sealed containers. They do tend to go away over autumn/winter but resurface when the weather warms up.

Anyone tried those wasps?
I am at my wits end!!

I think in your situation, I would hire a professional pest remover to deal with the problem. It may be expensive but it will be worth it to get on top of the situation.

You need a professional to come in and treat.

I called a pest control last year and they said they won’t give guarantees so it’d be expensive but may not even solve the problem. Even he couldn’t find the source and said we could probably it treat ourselves!

I’ve tried the wasps. I think they definitely keep the moth population down but I’ve never managed to get rid completely. You have to keep it up and they aren’t cheap. I use sticky traps to monitor and keep my sweaters and coats in protective bags with deterrents in the wardrobes. I thought I was pretty much on top of it but the bastards had my sheepskin Birkenstocks just before Christmas.

Bastard little things. I’ve lost loads of jumpers to them. Tried everything including having pest control spray with no success. But now seem to have cracked it using these https://dragonfli.co.uk/products/clothes-moth-egg-sachets . I’m on a subscription and keeping it up. Rarely see a moth now.

Oh no!! I got new sheepskin Birkenstocks for Christmas and my first thought was that they may turn into food for the resident moths. Returned them and got plain suede ones. Absolutely sick of the buggers.

Thank you! Going to order these soon. Just spring cleaned the house a few weeks ago and they’re still here. I don’t get it!!

You've done pretty much everything you can & the advice on here is good. I can only add sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth on the wool mix carpets, wear a mask when doing so. The grubs are possibly in there but you can't see any damage yet. Get one of those electric zapper bats and kill every moth you see every time. Keep the offending rooms as light and cold as possible. Don't have the heating on in there. We noticed the pheromone traps seemed to attract more moths from outside if we left the windows open. I didn't think they could live outside but it seemed an odd coincidence there would be more if windows open. One of those insectocutors is a another weapon in your armoury. I used to work for an antiques dealer who specialised in old rugs & he had to use those parasitic wasps & constantly used pheromone traps. I've replaced two wool mix carpets in our bedrooms with man made as they were heavily infested, just the stairs and passageway to go now. Our moth infestation has dwindled to just the odd one now and again. Good luck op, they're horrible little critters.

I took up the carpets and replaced them with hard flooring through the whole flat in the end. It worked.

Sympathy op. I have lived in 2 houses with them. Basically the only way to keep them under control was lots and lots of cleaning. I was obsessed . I loved those sticky traps .

I don’t have them now in my current house. I don’t know why. It’s a cold house so that may be a factor

I hate to say this, but they're probably in your carpets with them being a wool mix. Even our "moth-resistant" £££ wool carpets got chewed by the buggers within 2 years of being laid. I'll never risk them again.

We did a lot of killing measures- cleaning out all nooks and crannies, diamateous earth, professional in to spray, fogging etc. We got everything either dry cleaned or hot washed.
Which got on top of things.

Once we were on top of things we got a small freezer for the walk in wardrobe and stored anything wool/silk in there. Had a variety of different size ziplock bags for the purpose.

In your position I would be suspicious of the carpets I’m afraid.

I can highly recommend Indorex flea spray.
After two years of trying just about every moth product on the market I tried this and it got rid of the little buggers with one application.
I sprayed every carpet around the edges and also under furniture. You then need go ventilate as per instructions. Pets and people to stay out of the way till the room is fully aired.
Took a few tins but well worth it.
Am now about four years on and never see a single moth.

I live in your part of the world. It is a real issue in the SW London / Surrey. I’ve managed to work out the carpet is the issue (I think but never really found the source). I’ve done all of the sensible points listed above. It is a bit like kids with nits - not just the treatment, you need to keep doing the nit combing too. So that is moving heavy objects and vacuuming. Putting sealed wool bags in freezer (or outside in an earlier cold snap)

In summer I have the dragonfly wasps on subscription. It helps but isn’t a complete fix. So do it but don’t get your hopes completely up. Also you have to pause any chemical treatment as those would kill wasps too. Plus sticky traps can’t be next to wasp sachets as the ‘wasps’ which are little black dots end up on traps.

The only extra thing I’ve done which seems to make slight difference (and a tip I got on here) is Indorex flea spray. The spray is effective for doing edges of carpets.

Realistically when we can afford to, I’m going to pull out wool mix carpet and replace. I don’t want wooden floors upstairs so will have to see what synthetic carpets are look and feel like and double check they aren’t affected too by moths.

Crossed over! If you have previously recommended Indorex, thank you! I now do it and it makes a difference although I still think you have to do all the continual maintenance of checking far corners and traps etc too.

Yes, I have indeed. Glad it helped.

Thanks all. Very frustrating to think our new ‘moth resistant’ wool mix carpets are the source. I’m pretty sure they arrived via an old armchair that my MIL gave us. There were lots above the wall where it sat until I realised then threw it out. Have chucked out so much stuff now yet they remain!
I am just about to get a new mattress too as can’t stand the thought of them in my wool filled vispring one. Going to get the flea spray and perhaps try the wasps in spring. Thanks so so much and sorry to hear others have been blighted by the buggers!!