Last year I took 3 days off work, and attacked the moths that has chosen to use my home as Moth HQ. Working with costumes that come from a costume hire company, i am constantly at risk of re-infestation. Today i spotted some of the critters at home, and will need to re-launch my attack! London has in the last couple of years seen a massive increase in moth infestations, and whilst it’s not life threatening, losing your favourite clothes to these pesky critters isn’t fun!
- You need to use deterrents, and they need to be replaced every 6 months.
- If you get an infestation, the moths will attack not only fabric but books, papers and photographs, so all your precious memories can be reduced to dust!
- Start by using lavender bags/sachets, and cedar. I personally can’t bear moth balls which are super effective, but stinky!
- The best and cheapest resource and supplier of moth products I’ve found is this one.
http://www.mothcontroldirect.co.uk/acatalog/Clothes_Moth_Control_Pack.html
- Pheromone traps are a great way to break the breeding cycle without using chemicals. The moths think they are all male! These sticky traps are also a good way to monitor how big a moth problem you may have.
- Spring cleaning is a tradition for a reason. In order to get rid of moth eggs, you need to empty drawers and cupboards and clean out all the surfaces. Moths like to breed under static areas like furniture, so moving your furniture out and cleaning underneath breaks their cycle. Sunlight also kills eggs, so getting rugs and carpets outside and thoroughly beating them and leaving in sunlight will kill any eggs/larvae.
- If like me, you don’t have access to a garden, then running a sticky roller brush over your clothing can lift off eggs.
- Ensure you change your hoover bag regularly. You may well hoover up eggs, and the hoover bag is a perfect environment for the moths to breed in! It’s pretty gross, opening up the hoover and finding a big bunch of moths…..
A great system for easily storing and finding fabrics is the Antonius System in the Ikea wardrobe range which you can customise to suit your own needs
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S69884381/