How to ger rid of clothing moths in few simple steps

Butterflies are beautiful but only if they live in your garden and not in your home. Especially the dark ones, you know, the common clothing moths. Moths are among the most dreaded insects because they can cause a really bad damage. We usually tend to overlook small lumps in eggs or even caterpillars and similar disgusting things. But damage to our favourite cloths is a different matter! Let us go over few steps which can help you to eradicate these destroyers.

Not every clothing moth is the same

The word moth refers to various representatives of the Ephestia genus and there are many species that can share your household with you.

• Ephestia animella
• Ephestia abnormalella ,
• Ephestia calycoptila ,
• Ephestia kuehniella ,
• Ephestia rectivittella ,
• and many others

You may also encounter Tuta absoluta or different carpet beetles. But the most common are those that attack flour and warehouses. These bugs lay their eggs in cereals, and before you know it, you have caterpillars everywhere. Later they pupate and more moths are formed and the cycle repeats. Even three generations of these bugs can be born in a single year, providing that they live in a room where the temperature is around 18 °C.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Contaminated food belongs in trash

As soon as you find out that you have moths, immediately start looking for the epicentre. Take a look in bags, various boxes and jars. If you find fibres, cobwebs and residues, throw everything away. The rest, which was not infected, should be heated in oven for 60 minutes or you may put the food in the freezer for a week.

Precision cleaning

One single moth is all it takes for new colonies to start forming again. You have to clean all shelves thoroughly. Cocooned caterpillars must be removed! You may also hire a professional company that deals with this type of cleaning.

Do not store too much supplies

The days when our grandmothers had to store everything are long gone. You do not need to stocks for a long time. Supermarkets have everything you need. Yes, we are so lazy but that is the way it is. Oatmeal, flour and other foods only attract these culprits.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Moth traps

Yes, there are moth traps and they are quite effective but you must still do a thorough cleaning.

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán