How to get rid of moths in the house: a review of chemical and folk remedies

How to find pest habitats?

There is no point in laying out or spraying moth repellents throughout the apartment. So you will have to inhale toxic substances yourself, and the insects will continue to eat.

Butterflies do not eat food or things. They only lay eggs, from which voracious larvae emerge. Look for the latter.

Many people mistakenly believe that moths feed on fabrics: wool, cotton, fur, feathers and even synthetics. In fact, the larvae's goal is organic matter.

Moths love to eat sweat, fat, and particles of epidermis that remain on human clothing and shoes. And the larvae bite through the tissue fibers on the way to the main food. Pests do not touch clean and fresh things.

Remember, did you take care of washing and cleaning your clothes (shoes) before putting them in the closet? If not, take out and shake up old things, look into boxes with boots.

Grain moth larvae accumulate in the following products:

• flour;
• pasta;
• cereals;
• beans;
• dried fruits and nuts.

The grain moth's favorite food is muesli. Store groceries in tightly closed containers or in the refrigerator. A plastic bag does not protect against moths - voracious larvae can bite through it. Check the products listed above for pests.

Mechanical protection – covers for clothes against moths

Covers for clothes allow you to protect them during off-season storage in closets. This method can mechanically protect clothes from moths, but does not allow the fabric to breathe (if the cover is made of non-breathable materials); subsequently, the clothes may smell bad, emitting a musty odor. For long-term storage, it is worth using covers with air-permeable material. Clothes should first be washed, steamed and dried thoroughly. Just in case, it is advisable to place a moth section in the case, this way you will 100% protect your clothes. A little further we will talk about how to properly prepare a closet for moving winter clothes into it.

Types of moth repellents

Moth repellents in the apartment are divided into two categories: chemical and folk. The latter only repel adult insects. If there are larvae in the cupboard or food, you cannot do without chemicals.

Based on the principle of their effect on pests, anti-moth preparations are divided into the following types:

• insecticides;
• repellents;
• traps.

Insecticides are highly toxic substances of contact and intestinal action. They enter the body of insects through the shell and respiratory tract and cause damage to the nervous system. Insecticides destroy butterflies, larvae and even moth eggs.

Repellents are volatile compounds that repel adult insects. They prevent butterflies from attaching to clothing and laying eggs. They do not help get rid of larvae.

Traps attract insects by smell, heat or UV radiation. The interested butterfly or larva falls into a “trap” (fan, adhesive tape, electric grid) and dies due to starvation or traumatic exposure.

According to the form, moth repellents in the apartment are divided into the following types:

• aerosols;
• sprays;
• sections;
• fumigators.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

What do moth pupae eat?

Moth caterpillars eat a wide variety of things and foods. If in nature they eat bird feathers, animal hair, nuts, vegetables, grains, berries and fruits, then in an apartment their menu becomes much richer. This list includes furs, fabrics made from cotton, silk, flax, wool, as well as human hair. The main thing is that the materials are natural and old - they are easier to chew and digest. Parasites are especially attracted to clothes soaked in sweat and carpets with liquid spilled on them. In such places, the larvae receive not only food, but also water.

Among the food products moth pupae prefer:

• Muke;
• Bran;
• Mahnke;
• Krupam;
• Liver;
• Nuts;
• Seeds;
• Dried fruits;
• Tea;
• Candy;
• Pasta.

Of course, the caterpillar's stomach is not capable of accepting large amounts of food. She eats very little, so small damage can go unnoticed for a long time. The problem is that there are a huge number of pupae in the brood. After such a feast, things or food will simply have to be thrown away.

Aerosol use

The insecticidal substance is contained in a pressurized can. Thanks to the sprayer, the particles are evenly distributed in the air and then settle on the surfaces of clothing, shoes, and furniture.

Moth sprays destroy not only butterflies, but also larvae. These products act quickly: insects die a few minutes after spraying the can.

However, aerosols contain aggressive components that are harmful to the respiratory system and skin of humans and pets. The products are not suitable for combating grain moths because they can poison the food.

How to use moth spray?

1. Ask family members and pets to leave the premises. Remove plants and aquarium from the house.
2. Wear closed clothing, gloves, safety glasses and a mask.
3. Spray a can of aerosol on the interior shelves and walls of the closet, clothes, shoes at a distance of 20-30 centimeters for 10 seconds.
4. Leave for an hour. Return and open the room to ventilate for 30 minutes. Place your clothes in the washing machine and wipe your shoes with a damp cloth.
5. Clean the apartment. Wash the shelves and walls of the cabinet with soapy water and leave to dry. If you find maggots in your shoes, throw away the old boxes.

Contact specialists

Specialized companies provide services for the destruction of moths in houses, apartments, retail, office and warehouse premises. Treatment is carried out using the cold or hot fog method.

Treatment of the room with cold fog.

Cold fog is an aerosol spray of an insecticidal composition with a temperature equal to the ambient temperature.

It stays in the air for no more than 4 hours and is suitable for treating rooms where animals or plants are located.

Hot fog is a spray of a product with a temperature of about 60°C. Its hovering in the air lasts about 10 hours; this option is used to kill moths in greenhouses or non-residential premises.

Popular anti-moth aerosols

What is the most effective moth repellent? If we analyze customer reviews, we can identify three good and inexpensive aerosols.

• "Raptor"

The product contains three active ingredients: permethrin, tetramethrin and piperonyl butoxide. With its help you will get rid of moth larvae in one day. The aerosol smells like lemon. A 175 ml can costs 160 rubles.

• "Armol"

Contains n-methylpyrrolidone and permethrin. It even kills skin beetle larvae. In a room less than 15 sq. meters, a maximum of 6 meters of fabric is processed. A 140 ml can costs 105-110 rubles.

• "Doctor Klaus"

The active ingredient is permethrin. It also contains lavender essential oil to repel butterflies. 150 ml of the product costs 300 rubles.

comparison table

A summary table containing some important characteristics of the products will help you compare the previously described products and choose the best one.

Spray use

The principle of action is the same as that of an aerosol - enteric contact. Contains larger insecticide particles that do not float in the air, but immediately settle on the surface. Therefore, moth spray is less toxic to humans and pets than an aerosol. Before spraying the substance, you do not need to wear a respiratory mask, goggles and gloves.

How to use the product?

• Shake the spray bottle for 2-3 seconds.
• At a distance of 20-25 centimeters from clothing (shoes, interior shelves or closet walls), press the spray head. For treating a surface area of ​​1 sq. The meter requires 50-60 clicks.
• After a day, put your clothes in the washing machine and clean your shoes. Do not wipe the interior surfaces of the cabinet.

The procedure is repeated every 6 months for preventive purposes.

Prevention measures

There are effective methods that help prevent the appearance of unpleasant neighbors in the wardrobe.

Preventing moths from appearing in the closet

First of all, this is the use of essential oils, sharp-smelling plants, tobacco and citrus peels, which repel insects and prevent them from laying eggs on clothes. In addition, special tablets have a similar effect.

Careful care of your wardrobe, regular washing, airing, and storing clothes in covers also help protect things from damage.

Popular anti-moth sprays

A good spray should spray in a thin stream rather than flow out of the head, kill larvae within minutes, and be economical. The following brands meet these conditions.

"Help"

Protects wool and leather items from butterflies, moth larvae, and mosquitoes. The active ingredients are permethrin and hyperonyl butoxide, which penetrate the chitinous shell of butterflies and the respiratory tract of larvae. A 125 ml bottle costs 115 rubles.

"Delicia Contra Insect"»

A German drug that helps get rid of butterflies and moth larvae, other flying insects (flies, wasps, mosquitoes), crawling pests (cockroaches, bedbugs, ants). Contains permethrin and bioallethrin. A 500 ml bottle costs 550 rubles.

"Argus"

One 100 ml bottle is enough to treat 8 square meters. meters of fabric or other surface. Contains permethrin and repellent lavender essential oil. Costs 50 rubles.

What moth larvae look like

Moth larvae are caterpillars with a white, sometimes yellowish translucent body and a black head. The parasite has powerful jaws that allow it to cut fur or chew hard foods.

The larvae have small legs with which they move. The caterpillar's body is thin and oblong. Externally, an insect at this stage of development looks like a worm. The body length of the pest is 3-7 mm.

There are 6 main types of house moths:

1. grain;
2. fur coat;
3. kitchen;
4. wardrobe;
5. furniture;
6. carpet

The larvae of any of the above types of pests look almost identical. But environmental conditions often determine what color a caterpillar's body will be.

Food moth

Experts know what a food moth larva looks like. The caterpillar's body is transparent beige or light brown. Body length – up to 20 mm.

The worm's head stands out. It has a dark brown color. The larva also has tenacious paws for rapid movement.

Clothes moth

Knowing what clothes moth larvae look like, it will be easy to distinguish them from another species. The caterpillar's body length is up to 1 cm. The body of the worm is translucent with a beige or yellowish tint.

The insect's head is darker.

It has 2 large mandibles with teeth, with which the parasite can cut through products made of natural wool and other fabrics.

Popular moth repellents in the form of sections

People willingly buy such products because of their low cost and ease of use. The following are considered popular brands.

“Clean House” plates

The active ingredients are empetrin (insecticide) and lavender essential oil (repellent). The product remains effective for 3-6 months. For 1 cu. meter of space requires 1 plate. Suspended from the top of the cabinet. 1 piece costs 70 rubles.

Balls “Clean House”

The product contains a substance that is toxic to butterflies and moth larvae - paradichlorobenzene. It is recommended to place 1-2 balls at the top of the cabinet. After use, you should wash your hands with soap.

The product is valid for 6 months. A package with 8 balls costs 30-40 rubles.

Odorless section “Raptor”

The period of protective action is 5 months. The active ingredient is transfluthrin, which destroys even larvae. The section is hung on a hook in the closet or on a hanger. One piece costs 90-100 rubles.

Section "Armol"

The empetrin contained in the product gradually destroys the larvae, and the citrus flavor repels butterflies. The product is valid for 6 months. A package with two sections costs 85-90 rubles.

Peculiarities of moth reproduction

Moths have 4 stages of development. The timing of the stages varies and depends on the type of insect and its living conditions.

The development cycle of the lepidopteran parasite consists of a number of stages:

1. egg laying;
2. hatching of larvae;
3. transformation of a caterpillar into a pupa;
4. adult.

At a time, the female lays 40-200 eggs, up to 1 mm in size. Further development of eggs is regulated by temperature. On average, the process lasts up to 3 weeks.

Experts know how moth larvae appear. The caterpillar hatches from the egg. The worm has a transparent skin, and its body length reaches 1 mm.

The caterpillar goes through several stages of molting and then becomes a pupa.

It is noteworthy that food species develop in 4-5 months, and clothing species - up to 90 days.

For pupation, insects choose hard-to-reach, dark places. But some types of lepidoptera prefer bright places.

Many species of house moths make a cocoon for themselves. This is a cover woven from a substance resembling silk. In a protective cocoon, the larva is in the pronymph state, and then it molts.

The integument of the pupa hardens over time. The shell protects the insect until it transforms into a butterfly (up to 14 days).

The lifespan of an adult is up to 3 weeks. During this time, she mates, looks for food for the larvae, and leaves offspring.

Using a fumigator

A special liquid is poured into the body or a plate (tablet, capsule) with an insecticide is inserted. The device is connected to an outlet. The consumable heats up, the toxic substance begins to slowly evaporate, poisoning butterflies and moth larvae.

The advantages of the fumigator are ease of use and high efficiency. But it also has a number of disadvantages:

• dependence on electricity in the house;
• the need to use an extension cord for cabinets without an outlet;
• the risk of poisoning family members and pets if the recommended dosage of the insecticide and operating time of the device are not observed.

Popular fumigator models include the following.

Heat fumigator "Raptor"

The active ingredient in the plates for the device is transfluthrin. The fumigator destroys not only butterflies and larvae, but also moth eggs. Begins to act 4 hours after connecting to the network. Price – 240 rubles.

"Clean house 3 in 1"

A more budget device costing 120 rubles. Filled with liquid.

Reasons for the appearance and spread of moths

There are many ways to bring moths into the house. A small, inconspicuous butterfly flies into the light through an open window or balcony door, but this rarely happens.

More often, moths enter a home in the following ways:

• through used or new furniture that has been lying in a warehouse for a long time;
• after purchasing food products in unsealed packaging that were stored in violation of conditions or terms;
• when buying clothes from private advertisements, in second-hand stores, pawn shops, and even in stores;
• through donated items;
• using the ventilation hole, through the front door if it is insulated with felt.

Moths don't come out of nowhere. If butterflies appear, it means the owners themselves brought things, food, furniture into the house that were already infested with larvae, or the insects entered from the street, from neighbors. The risk of food moths entering the apartments of residents increases if grocery stores or catering establishments are located on the first floors of apartment buildings.

Sometimes dogs bring butterflies into the home. Insects use animal fur as temporary shelter. The larvae prefer old, worn things, but they also feed on new items.

Folk remedies

Chemicals should not be used:

• for processing children's clothing;
• people who are allergic to insecticides;
• against grain moth larvae living in products.

In such cases, folk remedies will help you. They are also used to prevent pests from appearing in the house.

Before using any folk remedy, you must find and destroy a nest with larvae: throw away spoiled food, holey clothes, vacuum and wash the shelves of kitchen cabinets and wardrobes with soap.

Effective remedies for moths in the apartment are the following.

• Essential oils and plant extracts. Moth butterflies are repelled by the aromas of lavender, geranium, cedar, fir, and citrus. Prepare 6 square pieces of cardboard, add 1-2 drops of essential oil to each of them and place them on the shelves in the closet. Dry plant branches (lavender, geranium) are also suitable for these purposes.

• Orange zest. Do not throw citrus peels in the trash. It is better to place them in cabinets and kitchen drawers. Replace dried peels with fresh ones every month.

• Tobacco. Make 3-4 gauze bags with tobacco. Place in your pockets or hang on hooks in your closet.

Preparations and devices for controlling butterflies and larvae

If you need to destroy moths urgently, pay attention to more radical remedies for moths in the apartment. Professional preparations guarantee quick results with minimal problems with their use. Supermarkets offer a wide selection of anti-moth products. You can choose a drug for each case and at an affordable price. (Cost data is as of January 2018).

Aerosol

An effective remedy against moths and larvae in the apartment, which begins to work immediately after spraying, retains its effect for up to six months. The toxic substance enters the pest's respiratory tract and kills it. It works best when insect oviposition is detected and destroys all future offspring at the same time.

• "Armol". Used to combat any type of moth. It has the scent of lavender flowers and leaves no residue when sprayed. The price of a cylinder does not exceed 100 rubles.
• "Raptor". It is used both to destroy clothes moths and to prevent their occurrence. The spray smells of lavender and is suitable for spraying on thin and natural fabrics. Cost - 150 rubles.
• "Moskitol". Destroys butterflies of any kind, but has no effect on larvae. It has a pleasant smell and does not leave stains on clothes when processed. Costs 200 rubles.
• "Clean house". Suitable for processing upholstered furniture and wooden surfaces. No additional spraying on clothing is required. Has a light herbal aroma. The price is 150 rubles.
• "Antimol drKlaus." Destroys larvae and adult butterflies, has a long-term effect. Designed for processing furniture, suitcases, mezzanines. The average price per cylinder is 170 rubles.
• "Extramit". Used for processing production and warehouse premises. Long-acting aerosol retains its properties for up to six months. The price of the bottle is 70 rubles.

