How to remove moths in an apartment are the most reliable and proven methods. How to quickly get rid of moth food and household folk remedies forever: methods of control and preventive measures How to get rid of moths at home

Moths in the kitchen are not only flying moths, but also their pupae, larvae and eggs.

  • This means that in order to remove pests forever, you need to deal with them in a comprehensive manner - find and eliminate the outbreak, clean the furniture / ceiling, throw out everything that has been infected and process potentially infected products.

Food moths are of different types. Most often, in the kitchen in a city apartment, you can find: a flour moth, a little less often - a cocoa moth (very similar to a clothes moth) and a southern barn moth (fighting it is more difficult than with others). Where do they come from even in the cleanest kitchen cabinets?

  • Tiny, almost invisible eggs end up in the kitchen in packages of cereals, cereals, gallets, dried fruits, flour, spices and other groceries. Then, within a week, larvae of food moths hatch from them, which subsequently pupate and turn into moths.

In this material, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of food moths, what preventive measures to take in order to avoid its reappearance and how to save food if it is a pity to throw it away.

Step 1. Looking for the outbreak and contaminated food

Moth eggs look like small white sticky grains that look like semolina. The larvae first appear as small, whitish worms, and then they grow up to 1.27 cm and have black or brown heads. Another clear sign of food contamination is cobwebs, as in the photo below.

To get rid of food moths, the first thing you need to do is:

  1. Inspection of kitchen cabinets and products. Examine all the supplies that are stored in kitchen cabinets - you need to find not only the source, but also the products already infected with larvae and eggs.
  • Do not forget to check unpacked groceries, because moth easily eats cardboard, foil and polyethylene.
  • Pay special attention to the edges of the lids of the cans - there may be a moth cobweb on them.
  • Remember that not only groceries can be contaminated, but also animal feed, seeds for birds, bait for fishing, that is, almost everything that is not stored in the refrigerator.
  1. Inspection of the ceiling. Ceiling, skirting boards, wallpaper edges and chandelier base. The moth loves to hide in dark crevices and corners.
  2. Inspection of cabinet tops. You can also see moth cocoons here.

By the way, if you are in doubt whether there is a moth in your kitchen at all, or, say, whether it was possible to remove it after cleaning, then inspect the room at night - adults will gather around a burning chandelier.

Step 2. We carry out a total cleanup

  1. Eliminate source and products with obvious signs of contamination. As soon as you find which product has become the source of the spread of insects, wrap it tightly in a plastic bag and immediately throw it away, or better burn it altogether.
  2. Clean thoroughly. Empty the kitchen cabinets and remove the shelves, then vacuum them and the inside of the cabinet, paying particular attention to the corners and crevices.
  • A vacuum cleaner (without a nozzle or with a small nozzle) will tighten the hidden moth and prevent subtle eggs from remaining in the closet. This method is very effective, so if you do not have a vacuum cleaner, you should ask your friends for it. The main thing after the procedure is to throw out the bag or freeze it in the freezer for 3-4 days.
  1. Wash all containers and jars. This can be done with vinegar solution or laundry soap. Containers containing contaminated food should be frozen for 3-4 days or heated in the microwave for 5 minutes.
  2. Vacuum the ceiling. If you find moth settlements on the ceiling, skirting boards, cabinet tops, near the chandelier, or under the edges of loose wallpaper, then vacuum these places too.

Step 3. We kill adults and put up traps

How to catch adults that have already scattered around the corners of cabinets and kitchens? Males (by the way, harmless, but fertilizing females) can be caught using a glue trap (photo below). The principle of its action is simple - the trap treated with pheromone of females attracts males and "catches" them, and without males, the moth, of course, cannot reproduce. Thus, pheromone traps will help prevent insects from reappearing.

  • You can buy such a trap for 200-300 rubles in online stores and household chemicals stores.

Females will have to be killed by traditional methods - a fly swatter or a rolled-up newspaper, since they fly badly and slowly, it is not so difficult to do this.

Step 4. Handling potentially contaminated foods

So, you threw away the source product and products with clear signs of contamination, but what to do with the rest of the supplies that outwardly seem clean or were slightly contaminated?

It is easiest to throw them away as well, but if you want to, you can save potentially contaminated food in the following two ways:

  • After sifting and sorting out cereals, flour or other product, keep it in the freezer or on the balcony (in winter) for at least 3-4 days.
  • After sprinkling the product on a baking sheet, heat it up in the oven at 60 degrees for at least 40 minutes. Before heating it, of course, you need to clean it.

