9 tips for getting rid of moths in an apartment

How to get rid of moths in an apartment if you have never encountered this before? What to do if there are a lot of insects and it is not clear where they came from? Our article will help to deal with all questions on the topic.

When the landlady notices an unattractive small gray butterfly flying by, a distress signal immediately sounds. It might seem ridiculous if it weren’t so serious. In this case we are talking about moths.

When you see an insect for the first time, you will never say that it can cause holes in woolen things, “gnawed” cereals, regrind nuts and dried fruits, scraps of fur from expensive fur coats and fur shoes spoiled upholstery. Turns out that moth is a dangerous pest, and it is necessary to fight with him. But here there are a number of nuances.

The fact is that this voracious creature, like all insects, goes through certain stages of development, so we will have to deal not only with flying butterflies, but also with their eggs and caterpillars. It turns out that the moths themselves are completely harmless in the matter of spoiling food and things. Their duties include breeding, resettlement and finding food for posterity. Basically, flying butterflies are males and while we clap our hands intensely in an attempt to kill them, the females lay heaps of eggs, which very soon become caterpillars and begin to cause considerable harm.

An integrated approach is needed to combat moths. That is, the war must be waged with both butterflies and larvae, using various methods, from identifying places of “dislocation” of moths, using mother’s and grandmother’s tips, using ready-made preparations offered by the industry, and carrying out preventive work.

Why does a mole appear?

Sometimes it is impossible to even imagine the extent of damage that pest butterflies can cause. It is obvious that no one is interested in insects appearing in the apartment, and, of course, no one wants to bring moths to the house themselves. However, the causes of pests are not one or two, but several. Here is some of them:

• Products purchased at the store, will easily become carriers of moth larvae if the manufacturer ignores the conditions for proper storage, or the latter's packaging was broken.
• Similarly, they can be infected. products purchased on the market: dried fruits, mushrooms, dried herbs and even spices.
• New things (knitwear and wool, fur coats, fur shoes), furniture, various carpeting - possible carriers of moth larvae if they were infected by them while still in the store.
• Items or furniture purchased at a commission or from friends, - affordable and tidy prey for insect pests.
• Animals (especially with long hair) will bring moles to the apartment without any problems.Moreover, the first will be just a means of transportation and no more.
• Ventilation shafts They will be excellent communication routes between neighboring apartments, so insects will be happy to explore new territories.
• Even books from the library may cause moths to appear in the house.

Species of moth

So what is a mole? Let's try to get to know her better. Lepidoptera butterflies, of which the mole belongs, have about 3 thousand species in the world. The moth itself has more than 40 families, pests - about 30, but not all of them are related to our apartments (about 14).

The most dangerous for comfortable living of a person include:

Grain (food)

The insect of the ognevka family has a gray or brown color with interspersed or stripes. The wingspan of a moth is 9-10 mm. Well, caterpillars, of course, prefer cuisine and food supplies: cereals, nuts, confectionery, dried fruits, legumes, pasta, tea, etc.

The products visited by the moth should never be eaten, as they can cause intoxication and allergies in humans. The products of vital activity and degeneration of larvae and caterpillars remain in them: skins, feces, husks, dead individuals, etc.

Fruit

A favorite delicacy is dried fruits, and you can quickly determine it by its characteristic color - white-yellow with brown dots.

Furniture

Favorite food products of this type of caterpillars are furniture fabric, fur and wool products. The color of the wings of a butterfly varies from yellowish to gray-yellow, and their wingspan is 10-15 mm. The female settles her place in upholstered furniture (inside), in the folds of clothes made of fur, where it can lay up to 300 eggs. Caterpillars move along the corridors that they themselves build.

Wardrobe

The butterfly is of considerable size - the wingspan reaches 20-22 mm, and they themselves have a characteristic yellowish color and purple tint. Moth's favorite place is dark cabinetswhere she can find cotton, cloth, or draped clothing in abundance. Better yet, find things with contaminated places. They will become a real feast for the caterpillar, on which the pest will replenish the supply of nutrients and crawl further to gnaw holes.

Fur coat

The name of the insect speaks for itself. Her food priorities are fur products. Often, to get to them, she is ready to gnaw through cellophane covers. If there is a problem with the “supplies” of fur products, then the caterpillars are not disdained with felt, wool, velvet, feathers or books. The butterfly has wings of gray-yellow color with a span of 10-16 mm. Only the front ones are dark with black dots, and the lower ones are light. A feature of the larva is the presence of a portable case.

Carpet

Insects of this species are satisfied not only with carpets, but also do not refuse from things made of fur and leather. Butterflies have patterned, gray-brown wings.

Book

Golden brown moth will not refuse any type of printed matter.

The list of flying pests can be continued and, as a rule, the names of insects correspond to the type of food consumed. But, to summarize, then the entire apartment moth can be divided into two groups: food and clothes.

How to find moth larvae?

Butterflies are always visible, but it’s very difficult to determine the location of the caterpillars, and this is what it is desirable to do first of all. How to determine the presence of moth larvae? For clothes moths:

• Holes in things and clothes.
• Eaten fur (hairs) on a fur coat.
• Skins of larvae.
• Cocoons having an oblong shape.
• Live butterflies, caterpillars and their pupae.
• Moves that have eaten insects in furniture or carpets.

A feature of wool moths is woolen houses, which larvae form around them of fur hairs and their saliva

The presence of food moth can be determined by:

• Web in packaging bags.
• Small gray butterflies flying among the products.
• Lumps of sticky flour or grains.
• Dry skins of larvae.
• Candy or chocolate with consumed moves.
• Dust in dried fruits or dried mushrooms.
• Obviously visible insects and their larvae.

It is interesting that an adult butterfly eats nothing in this way for 2-3 weeks of its life, but only uses those reserves that it has accumulated as a caterpillar. The fact is that an adult insect has neither the digestive organs nor the oral apparatus

Methods for getting rid of moths in an apartment

Moth must be fought and the fight must begin as early as possible. There are many different ways to not only scare away pests, but once and for all to get rid of them. If you do not take into account folk remedies, then all others can be divided into:

• Contact. This group includes aerosols and sprays that are applied directly to clothing, carpets, upholstered furniture or exterior walls cabinets. A clear plus of the drugs is a direct treatment on an open surface, which means maximum efficiency and instant death of parasites. By cons include - a short period of maximum effect and, of course, the toxicity of the active substances.
• Fumigation. These drugs have a fairly long duration and have proven themselves when working in closed or confined spaces, for example, in wardrobes or linen dressers. The active substance evaporates gradually and kills or repels insects.

Consider these methods in more detail.

Chemicals against moths

Once again, it is worth paying attention to the fact that even the generalizing name of the means of fighting against moths involves the use of insecticides. Drugs of this series are more or less dangerous to humans. Therefore, when choosing a tool must be taken into account:

• Processing area.
• The degree of toxicity of the drug.
• The presence of children and allergy sufferers in the apartment.

Having precisely dealt with all the factors, they choose the appropriate method and the appropriate tool for killing or deterring pests.

Aerosols and sprays

Aerosols are offered in the form of spray cans, with the help of which the active substances are sprayed. According to the manufacturer's recommendations, when working with drugs, it is necessary:

• Use personal protective equipment.
• Provide fresh air to the room.
• Spray the insecticide throughout the room with a focus on the affected area.
• Close furniture and rooms for the best effect.
• To withstand the time specified in the instructions.
• Ventilate the apartment, carry out cleaning, put things in place.

After spraying, the active substance acts very quickly, leading to the death of the insect. Most popular among users:

• The Raptor. It retains a characteristic residual effect throughout the year, destroys adult butterflies, eggs and larvae.
• Mosquitall Moth Protection. Strongly acting agent, is actively used for processing furniture and clothes.
• "Clean house". You can safely use the product for clothing, for a good effect, even a small amount is enough.
• "Extreme". May act for 6 months after spraying.
• "Armol." Often used in the kitchen, destroys insects at all stages of development.
• As well as Desmol, Fox, Antimol, etc.

Fumigators

The action of active substances in these devices takes longer than aerosols. The fumigator is a small device that is powered by a mains, the principle of operation of which is very simple and familiar to everyone:

• A bottle with a special liquid or a plate is placed in the apparatus.
• The appliance plugs into a power outlet and heats up.
• An insecticide evaporates, which permanently removes moth from the room.

Perhaps a complete victory over pests will have to wait 2-3 weeks and this is a small minus, but a clear advantage of devices is its harmlessness to humans. Good reviews have raised funds such as:

• The Raptor.Belongs to the number of leaders in terms of work efficiency, can be refueled with both liquid and plates. In the first case, the aroma is absent, and in the second, you can smell a slight smell of flowers.
• "Dick". Inexpensive, but quite productive device with a long service life. It fights well with clothes and kitchen moths. It can be in two versions: under the plates and under the containers with liquid poison.
• "Mosquitall". The fumigator is designed for refueling with liquid insecticides. One device can cope with flying pests without problems on an area of ​​25-30 square meters.
• "Raid". It acts similarly to previous devices, designed for the installation of plates.

Today, more and more, new devices for controlling insect pests appear on store shelves. These include aquafumigators. In the Raptor device, the active substance is distributed with the help of steam, which allows it to penetrate into the most inaccessible places. The insecticide has a powerful nerve effect on the mole and its larvae, and subsequently leads to their death. It is necessary to work with the device, observing all precautions and personal safety, before starting work it is imperative to read the instructions.

Sections

Despite the fact that the action of the sections is designed to scare away adult moths and destroy larvae, they do not quite relate to chemical agents. The devices are special containers, inside of which is a moth repellent substance. Unlike the agents mentioned above, the basis of the active substance is a mixture of essential oils. Therefore, very often the caterpillars adapt to the smell, and after turning into a butterfly, the latter loves, for example, the aroma of mint. Devices will give maximum effect if you use them after the active work of fumigators or aerosols.

Common types:

• Moskitol. It can be made in the form of a hanging plate or bag with perfume (dry).
• The Raptor. Sections have a wide range of aromas, the action of the 1st device covers 1 sq. M. premises and can last up to 4 months.

Pills and Briquettes

Pills are affordable and effective means of fighting against moths. A tablet or briquette is based on a mixture of essential oils. If earlier it was a camphor and naphthalene compound, the heavy vapors of which fell down (from the upper shelves of the cabinets) and did not give the moth females the opportunity to lay their eggs, today they are reliable and safe for people.

Today, many people refuse to use naphthalene, since the substance is toxic, leading to serious diseases and poisoning of people.

Tablets should be placed on shelves, sections of cabinets, drawers and they will be effective protection of clothes and furniture from pests. At this point, it is worth noting:

• Desmol. An excellent remedy against clothes moths. It is recommended to keep at a remote distance from animals, children and away from food.
• "Anti-mole effect." The tablet protects fur and wool clothes from insects, adding a pleasant aroma of lavender.

Crayons

Crayons belong to a number of fairly effective anti-moth products with the most affordable cost. Using them on an area of ​​30 square meters, you can not remember the moth for 1-2 months. For your own safety, the lines are drawn by holding the chalk on the polyethylene. If there are few insects, then in places of accumulation it is enough to draw strips 3 cm wide. The chalk contains insecticides, so you need to handle it very carefully and remove all food. Crayons are well known to many housewives:

• "Home".
• "Masha."

Means well protect the room not only from moths, but also from other insects, the duration of the drugs is 6 months.

Mechanical methods

The most effective mechanical means of destroying moths, except to slam their hands, include:

Adhesive tapes

The current basis of the device is a special glue containing pheromones. Usually in the room use 2-3 pcs.on 10 sq. m. The tape is carefully removed from the sleeve and suspended at the site of the largest accumulation of moths. An example is the tape "Ferokar" (Ferokar), which is especially effective at night. The advantages of the described tools include:

• High performance tape.
• Cessation of reproduction of insects.
• Long term (4-6 weeks).
• Environmentally friendly and safe way.

Pests and traps of different species are well removed.

Traps

It is immediately worth noting that such devices:

• Easy to use.
• Safe for humans.
• Have an affordable cost.
• Great for prevention.

The pheromone trap visually resembles a children's pyramid, which has openings on both sides. At the bottom of a simple structure is a bait that attracts the male half of the moth. The insect flies, sticks and dies. Slowly, little by little, but there are fewer pests. Sticky devices that can be attached to the inner walls of cabinets in the kitchen act similarly. Traps are effective for a month, and the most popular are:

• The Raptor.
• "Argus".
• Delta 250
• "Aeroxon" ("Aerokson").
• "Natural control."
• "Global".

You can use a trap-house type "Swissinno". It is completely safe for humans, attached to a well-defatted surface, inside has a bait with an aroma attractive to an insect, open from 4 sides. Moth easily gets inside and sticks to the walls of the structure.

Glue-based traps act as an enhancer of the effect of other agents in controlling insect pests.

Physical methods

Given the intolerance of insects to low temperatures, low humidity and bright light of the sun, even before the first chemicals appeared, they used such methods as “freezing” and “heating” to destroy the moth and its larvae:

Freezing

In this case, carpets and warm clothing should be taken outside (or balcony), carefully shake or knock out (by the way, moth eggs are very weakly attached to things and shake well) and leave in the cold for a while. At air temperatures below -15 ° C, not only adults die in 2-3 hours, but even larvae and eggs. Sometimes housewives, in order to get rid of the moth in the cereal, put the latter for several hours in the freezer.

Heat

In this case, the cleaning of cereals, pasta and even dried fruits and nuts can be done by raising the temperature to 40-50 ° C for 5 minutes. It is enough to hold the products in the oven to get rid of adult moths and pupae. As for things, they must be taken out in the sun and ventilated as often as possible. The same procedure should be done with blankets and pillows.

If the possibilities are limited, then a quartz lamp will come to the rescue, and in the case of upholstered furniture, a steam cleaner

Folk remedies

We have collected the most famous and, judging by the reviews, effective folk methods of getting rid of various types of moths:

Strawberry soap and lemon or orange peels

These are quite effective repellents that protect both things and products from moths. Citrus peels should be spread out in places where insects are most often found. In places with an orange aroma, the insect will not be able to even lay eggs. And when the crusts begin to dry out and lose their aroma, they are replaced with fresh ones.

Black and allspice, tobacco, cloves, rosemary

Spicy smells are not at all "like" moths. If you spread the bags of spices throughout the apartment, and especially in the most problematic places, you can forget about insects very soon and for a long time.

Laundry soap

Perhaps not everyone today knows about the beneficial qualities of dark pieces of laundry soap. The bar, which contains natural ingredients, is suitable for combating clothes, potatoes and cereal moths. Small pieces of soap are laid out in cabinets with cereals, wardrobes, and drawers for storing potatoes.

Vinegar and garlic

Moth, like many other insect pests, the smell of vinegar does not tolerate well. Therefore, the housewives actively use it when carrying out wet cleaning in rooms, wipe cabinets with a solution of water and vinegar, shelves and boxes. To enhance the effect of specific aromas, after harvesting, cloves of garlic are laid out in the treated areas.

Vinegar

With this product alone you can try to get rid of moth larvae. To do this, 2 tablespoons of vinegar are heated in a container convenient for this process for several minutes, then the resulting hot concentrate is poured into a jar and placed in a cabinet for 10-15 minutes. The tool helps to destroy insect larvae.

Fir oil

Fir essential oil is believed to have a killer effect on moth larvae. To achieve the goal, you need to drip a little oil or apply a swab to the insect detection areas and wait for the result.

Caucasian chamomile (feverfew)

Used as a powder against flying insects. It is enough to decompose 3-4 g of the substance per 1 sq. m square.

To eliminate moths throughout the apartment and to prevent it from moving from one place to another, dry herbs and spices are used not only where insects clearly live, but throughout the house

Chestnuts

Dried fruits are laid out among clothes or products. Quite often, this tool works great.

Indoor plants - coleus (nettle) and geranium (pelargonium)

They are distinguished by specific aromas that the moth does not tolerate. Fresh plant leaves scare away pests and prevent them from entering cabinets and wardrobes.

Sprigs of lavender or lavender oil

Very effective means to get rid of moths as quickly as possible. Sprigs just need to be laid out in the right places, a few drops of oil can be dripped on the surface or arranged in small containers on the shelves.

Sagebrush

Wormwood branches not only scare away winged pests, but also prevent them from multiplying. The fact is that the smell of a plant disorients the moth in space and it cannot lay eggs.

Newspapers

It is interesting that insects that adore fur things and shoes are not at all enthusiastic about the smell of printing ink. It will not be difficult to put a few sheets of newspaper in a fur boot or a shelf with things to understaff with a couple of fresh prints, but the moth will definitely not get there.

Prevention Methods

If you follow some rules, you can completely prevent the appearance of insect pests in the apartment. Moreover, they are completely uncomplicated, but lead to order and cleanliness.

It is necessary:

• Regularly conduct thorough wet cleaning in the apartment.
• Carefully inspect things when buying. Especially if it is clothes with fur, fur coats, products made of felt.
• Do not lose your vigilance by purchasing furniture, carpets and food.
• Store cereals, flour, and other groceries in an airtight container or refrigerator.
• It is advisable not to accumulate large stocks of products and carefully monitor their shelf life.
• Pre-wash items before putting them in the closet for the winter.
• Warm clothes made of wool and fur should be well shaken out.
• Fur coats are best stored in paper covers, and woolen and fur clothes must be securely packed in plastic bags, after they have been put on moth products (preventing its appearance), fabric bags that have been washed using laundry soap are suitable for storing hats.
• If possible, buy hangers made of cedar, which is a strong repellent.
• For prevention, put bags of lavender, citrus peels or sachets with spices in cabinets and shelves.
• Ventilate the room as often as possible and try to keep things on the balcony in frosty and sunny weather.
• Periodically check things that have not been taken out of the closet for a long time, and, similarly, look at the stocks of products (especially if they are stored in dark places).
• Do not arrange at home (cabinets, chests of drawers, bedside tables) a repository of old things, which can become a "resort" for moths.

Conclusion

Fighting moths is not a matter of one or two hours, or even a whole day. The main thing is not to immediately panic, but to focus on the phased destruction of the pest. First of all, it would be nice to find the reason for the appearance of moths in the apartment, then you will have to start the audit of all stocks, inspection of things, general cleaning, etc. A lot of insects are already breeding or not enough - you should not relax. Even one or two individuals can turn an apartment into a haven for hundreds of "kids." But even in this case, it is possible to defeat the moth.

Do not neglect to restore order in the house, it is better to once again make sure of the quality of the products when buying or revise your things, you can put lavender flowers or mint twigs on the shelves with clothes, use ready-made tablets or Velcro. For a cardinal fight, boldly use new effective means.

Do not give up - and everything will turn out. We hope that our article will help you find the right and effective solution to the problem.