The chemical composition of the aerosol is harmful to health, so cover your breathing organs when spraying, and leave the room for a while after spraying.

Fumigator

A plastic device for repelling moths, mosquitoes and flies, powered by electricity. The full cycle of pest destruction takes several weeks, which is why moth fumigators are less popular than aerosols. In addition, it only kills butterflies, leaving caterpillars and oviposition intact.

The plate or container with the insecticide is placed in a special compartment inside the device, then the fumigator is connected to the network. When the block is heated, active substances begin to be released, a subtle smell destroys the butterflies. The following models are popular.

• "DiK-3". There are two types of model, operating with liquids and plates. The active action of the fumigator begins 12 hours after being plugged into the network. The cost of the device without the unit is 50 rubles.
• Raid. It goes on sale together with the plates. Depending on the modification, you can adjust the intensity and set a timer. The price of the fumigator is from 150 to 400 rubles.
• Raptor. An improved version of "DiK-3" destroys moths and mosquitoes. The cost of the fumigator is 300 rubles. Plates are sold separately.

The content of toxic substances in the fumigator is minimal. The device can be turned on in the apartment without fear for your health.

Trap

Pheromone bait is safe for human health and pets, since it contains no chemical components. It consists of an adhesive base and pheromones. Males, interested in the exciting aroma, fly to the trap and stick tightly. And since reproduction is impossible without males, the life cycle of the moth gradually stops.

• 
  "Raptor". An effective remedy for moths in the closet. The sticky base is impregnated with synthetic resins, rubber and mineral oils. The trap's action begins after the protective coating is removed. She has been active for two months. The cost fluctuates around 150 rubles for two plates.

• Aeroxon. Used to protect the apartment from any type of moth. It is attached with the back side to the surface of the chest of drawers, near the source of infection. To activate the trap, you need to remove the transparent film. Maintains effect for three months. The average price is 300 rubles.
• Global. Destroys food moths. The glue bait consists of three parts, divided by perforations. It can be used separately, hanging in several places, or folded into a “house”, placing it in a chest of drawers. The trap is valid for two months. The average cost is about 200 rubles.

Too many traps in one room can cause the opposite reaction: the males will not smell due to the excess amount of pheromones.

Cases

Allows you to preserve outerwear in the off-season. The mechanical method prevents moths from breaking through dense material. Use breathable covers to prevent clothes from smelling musty later. Wash and iron items before storing them. For prevention, you can hang a moth section in the case. This is an option for those who want to use odorless protective products.

Pills

An alternative to scented aerosols. Anti-moth tablets will protect clothes and drive voracious individuals away. The product does not affect oviposition and larvae. But the affordable price (a pack of 12 pieces can be bought for just 10 rubles) and ease of use make the tablets popular in their segment.

For the best effect, place several tablets in a gauze bag and place them in the corners of your wardrobe. Update your protection every two weeks. The most popular among the population are the anti-moth tablets “Cinderella”, “Dezmol”, “Lavender”, “Crash Moth”.

Sections

This is a plastic container with a hook that is filled with a special gel. The sections operate on the principle of aromatic herbs. The plates permeate the entire cabinet with an unpleasant smell for moths, creating unbearable conditions for reproduction.

The sections are harmless to people and pets. But there is a significant drawback - they do not destroy the larvae. The price for one piece ranges from 80-150 rubles. The best reviews about moth repellents were collected in the “Raid”, “Raptor”, “Taiga”, “Antimol” and Mosquitall sections.

If you see a pest in your apartment, promptly use the selected moth repellent at home. The sooner you start the fight, the greater your chances of winning without losses. It works best to use several methods in combination. Also don't forget about prevention.

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