Keep in mind that the first method of processing, although longer, retains all the vitamins and nutritional properties of the food.

Step 5. We carry out prevention and protect products

  1. New or cold / warm processed foods (including pet food) should be placed in glass, thick plastic or metal containers / jars with tight-fitting lids. This will protect supplies from moth penetration and prevent them from escaping outside the container. Recall that cardboard, paper, foil and plastic bags are easily eaten by it.

  1. In the fight against moths in the kitchen, a folk recipe is also useful - storing products with natural repellents:
  • With a couple of bay leaves;
  • With peeled but not cut garlic (a couple of heads are enough);
  • With orange peels.

  1. You can also place one of the following on the shelves, either: lavender sprigs, birch leaves, geraniums, wormwood, rosemary, laundry soap, or strong-smelling essential oils. For example, fir oil can be used to moisten a cotton pad and leave it in the closet.

Remember that these folk remedies will scare off adult moths, preventing them from laying eggs in food and on shelves, but they will not work on the larvae. Moreover, if you suddenly put a package of contaminated cereals on the shelf with lavender, then the larvae of the moths in it will not die, and the butterflies that appear later will no longer be afraid of the lavender smell. That is why it is necessary to deal with household pests comprehensively.

And a little more about prevention

The following tips will help you avoid moth reoccurrence:

  • Try not to store food for more than 2-4 months and, of course, do not store supplies that are past their expiration date.
  • Store foods that you rarely use in the refrigerator.
  • Buy dry foods in small quantities so you can eat them within a couple of months.
  • Buy groceries only from reputable manufacturers and check the quality of the goods in the store whenever possible. To be sure, freeze freshly purchased cereals, cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruits and other products for 3-4 days (dry).
  • Store pet food, such as bird seeds or fishing bait, outside the kitchen.

How to get rid of moths in the house forever professional and folk remedies will be discussed in this article, because moths can sometimes appear even in the cleanest house.

Moths can spoil clothes and food, so it must be disposed of without fail. However, in order to do this, it is necessary to determine which type of moth will have to be dealt with. In this article, you will learn how to quickly get rid of at home from different types moths and what methods and means to use for this.

Where does moth come from in an apartment and house

Most often moth in the apartment and the house appears when she has something to feast on:

  • A dressing moth may appear in the house after purchasing fur or woolen items. They most likely contained moth larvae, which had already turned into insects at home.
  • Also, a clothes moth can be brought into the house with furniture, especially not new. Pets can also bring moth larvae into the house on their fur, although this is extremely rare.
  • The food moth appears in the home with food. Most often she gets turned on in croup that has not been sealed or flour. The moth can get to you from neighbors in the ventilation system.

Residential species

It doesn't matter where the moth came from in the apartment or house, it is important to get rid of it as soon as possible, before it has time to ruin natural carpets, fur coats, clothes and even the upholstery of the sofa. Most often, the following types of moths start up in an apartment:

Fur coat (woolen) - gray-yellow butterfly with small black dots on the wings. She settles in wardrobes. Where are clothes stored? She can even gnaw through a plastic bag to get to fur products. If there is no fur in the house, she can eat books, pillow feathers and felt.

Furniture. A yellowish butterfly with a golden sheen on the wings. He settles in upholstered furniture and eats furniture fabric, sometimes it can spoil furs and woolen products.

Wardrobe.

A butterfly with yellow wings, sometimes they can be purple in color. Loves dark wardrobes. It feeds on any clothes indiscriminately.

Food (grain, fruit). A small butterfly with gray speckled or brown striped wings. Eats food (cereals, legumes, tea, flour, nuts, sugar), leaving in them traces of their vital activity, particles of the skin, husks of caterpillars. Such products are already unusable. Having eaten them, a person can be poisoned.

Wax moth.

She lives in bee hives and does a lot of harm. But the tincture on its larvae is very useful.

Important! The adult moth is not harmful as it has no mouth and cannot eat or digest food. She simply lays eggs from which hungry caterpillars emerge.

What to do when a moth appears in an apartment

To quickly get rid of moths forever an integrated approach is needed.

