Getting rid of these unpleasant intruders can be quite challenging sometimes.
However, not getting rid of moths quickly can cause noticeable damage and cost you real money.
Read on to find out what causes them to be attracted to your home and how to effectively fight them off!
What causes moths in the house?
Moths, like other insects, can enter your property undetected and through various ways.
If you find just one of these pesky bugs flying around your house or apartment, the reason is usually quite simple: a door or window was left open, so they entered through there.
Moths can enter your home through cracks near your doors or window sills. However, sometimes they simply come from elsewhere as lots of moth infestations often start when you bring clothing or food items contaminated with moth eggs into your home.
Dark and damp areas
Moths enter your home for shelter and food. They love living in dark places and avoid well-lit areas of the house. So, their favourite locations are dark and humid, such as cabinets, basements, attics, and storage areas. They will also hide under appliances and cracks, as they have a knack for choosing the most isolated areas.
Improperly stored food
Certain moths are also drawn to foods and will be attracted by dry stored goods.
Their larvae will usually feast on products stored in cardboard boxes while spreading to any other improperly stored foods too.
So, if food moths are a problem, thoroughly clean your kitchen and remove any infested open packets.
Dirty clothes in the closet
Moths get their fill of water from the fabrics they consume, and, as it turns out, human sweat provides more than adequate moisture for them.
Even when you’ve decluttered and streamlined your closet for the new season, you must keep your clothes clean to prevent a moth infestation.
Do not put dirty or even once-worn clothes back in the closet because skin cells or food splats, even small ones that you cannot see, could become a food source and is what attracts moths.
Specific fabrics
Materials like wool, fur, webbing and silk can easily attract these insects to your home.
Adult moths live only for 3-4 weeks, and they usually aren’t the main danger to your clothes. The real trouble comes from the fact that they can lay up to 300 eggs before they die, and it only takes about 10 days for them to hatch.
Most infestations start when woollens are improperly stored in dark places and left undisturbed for long periods of time. All moths love animal fibres (such as wool and silk), but they have no trouble feasting on cotton fabrics if the others are not readily available.
Open sources of light
Moths are creatures attracted to all light sources, so they will naturally gravitate towards them.
This means your porch lights will serve as a beacon to them.
If you switch on your lamp at night, you might notice that some of them might be crawling on your windows too. That’s due to the fact that they’re phototactic.
If there are any cracks or openings, you can be sure they sneak inside, so fix those to prevent them from gaining entrance in the first place.
How to fight moth infestations?
Whether you fight them off from your closet or kitchen, removing the moth menace can be quite challenging.
The first thing you will have to do is to locate where the infestation is coming from. Have you seen mature bugs flying around, or did you notice larvae in your flour box or chewing on your woollens?
Once you discover where their primary source is, the next thing you need is to take the necessary precautions and steps for removal, prevention, and moth control.
Keep in mind that if the problem persists, you can always hire a professional moth control company to take care of that before it does any costly damage.
Deep clean the infested area
If you have a moth infestation or want to prevent moths from returning when you swap over season-to-season clothing, the first step is to clean the infested area deeply.
Vacuum the shelves, paying particular attention to the corners, undersides, shelf brackets, and mounting hardware.
This includes cleaning your clothes and home areas, like your kitchen and pantry. You must sweep, vacuum, and clean places where moths can nest and hide in your home.
Throw away items that cannot be saved
The number one solution to eliminate the moth problem is to get rid of any infested food in your pantry. Next, you need to deep clean that area with soap and water.
Seeing any moths or larvae in the closet or drawer means you have to take out all clothing you suspect is infested. Sadly, you can’t fix damaged items, so you will have to throw those away. Dry clean the rest of your clothes to ensure the problem is resolved.
And just in case, check your pet’s food, too, and if you see any signs of moths or larvae, you gotta throw everything out.
Freeze affected items
If you suspect that larvae could be hiding in your things, place them in an airtight plastic bag and put the bag in the freezer.
Keep the item in the freezer for 24 hours to ensure all eggs and larvae are dead.
Sometimes, moth-infested items are challenging to steam clean, dry clean, or wash. In these instances, your freezer is a fantastic tool that can be used to kill moth eggs.
Wash clothing on a hot cycle
Moth larvae die off at 55°C, so you need to wash all your clothes at a high temperature to kill them off.
Once that is done, you can be sure there will be no more moth trouble, and you can safely return your items to your closet.
Dry clean delicate items
Moth eggs, larvae and adult moths can all be killed by a hot-water wash cycle or dry cleaning. Dry cleaning your most valuable clothes regularly is the safest bet since moths are attracted to oils, sweat and food. This method involves either a strong solvent or heat, which wipes out all life stages of moths.
Use mothballs, pheromone sticks and traps
Trapping moths is another method to ensure you’re alerted early about a pest problem. If you use mothballs, do so sparingly, and put them only in places far out of the reach of curious hands or mouths.
Pheromone traps are one of the most popular types of moth traps. These contraptions use a pheromone lure to attract moths and are very effective at catching adults and larvae.
Conclusion
So, now that you know the most common causes moths choose to target your home, you can effectively fight them off.
Ultimately, prevention is the number one thing that will guarantee you won’t have to deal with an infestation in your home. To keep the pests away, you also need to clean your house and wash your clothes regularly with hot water.
If your home is already infested, then it’s crucial to be proactive with the issue and work quickly to remove the problem.
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