After keeping your clothes stored in the closet for a while, nothing is more devastating than finding holes in your favorite sweaters and jackets. Moths can infest your house and cause a lot of damage unless you take action to fight them. Moth spray for clothes is a potent way of getting rid of current moths and keeping them at bay.
So, how can you identify moths? Why do they infest your house? Keep on reading to learn more about these annoying bugs and the best way to get rid of them with moth spray for clothes.
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Why Do Moths Infest Your House?
Moths, just like lots of other bugs, are attracted to light. They will gather around outdoor lighting or windows, especially during night time. Then they will get into your house through openings, doors, windows, and small cracks and hide in dark places. Here are some reasons why moths might infest your home.
- If you’ve recently bought a second-hand item, it might be infested with moths. Once you’ve brought this item home, moths will fly and try to hide in dark areas to consume animal fibers.
- When you don’t open your closet or clean shelves for a long time, this will represent a good spot for moths to grow and reproduce. You need to wipe dust and remove clothing from shelves and closets to let some light in.
- Cluttered and disorganized closets will appeal to moths because the larvae can grow without being disturbed.
- Moths like warm spots. You need to clean closets, remove the clothing items every now, and then open windows to let air in.
These bugs will try to find a dark and quiet place to lay their eggs, so closets and drawers represent an excellent spot. If you’re storing your winter clothes, you’re unlikely to open your wardrobe for a few months. This is enough for moths to lay eggs and have their larvae grow, damaging your expensive clothes.
There are two types of moths that can infest your house; webbing and casemaking moths. Both types of moths attach themselves to different fabrics like fur, cashmere, wool, or silk.
Webbing moths are uniform in color and prefer wool fibers. They make a silk tube to hide themselves.
Casemaking moths have dark spots on their bodies and form cases of silk or the fibers of the fabrics they consume. They carry around these cases and feed on different parts of the infected item.
Both types of moths make holes that damage the clothing item. Moths can infest your house for a long while before you notice the holes in your clothes, rugs, curtains, bedding, and other fabrics around the house. You can also see the flying adults if there’s a heavy infestation.
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Moths feed on all types of animal fibers, so they ignore cotton and synthetic garments unless they contain a percentage of animal fibers. They don’t only feed on clothing items, as they will also feed on rugs, carpets, upholstery, and curtains. They form holes that can be small, big, or irregular in shape.
In addition to clothes moths, there are special types of food moths that can infest your pantry. These are larger in size and look different when they’re examined under a microscope.
What Do Moths Do?
Adult moths don’t have time to cause a lot of damage as they die shortly after mating and laying eggs. The larvae feed on animal fibers in your clothes and furniture and can cost you thousands of dollars if you ignore the infestation.
A moth will lay around 300 eggs, and they hatch within 4 to 10 days in summer but will take a few weeks to hatch in winter as the bugs prefer warm weather. The larvae take between 1 to 3 months to fully develop, feeding on your clothes, upholstery, and rugs during these months.
When the larvae are ready to transform into adult moths, casemaking moths attach themselves to a fabric surface using a silk thread. Webbing moths form cocoons that you can find in drawers or on shelves. Pest control professionals usually look for these signs to detect a possible infestation.
Moths can do a lot of damage to several items in the house.
- They feed on clothing items made of animal fur or animal by-products like wool, silk, or leather. They usually prefer hidden areas under the collar or cuffs.
- Larvae can feed on cotton blends that contain wool.
- They can live and hide in the seams of upholstered furniture.
- Larvae can live in dirty clothing items that have retained some moisture from sweat or spilled liquids.
Can You Prevent Moths From Infesting Your House?
Yes, you can. Here are some tips to help you prevent moths from coming into your house in the first place.
- Keep the house clean and get rid of clutter. Make sure that you vacuum regularly to prevent moths from hiding and laying their eggs in corners. With less clutter, you’re likely to detect moths early if they’re present in your house.
- If you’re using second-hand or borrowed clothing items, have them thoroughly cleaned before using them or storing them in your closet.
- Wash your clothes before storing them in the closet as moths are attracted to dirty and stained clothes.
- Keep wool and silk clothing items in a vacuum-compressed bag.
- Air your closet regularly and keep it well ventilated.
- Make a natural repellent by mixing some lavender essential oil with water. Use this spray on rugs and upholstery items to keep the moths at bay.
- Keep your cereals in airtight and sealed containers to control pantry moths. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the corners.
- If you’re buying woolen clothing items, try to buy fabrics that the manufacturer had previously treated for moths.
- Make small herb bags and hang them next to doors or windows. These should contain bay leaves, lavender, rosemary, and thyme.
How to Get Rid of Moths
Unless you actually see the adult moths flying around in your house, you will know that you have moths if you can see holes in your favorite garments or upholstery furniture. In some cases, you might find the cocoons, which means that adult bugs are about to hatch.
You need to break the lifecycle of these pests in order to get rid of them. Here are some tips to help you get rid of moths.
- Open your closets and remove all clothing items. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the bottom and sides. Make sure that you have cleared and vacuumed all shelves as moths might be hiding in the corners.
- Take all your clothes and wash them at very high temperatures. You can also take them to the dry cleaner’s as the high temperature will kill the larvae and damage the eggs.
- Non-washable fabrics and items can be put in plastic bags and left in the freezer for at least 48 hours. This will be enough to kill the larvae.
- Vacuum carpets regularly to make sure that you’re removing any eggs or cocoons. Pay attention to the underside of the carpets or rugs, as this is where the moths are most likely going to hide.
- Use a moth spray to kill the larvae and prevent adult moths from laying their eggs.
The Best Moth Spray for Clothes
Moth sprays are very practical and easy to use. They will also protect your expensive clothes, rugs, and upholstery furniture from damage that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to repair. Here are some of the best products that you can try to prevent and get rid of moths.
- 2 OZ. CEDAR ESSENCE SPRAY infused with lavender for restoring scent to untreated cedar wood
- RESTORE CEDAR WOOD scent to blocks, hangers, sachets, and other closet and clothing protectors
- SPRAY ON LIGHTLY and allow to dry completely
Combining cedarwood scent with lavender, this spray will repel moths to protect your clothing items and rugs. The essential cedar oil is a potent way to keep moths at bay, so you should use the spray where moths are likely to hide.
This spray is powerful, so a little goes a long way. The pump spray bottle makes application easy and efficient. You can apply it to shelves, corners, and anywhere you think moths might be hiding.
The fresh scent of lavender is an excellent addition, as your house will smell great while you’re getting rid of the annoying moths. You should let the spray dry completely before adding your clothes back to the closet. It shouldn’t be sprayed directly on clothes as it might cause stains.
What We Like
- Potent formula made of cedar oil and lavender essential oil.
- A little goes a long way.
- Fresh scent of lavender.
- Easy application.
What We Don’t Like
- Can stain clothes.
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- CEDAR SCENTED: The cedar scented insect spray ensures worry free protection against moths and other pests without musty smell.
This spray is an excellent solution for a widespread infestation because it kills moths on contact. It also gets rid of other pests like ants, beetles, cockroaches, silverfish, bedbugs, and lice because it’s quite potent.
Thanks to its formula, this spray is highly effective when applied to a large surface area. It can be used on your rugs or clothes because it won’t stain the fabric. The formula contains pyrethrin and kills moths instantly. However, it doesn’t have a long-lasting smell, so you can safely use it in the living room or bedroom.
Nevertheless, you should be careful if you’re using this spray around pets and kids. It’s a good idea to wear gloves while applying it.
What We Like
- Fast-acting spray for moths and other bugs.
- Can be used on clothes and rugs.
- Doesn’t stain clothes.
- Easy to apply on large surfaces.
What We Don’t Like
- Should be used with caution around pets.
Wrap Up
Moths can cause substantial damage if they’re ignored. Luckily, there are several ways that can help you keep them at bay. If you already notice the holes in your garments, then it’s time to take action. A moth spray for clothes will do the job and protect your garments from damage.
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