  1. Having found a moth, it is necessary to inspect the entire room. The moth rarely settles in the house alone. If she appeared on the kitchen, go through all the foods, especially cereals. Also inspect cabinets and textiles throughout the house.
  2. Having found a nest of larvae, it must be destroyed with a vacuum cleaner. Next, this place is washed with a sponge and water with the addition of a detergent with chlorine.
  3. If a moth is in the closet, shake out all clothing, not excluding synthetics.
  4. It is best to wash all clothes in hot water with powder. Large woolen sweaters can be stored in the freezer for several hours. Not a single larva will survive from such a procedure. Clean the outer clothing with a brush, pay special attention to folds, pockets, lining. If you have a steam generator, treat heavy jackets, fur coats and coats with it.
  5. Do a general cleaning. Wash curtains, rugs, curtains, rugs and blankets. If there are items that cannot be washed, take them outside in sunny weather so that they can be shined in direct sunlight for several hours. All larvae will die from such a procedure.
  6. The kitchen will also need a thorough cleaning. Throw away the affected cereals, dried fruits and nuts. All cabinets, containers and hard-to-reach places are wiped with a solution of chlorine or vinegar.

These actions will help you find and destroy moth nests. However, this is not enough, since one unnoticed larva is capable of multiplying at a rapid pace.

Watch the video! How to get rid of moths in an apartment

How to get rid of home moths - household (wardrobe, fur coat, furniture)

To combat moths, you can use pesticides and folk methods. Of course, it is better to give preference to folk remedies that will not harm the residents of the house, but will help get rid of the insect.

Important! Before using any moth repellent, you first need to do a general cleaning in the apartment, ventilate and wash all cabinets well, clean carpets and upholstered furniture, books, pillows, blankets. It is better to dry-clean your outerwear.

Folk remedies:

How to get rid of moths in the kitchen - food (grain, fruit)?

It is impossible to deal with food moths with chemical agents, since we are talking about food and the processing of a kitchen in which food is prepared for all family members. In this case, it is necessary to resort to folk methods of dealing with moths:

How to get rid of moth larvae?

  1. Remove all clothing from closet infested with maggots.
  2. Vacuum the entire cabinet thoroughly, paying particular attention to the corners and shelf.
  3. Wash the shelves and entire cabinet with hot water and laundry soap.
  4. Spray with a special moth spray.
  5. Wash clothes in hot water. It is better to do this in a washing machine, setting at least 50 degrees and washing for at least 30 minutes. Put clothes that cannot be washed in hot water in a bag and send them to the freezer for a day. Then remove and wash in water of acceptable temperature.

Watch the video! How to get rid of moths with folk remedies

Professional ways to deal with moths

There are household chemical insecticides that fight moths quickly and effectively.

Aerosols

Such products in the form of sprays are sold in special cans, which must be used clearly according to the instructions. The poison is spread into cabinets and hard-to-reach areas of carpets and furniture. The treatment is carried out in a respiratory mask. All vents, windows and doors are closed. Neither people nor animals should be in the room for several hours. After the specified time has elapsed, everything is washed well, and the clothes are washed thoroughly. Aerosols help fight adults and larvae. The most popular aerosols:

  • Dichlorvos - designed for the treatment of exceptionally hard surfaces.
  • Antimol is one of the most effective anti-moth remedies.
  • Armol - this tool can be used to process textiles.
  • Raptor - kill adults and larvae, safe for humans.

Important! Many aerosols are prohibited in the kitchen.

Sprays such as Clean House, Morimol, Foxid, Maskitol, etc. are also effective.

Fumigator

A fumigator is a device that is plugged into an outlet. It heats up special plates or insecticidal liquid, which begin to exude into the air into special components that kill insects. A fumigator is considered safer for humans than an aerosol. Most often, manufacturers offer insecticides in different forms, so everyone chooses for himself which tool to use.

The fumigator has a small lesion area, but it is convenient to use it to get rid of moths in the closet. This kills all the larvae and does not need to wash all the clothes.

Pheromone traps

Traps are considered the safest and most effective moth control chemicals.

The traps are a small piece of cardboard that gives off the scent of the female moth's pheromones.

The male flies to this smell and sticks to the cardboard. Since no one else reproduces offspring, the life cycle stops.

Advice! It is recommended to use only one trap in one room, as excessive odor will disorient males.

Plate

The plates are also made from a small piece of cardboard or organic material that has been impregnated with special moth insecticides. Such plates are usually placed in a wardrobe or bedside tables. These funds are considered the most durable, as they last for several months.

The most popular and effective means of getting rid of moths and larvae have been described above. However, before using chemicals, it is recommended to try traditional methods of dealing with this insect.

Prevention of the appearance of moths

In order not to fight moths later, it is necessary to take preventive measures.

  • Install mosquito nets on all vents, windows and ventilation outlets.
  • Remember to regularly ventilate the area and use fragrances.
  • Store tea, cereals, and nuts in glass jars that are tightly closed with lids. Buy only fresh food.
  • It is better to store clothes in airtight bags or cases for things. It should always be clean and ironed.
  • From time to time it is necessary to sort out all the things in the wardrobe, clean the closets and wipe them with soapy water.
  • For preventive purposes, you can use sprays, plates and adhesive tape from moths.
  • Do not forget about folk remedies, use orange peels, lavender and spices.

