Clothes Moth Removal Treatments
There are various different moth repellents and moth protection products currently on the market to assist in the dealing with clothes moths and the prevention of infestations.
One of the most popular is mothballs which are small balls of chemical pesticide used alongside clothing and other fabric household items that may be a target of clothes moths in their larval feeding stage.
This is one of the most commonly used moth repellents.
However, one common complaint about the use of mothballs as a moth repellent is that as well as the insecticides you are releasing into the air in your house, it also damages clothing not to mention making them smell of it.
So purchasing them as a form of moth protection for your clothes, can still result in damage.
The unpleasant odor of moth repellents can be very persistent but due to the ingredients of mothballs, they can cause permanent discoloration in clothing.
It is also not uncommon for individuals, particularly the more vulnerable children, to be poisoned by the contents of moth repellents such as mothballs each year, either by ingestion or inhalation.
One suggestion for an anti-moth odor that is a little friendlier to the nose and to your clothes, is lavender oil.
One alternative to mothballs is cedar balls, a similar form of moth protection.
Incorrectly, many believe that cedar chests/wardrobes or cedar balls can help prevent damage to clothing by the clothes moths.
However, cedar wood may not possess the same level of toxicity as mothballs but it does contain an oil that is capable of killing small larvae but does little to the larger ones.
If the cedar wood item is quite old, it is unlikely that they will have any effect at all as the cedar loses this form of natural moth repellent odor after just a few years.
In fact, the bigger benefit of a cedar wood cupboard would be that it is very tightly made ensuring that it is less likely that clothes moths or larvae can actually get into it in the first place giving it the maximum amount of moth protection.
Whether you are using cedar balls, lavender, traditional moth balls or any other form of moth repellent, the key is keeping the odor fresh and pungent.
You can help this process along, particularly in the case of cedar balls, by sanding them down periodically in order to keep it fresh.
Another key step in protecting your house from clothes moths is to close up any gaps or spaces where the moths could reside for example the cracks and crevices in walls and the carpet edges.
Part of this is to thoroughly clean all the rugs, mats, upholstery etc and sun/air any clothes that may have been effected.
Sunning the clothing will cause any existing larva to drop away but it's important that you turn up the collar and cuffs too as this is often where they will have been growing.
The final stage of moth protection, if all else fails, is to call in the pest control company.
This is generally quite a simple procedure that will involve using a more industrial strength moth repellent and killer on the infested and surrounding areas but again could result in damage to clothing or furniture where the infestation is present.
One of the most popular is mothballs which are small balls of chemical pesticide used alongside clothing and other fabric household items that may be a target of clothes moths in their larval feeding stage.
This is one of the most commonly used moth repellents.
However, one common complaint about the use of mothballs as a moth repellent is that as well as the insecticides you are releasing into the air in your house, it also damages clothing not to mention making them smell of it.
So purchasing them as a form of moth protection for your clothes, can still result in damage.
The unpleasant odor of moth repellents can be very persistent but due to the ingredients of mothballs, they can cause permanent discoloration in clothing.
It is also not uncommon for individuals, particularly the more vulnerable children, to be poisoned by the contents of moth repellents such as mothballs each year, either by ingestion or inhalation.
One suggestion for an anti-moth odor that is a little friendlier to the nose and to your clothes, is lavender oil.
One alternative to mothballs is cedar balls, a similar form of moth protection.
Incorrectly, many believe that cedar chests/wardrobes or cedar balls can help prevent damage to clothing by the clothes moths.
However, cedar wood may not possess the same level of toxicity as mothballs but it does contain an oil that is capable of killing small larvae but does little to the larger ones.
If the cedar wood item is quite old, it is unlikely that they will have any effect at all as the cedar loses this form of natural moth repellent odor after just a few years.
In fact, the bigger benefit of a cedar wood cupboard would be that it is very tightly made ensuring that it is less likely that clothes moths or larvae can actually get into it in the first place giving it the maximum amount of moth protection.
Whether you are using cedar balls, lavender, traditional moth balls or any other form of moth repellent, the key is keeping the odor fresh and pungent.
You can help this process along, particularly in the case of cedar balls, by sanding them down periodically in order to keep it fresh.
Another key step in protecting your house from clothes moths is to close up any gaps or spaces where the moths could reside for example the cracks and crevices in walls and the carpet edges.
Part of this is to thoroughly clean all the rugs, mats, upholstery etc and sun/air any clothes that may have been effected.
Sunning the clothing will cause any existing larva to drop away but it's important that you turn up the collar and cuffs too as this is often where they will have been growing.
The final stage of moth protection, if all else fails, is to call in the pest control company.
This is generally quite a simple procedure that will involve using a more industrial strength moth repellent and killer on the infested and surrounding areas but again could result in damage to clothing or furniture where the infestation is present.
