Removing moths from clothes is not always an easy task. They are small insects belonging to the Lepidoptera order. next to butterflies, they are not as beautiful as these.
In fact, clothes moths are very harmful and have the ability to puncture any garment you keep in the wardrobe. Although there are various types, such as those from food or books, in this case we will focus on those that feed on the organic fibers of clothes.
If you notice that many of your clothes have holes of various sizes and you can’t find any explanation, then you probably have moths in your closet.
Why are there moths in my closet?
Actually, the ones that feed on your clothes are the larvae which will soon become adult moths. Her metamorphosis indicates that from the 40 eggs that the female lays at a time, caterpillars will hatch which will make cocoons and then move on to the pupal stage. They prefer organic fibers such as wool, silk or leather and also those parts of clothing that have been left with food remains.
You may be wondering what’s wrong with your closet, why they chose yours to breed, and what you can do to permanently get rid of moths. Your wardrobe is a favorite place to put their larvae because there they find peace, darkness and food.
1. A quiet space
Clothes moths lay their eggs in the farthest corners of wardrobes and chests of drawers.such as nooks and crannies, especially if the wood is old. After a few weeks of pure tranquility the larvae emerge, hungry and ready to devour whatever shirt they find.
Usually this happens in the summer months, when you don’t wear woolen clothes, so you don’t have to open the wardrobe in that sector to choose a sweater.
2. A dark place
Since clothes moths do not like light, they try to hide in a very dark place, so you might not even notice they’re in your closet. Clothes moths have reddish-yellow hairs on their heads and they don’t fly much, so they’ll look for a place without light or noise to nest.
3. Food at will
As we mentioned, Clothes moths love organic animal fibers: silk, fur, hair, feathers and felt. Therefore, they will eat coats, blankets, quilts and even stuffed animals.
That’s why they attack in the summer and then, when winter comes, you look for warm clothes and they get ruined.
Recommendations for eliminating moths from clothes
While you may have heard of many home and industrial remedies for getting rid of clothes moths, not all of them work if you don’t apply them correctly. If you follow these tips to the letter, you can get rid of these unwanted insects in your home.
1. Get rid of clothes moths with a deep clean
Once you have detected and confirmed that you have clothes moth nests, you need to do a thorough cleaning. Because of this, you have to empty them completely first and vacuum the shelvesdrawers, nooks, crannies and even carpets and curtains.
Then, you have to clean the inside with disinfectant liquid or water with vinegar and leave everything well open so that it can be ventilated and receive plenty of light.
2. Laundry
It can be boring, but you will need to wash all your clothes on a program of at least 40 ºC and hang them in full sun. This way you will have eliminated the ones that may have been there. Remember to include your sheets, towels and curtains in this wash, as well as any clothes you have stored in suitcases and bags.
What you can’t wash, wipe with a damp cloth and let it air in the sun. Likewise, clothing that has already been attacked by the larvae would be best thrown away to prevent regrowth if there are any larvae or eggs left.
3. Trap to eliminate clothes moths
There is a textile moth trap that contains sex hormones (pheromones) and will attract male moths. They will be trapped and without males for mating there will be no reproduction. The colonies will sooner or later disappear.
4. Scented sachets
Clothes moths do not tolerate strong perfumes, especially lavender.. For this you can prepare homemade bags with the leaves of this plant inside.
You can use tulle or similar fabric to string these scent packets together. In addition, thyme, bay leaf and eucalyptus are also effective, the latter being very effective.
On the other hand, Cedarwood is another natural repellent for clothes moths. You can find balls of this substance on the market intended for this purpose that do not stain your clothes.
Get rid of clothes moths and they won’t come back
To get rid of clothes moths and make sure they don’t come back, you need to follow some recommendations that we mention below:
- Closets cleaned regularly and the comfortable. Leave them open to air.
- When the seasons change be sure to store clothes in sealed bags to prevent them from being invaded by moths. Also, your clothes must be clean.
- Do not store clothing with food residues. If you notice that a wash hasn’t removed the stain, wash it again.
- vacuum the mattress regularly to prevent them from nesting there.
With all of this information and tips, getting rid of clothes moths will be easy and you’ll be sure they won’t come back. There will be no moth that can resist!
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