By following simple prevention methods, you will never know what a mole is. But if an insect nevertheless entered your apartment, start fighting it immediately so that it does not spoil your favorite things.

Every housewife is afraid of moths. The appearance of these little moths inevitably foreshadows that you will soon have to say goodbye to your favorite silk blouse, your favorite wool pullover or precious fur. If such a problem arises, the question arises of how to get rid of moths in the house forever with folk remedies, as well as what insect control products the chemical industry offers us. Let's take a closer look at them, among a wide variety of methods, everyone can choose the one suitable for themselves.

If flying and crawling larvae are seen in the closet, this does not mean that there is a bad mistress in the house. This insect can appear even in the most well-kept apartment. Where does it come from? Everything is simple - perhaps the neighbors had the same problem, and they fought with it, the pests were removed through the window, ventilation shaft and staircase, and then they found shelter in a neighboring apartment. But not only this can be the reason for the appearance of these insects.

What does a larva and an adult butterfly look like?

Before you start a fight, you need to get to know the enemy by sight. This is what an adult butterfly looks like.

The insect can live up to 300 days. Flying butterflies, which are usually found, are the least dangerous for us, although they lay eggs. It is the larvae that bring the greatest harm, which often go unnoticed. Therefore, if you destroyed a flying insect, this does not mean that the problem is solved. Somewhere maggots probably sit and spoil things. In addition, they will soon become adults and multiply even more.

This is what a larva looks like, which causes damage to clothing.


It is very important to start the fight as soon as we see at least one butterfly (a beige winged insect about 9 mm long). To expel an insect forever, it is necessary to destroy it at all stages of development - an adult butterfly, larva and eggs, which are almost invisible. The female lays about 200 eggs, which then become larvae. And the larvae spoil things. The duration of the development of the larva depends on the larval environment and the nutritional properties of the material on which it feeds and can last from 35 days to 2.5 years. In good conditions, 4 generations of insects will breed during the year. If we do not fight the intruders, then during this time our favorite sweater or fur coat will disappear before our eyes.

Folk remedies

Usually these insects feed on items made of wool, fur, feathers, and leather. However, with the progress of civilization, they have also enriched their menu with fabrics made from blends of synthetic and natural fibers. Today, virtually no tissue is immune to this insect. The insect is especially dangerous for fur products, which it can damage very quickly, so they should be stored in tight plastic bags.

Fortunately, we know effective ways to combat these voracious insects!

There are several simple ways and methods to control insects at home. First of all, you need to thoroughly clean all cabinets, dry all things and do not forget to do this regularly.

The scent of lavender effectively repels this harmful butterfly. Pendants, dried flowers or sprays with the scent of this essential oil plant will be useful not only for prevention, but also in the fight against insects. Lavender sprigs should be where we keep our clothes - usually in closets.

Lemongrass, lemon zest, or lemon pendants will be effective. Also an effective deterrent will be orange peel, the smell of which does not like the gluttonous pest. These insects do not tolerate citrus aromas. Citrus zest pouches can be placed at the bottom of the drawers. Therefore, after eating the fruit, do not throw away the peel, it must be dried and put in linen bags. The zest will also scare cats out of closets if they have a habit of climbing in there. Not everyone likes this behavior of pets, so orange peels can help solve two problems at once.



Not everyone knows that some spices will help fight this insect. For this purpose, we will need:

  • Bay leaf;
  • mint;
  • thyme;
  • Carnation.

Probably many, when they were children, gathered chestnuts in the park, but not everyone knows that these fruits are effective folk remedies. You just need to put them in the closet.

How to deal with moths in the closet? Empty the cabinet first. Then, in a small saucepan, boil a glass of vinegar mixed with water. The steaming liquid should be placed on a stand in the cabinet in which the pest has wound up and the door should be tightly closed. You can add bay leaves and peppers to the pan, which this insect also does not like. After 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and ventilate the cabinet well. To consolidate the effect, the procedure is repeated 2-3 times.

Low and high temperature

Clothes that show traces of eggs or larvae should be placed in a plastic bag and then put in the freezer for 3-4 hours. If the furniture is not painted, the places of accumulation of larvae after their removal can be treated with hot air from a hair dryer. After drying, iron the washed items with a hot iron. Temperatures above 40 ° C destroy eggs.

Newspapers

Another tried-and-true method is to line shelves and drawers with newspapers, as insects cannot tolerate the smell of ink.

Soap

In addition, in cupboards and dressers, you can place bars of soap, preferably with a lavender scent, but ordinary soap, even laundry soap, will do. It is better to cut the soap into small pieces and sprinkle them on the shelves.

Another well-known repellent is marsh rosemary, also called wild rosemary. It emits a clear, pleasant aroma for us, which is not tolerated by an insect. The plant grows in bogs, peatlands and other wetlands and reaches a height of 1.5 m. In cupboards, wild rosemary is used in dried form.


Needles

A proven way to combat this insect is to place pieces of fresh resin from the forest, fresh needles or strong-smelling buds in the corners of the cabinet. When doing this, be careful not to stain cabinets and clothing with resin.

Ready-made products (naphthalene, aerosols, baits, essential oils)

You can also purchase some ready-made products on sale. It can be:

  1. Naphthalene, which is also known to our grandmothers as an effective remedy. It is commonly used but not always effective and is toxic to humans and pets. Even when washing clothes, it is difficult to get rid of the smell of mothballs. Therefore, if you nevertheless decide to use this product, after removing it from the cabinet, in the place where it lay, you need to place bags of baking soda, which neutralizes the smell of naphthalene.
  2. Aroma sticks and stripes that are hung in the closet or balls with a smell.
  3. Aerosols, with which you need to regularly spray the shelves in wardrobes and dressers.
  4. Synthetic essential oils that repel insects.
  5. Pheromone tiles and baits(odorless) are inexpensive and non-toxic moth control agents in food, their function is to attract and trap males with pheromones, thereby stopping insect reproduction. Products of this type are offered by Bros and Raid - they have proven to be extremely effective, do not contain biocides and, therefore, can be placed near food. The drugs work for 4 to 6 weeks.

What else needs to be done?

  1. Finding a nest and cleaning thoroughly... First of all, you need to find out where she made her nest. To do this, it is advisable to carefully remove everything, the larvae usually live in warm and dark corners. This is why all cabinets must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed. First, wash the cabinets with detergent and then wipe them with vinegar and water.
  2. Dry clothes... All clothing, carpets, and curtains should also be shaken up. If it's mid-summer, it's best to leave things out in the sun; if it's winter, leave them out in the cold for a few hours. Both very high and very low temperatures are good ways to get rid of larvae and eggs. Plus, there is no need to overfill the cupboards. It is best to hang things as loosely as possible.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen, in cereals?

Food moth in the kitchen, in cereals, is a big problem for every housewife. It is often found in products, especially in cereals, pasta, flour. These are insects that nest primarily in kitchen cabinets. Most often they can be found where grain products are stored. When dealing with them, the most important thing is to act very efficiently and accurately. Half measures will certainly not work here. If at least one insect is seen in the kitchen, you must react immediately. This could be a sign that there is a large nest hiding in the cabinet drawers.

You can bring the insect into the house with food, such as flour or cereals. It is best to sift these foods as soon as you get home from the store. As a result, the risk can be largely eliminated. But, rarely does anyone resort to such events. It is best to store flour or cereals in an airtight glass container.

It is rather difficult to get it out. First, you will have to throw out all the products in which it appeared, and then wipe the shelves with a solution of water and vinegar (in a 1: 1 ratio), with a drop of citrus or clove oil. You can also place a bay leaf or several carnation inflorescences in each cabinet. The cabinets can also be vacuumed.

For prophylaxis, products should be stored in glass food containers with tight-fitting lids. Plastic cans, as is often the case, do not protect, because the larvae eat up microscopic holes in them.

Cereals, rice, pasta, flour should be stored in glass jars. This solution has not only aesthetic value, but also practical value, as it facilitates cleaning in the kitchen. But, of course, the most important thing is that other pests will not start in a closed glass container.

Newly acquired cereals such as rice, flour can be placed in the freezer for several days - if they contain larvae, they will die from the low temperature.

Insects don't like heat. Therefore, to effectively expel them, it is worth using a hair dryer and drying all cabinets. It is best to set it to the highest possible temperature. This will remove all larvae and eggs.


You can also buy special plasters for moths in stores. They are not very aggressive and relatively cheap, while demonstrating high efficiency. The patches will help to lure all the insects to one place and get rid of them effectively. Although they don't look too aesthetically pleasing, they help well.

Additional protection will be a mesh in the ventilation openings and mosquito nets on the windows. Preventive measures include keeping the kitchen clean, vacuuming regularly, and cleaning cupboards.

Good day! Every summer, the grandmother goes through the things in the closet and hangs them on the balcony to dry. This year, this tradition has also been observed. Sorting through coats and fur coats, granny found a moth flying out of the wardrobe. And on the things themselves - the pupae of this insect.

This situation shocked her. How and why she appeared, because she always monitors the cleanliness and order in her home. At this time we just came to visit her. Grandma told us about her problem.

My wife advised her proven drugs and after a couple of days our Antonina Nikolaevna was beaming with happiness. All insects were defeated. In this article, you will learn: mole in the apartment - how to get rid of, what to use from folk methods, types of pests, what anti-mal drugs exist.

Mole in an apartment: how to get rid of it once and for all

This harmful insect has been annoying people for more than a dozen years, and not everyone knows how to remove the moth. This little creature creates a lot of trouble and problems. But in order to expel the enemy from your home, you need to get to know him better - to learn the habits and fears of the pest.

Mole in the apartment: how to get rid of

There are many types of moths, but we are interested in how to get rid of home moths (food, furniture, clothes). If you find a flying moth, you should not chase after it, because it is just a harmless male. And at this time, a female somewhere in a dark corner lays silvery eggs, here is a hotbed of danger for your products and clothes.

To find out how to remove a mole, you need to familiarize yourself with its favorite habitats. Most often, the nest of moths is in dark, warm places where there is little fresh air.

The most dangerous are caterpillars, they then eat everything around. During the day, a small caterpillar can gnaw through a hole in your favorite coat or fur coat. Foodstuffs are also affected, especially cereals and dried fruits.

Food moth how to get rid of

Dry food most often suffers from food (grain) moths. The nests are in stocks of flour, nuts, dried mushrooms, dried fruits and various cereals. Indeed, for such a moth, the most important thing is a warm place and lack of ventilation. First you need to go through all the stocks and pour the food into tightly closing jars, or put it in plastic bags and tie them well.

How to remove food moth if food is badly damaged? You have found a moth nest in dry foods and they are badly damaged - these foods must be thrown away immediately. Because eating contaminated supplies is very unhealthy.

If the moth has not yet managed to settle in the supplies, but is just beginning to start there, such products should be carefully reviewed and the source of infection should be removed.

How to remove moths from cereals and dry foods. After you threw away the nest of moths, in dry food it looks like lumps of cobwebs with larvae and caterpillars. Products (cereals, dried fruits, mushrooms and nuts) must be dried in a microwave or oven.

Better to use an oven. The products are placed on a baking sheet and dried with the door open for 20 minutes at a temperature of 70 ° C. Then they are placed in a tightly closed container. The next step in the question of how to get rid of moths in the kitchen is to disinfect the shelves in the closet where the contaminated food was located.

To do this, you need to prepare a soapy solution with which to thoroughly wash each shelf and cabinet doors.

Then do the same operation, but with clean running water. After drying, treat each groove and crevice with vinegar or lemon juice. To do this, use an ordinary brush, shaving brush or kitchen sponge. Allow to dry well for 2-3 hours before filling the cabinets.

To stop wondering how to get rid of food moths, use the little secrets. Cereals and dry foods are best stored in glass or metal jars with tight-fitting lids. You can also place garlic cloves, orange peels, or young walnut leaves on the shelves.

For more effective repelling of the pest, the cloves of garlic can be placed in a container with cereals and dry foods.

How to get rid of moths in the kitchen using traps. There are special moth traps available from grocery stores and supermarkets. They look like a triangular box with a sticky substance inside. This trap works on the basis of pheromones, which attract moths and prevent them from getting out into the wild.

You need to set traps in food cabinets, and change them every two months. If you have eliminated all the pests, it is best to leave the traps in order to avoid relapse. How to get rid of moths and prevent them from appearing in the kitchen. Don't stock up on too much dry food.

If you buy cereals or flour in stores, then at home place the food in the freezer for several hours.

Or even store cereals in the refrigerator, so you will definitely get rid of the pest. Do a general cleaning of your supply closets at least once a month.

How to remove a mole in an apartment

Unlike the kitchen moth, which starts up mainly in the warm season, the room moth lives in apartments all year round. Finding a nest of such a moth is a difficult task. But anything is possible with the effort and ingenuity. The moth devours everything in its path, and even if you hid your favorite things in synthetic fabric or plastic bags, this is not an obstacle for the moth, and it will easily gnaw the way to the treat.

To find out how to remove a mole in an apartment, you need to familiarize yourself with its diet. Moth prefers to devour: fur, felt, natural velvet, book covers, wax, wool and even feathers. Caterpillars are very tenacious, they can safely live without food for a whole month.

And they die only at temperatures below zero. Therefore, they can live in an apartment in a secluded dark corner for up to two years.

How to get rid of moths and their larvae? First you need to find the source of the infection - to sort out all the things. If there are larvae on the clothes, they must be shaken out the window, and the things must be hung out in the fresh air and bright sun. Also, a sharp temperature drop kills harmful larvae.

Put things in a plastic bag, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes, and then heat at room temperature, repeat the procedure five times. If a mole is started on leather, fur or woolen products, it can be removed only with the help of preparations based on dichlorvos. This is the only effective remedy.

The most common location for a home moth is in a closet. How to get rid of moths in the closet. To do this, use special means against the pest.

Very often they use naphthalene, but in addition to protecting against moths, it also harms humans. After all, it contains harmful components that lead to unpleasant diseases. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it. When buying a moth repellent, choose one that does not contain mothballs.

Now the market is crammed with modern anti-moth agents, it can be tablets, briquettes or plates. They are placed in a closet and changed every six months. In order not to wonder how to get rid of moths again, you need to prevent its appearance. All woolen items in the closet must be washed, and fur coats and fur coats must be treated with anti-malnourishment.

Also, during the warm season, fur products should be stored in special covers, or wrapped in thick paper soaked in moth repellent.

You need to protect not only the products, but also the cabinet itself. To get started, do a general cleaning, vacuum all secluded areas in the closet, and wipe all shelves with a vinegar-based solution (3 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 liter of water). And let it dry thoroughly, after which you can fill the closet with clean and treated clothes.

How to remove moths in the closet with folk remedies. Not everyone likes to use chemicals, because natural ingredients are much healthier for humans. Therefore, dried bouquets of geranium or lavender are placed in the closet. Some people make carnation and lavender pillows and place them on the shelves in the closet.

You can also use essential oils: orange, clove, lavender, fir or geranium. A piece of cotton wool or gauze is treated with oils and put in the closet, so the moth does not come close to your things, and the smell will be wonderful.

The moth does not like cleanliness and fresh air, so the apartment should be ventilated and cleaned as often as possible. In addition to cabinets, moths can grow in carpets and upholstered furniture. The most effective way to kill moths is to vacuum carpets and furniture at least twice a month.

Particular attention should be paid to cleaning the baseboards. Vacuum all crevices thoroughly, especially in dark corners, as this is where moth nests are most often found. Larvae can also be found in the corners of windows or inside shades. The next step in the question of how to get rid of moths is mechanical treatment and ultraviolet irradiation.

The moth does not tolerate noise and vibrations, so the infected things are knocked out, combed and shaken off, thus loosely attached larvae are removed.

The bright rays of the sun inflict lightning defeat on the moth, and within an hour it dies. The moth is afraid of high and low temperatures. Therefore, in order to get rid of the larvae, it is enough to freeze or heat them.

If the fabric is susceptible to fading, you can put the item in the freezer, or use steam to destroy the pest. But you need to remember that at low temperatures, larvae and eggs die within a day.

We use chemicals

It is very difficult to get rid of moths without the use of chemicals. Nowadays in supermarkets and shops you can find a lot of anti-money drugs. There are plates, tablets, briquettes, and sprays, there are even anti-mal sections. Plates, briquettes and tablets are considered the most economical.

They include an alloy of naphthalene and camphor. Such products (plates, briquettes, tablets) are placed on the upper shelves of cabinets and nightstands. Heavy vapors of camphor and naphthalene gradually descend downward, thus preventing the reproduction of moths.

The funds are valid for six months. This method is really effective, but in addition to killing moths, it harms the human body. Before use, the tablet or plate must be wrapped in gauze.

How to remove moths using antimole sections. This method is the most convenient, but before using it, you need to carefully read the instructions. There should be only one section in a room measuring 15 m 2. Also, you need to install it away from food, and children's hands.

Before use, the protective tape is removed and the section is placed in the upper corner of the cabinet. You can choose the scent of this section (lavender, tangerine, chamomile). If you have a small child, you can purchase a special section for protecting baby clothes.

One anti-moth section distributes moth-killing vapors to 0.5 m3, and can last six months. Then the device should be replaced.

When using any chemical agent, you need to read the instructions in detail in order to reduce the risk of harmful substances entering your body.

Traditional methods

The use of naphthalene, refers to folk remedies, our great-grandmothers also resorted to it. But how disappointed they would be when they learned that mothballs scare away only adult moths, and the larvae and caterpillars do not suffer a bit.

Also, naphthalene produces saturated steam, from which cancer can develop, as using folk remedies, you need to remember that they only scare away a new mole of animals and people. Therefore, it is not recommended to use such a tool.

If you have larvae and caterpillars, only chemicals will help.

How to get rid of mole with herbs and essential oils. As you know, the moth does not tolerate pungent odors, therefore, natural lavender essential oil is used to scare it away. A piece of cotton wool or gauze is impregnated with this oil, and placed in a cabinet. You can also hang dry lavender branches wrapped in cheesecloth.

In addition to lavender, the moth does not tolerate other odors: garlic, orange, strawberry soap, kerosene and tobacco. Therefore, you can make small cloth bags with these components, and put them on the shelves in the closet. Garlic is most commonly used to combat grain moths.

To do this, an unpeeled clove is placed in a container with cereals, so you will definitely get rid of moths once and for all.

How to remove moths using indoor plants. Coleus and fragrant geranium are very unpretentious helpers in the fight against moths. Growing such a plant is as easy as shelling pears, and it will bring quite a lot of benefits, because the moth cannot stand its aroma.

Since you will not put a flowerpot in the closet, tear off a few leaves from the bush and put them on the shelves, when the leaves are dry, renew them. If you use plants and essential oils to fight moths, remember that they only repel the moth, not destroy its larvae and eggs.

Tips: how to remove and avoid the pest

In order to avoid the appearance of moths, you need to regularly ventilate the apartment. Perform deep cleaning at least once a month. Wipe down walls, shelves, furniture, windows and chandeliers. Moths can start where you least expect to see them.

For example, on the spine of a book, or in old junk hidden in the mezzanine. Therefore, the most important advice is to throw away everything unnecessary. Why keep things that have already become obsolete? After all, keeping the old stuff, you risk paying with a hole in a new fur coat. So be realistic and no doubt say goodbye to old stuff.

Also, when stocking up on dry foods, do not shop for a year. Buy everything in moderation, and store cereals in glass or metal containers with a tight-fitting lid.

It is better not to use plastic bags for storage, because a pest can very easily start in them. In order not to think about how to remove moths from dry foods, buy good quality flour and cereals. Because cheap cereals contain dust, which makes it easier for a mole to start.

After purchasing, it is better to place dry foods in the freezer for an hour, so you will avoid the appearance of moths. Many people think that moths do not like dirty things, this is a colossal mistake. In dirty things, the moth starts up faster, and uses such things with a huge appetite.

Therefore, only clean, washed items should be kept in the cupboard. Note that moths are never clothes that you often wear, their favorite treats are hidden things.

The most interesting fact is that the moth cannot stand the scent of a fresh newspaper. This is why our ancestors wrapped woolen scarves and fur hats in newspapers. You can also put dry orange peels and horse chestnut kernels in the cabinet, their aroma repels moths very well.

Kerosene is considered another effective remedy, but its smell can disable not only the moth, but also the person. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it, although in the army this is how the pest is poisoned. How to remove moths in hard-to-reach places.

To prevent moths from appearing in dark corners, on your favorite clothes or on book spines, they use aerosols. Before using them, read the instructions and spray the product in the right places.

Most often they are applied to furniture upholstery, bookshelf, clothing, dark corners and chandeliers. Also, do not forget about upholstered furniture, folding sofas, mezzanines and storage rooms. Moths can grow where there is dust and dirt. Therefore, carefully clean the premises, do not leave any places uncleaned, because it is in them that moths can start.

Folding furniture should be vacuumed not only from above, but also inside, paying due attention to the corners. In order not to worry about how to get rid of home moths, all things hidden in sofas, pantries or mezzanines should be packed. It is also better to immediately process things with special anti-malice agents.

If you are not a supporter of chemistry, use folk remedies. And wash the places themselves with soapy water and ventilate. Then place things and lay out the lavender branches.

When cleaning, do not forget to vacuum the curled carpets, because they are most often the source of infection. Also, ventilate your winter clothing at least once a month during warmer months. If you follow all the tips and keep your apartment clean, you don't have to think about how to get rid of the moth, but also prevent its appearance.

Many people blame the flying butterfly moth for all the troubles. It is believed that she is the main pest, eats furs, wool and spoils her favorite things. But as it turned out, this is a false accusation. The moth is not to blame for anything, it does not eat anything at all. Her main job is to lay eggs and die.

This is where the problems begin, because the newly-made caterpillars are very gluttonous. And the moth is a prudent moth, and lays harmful testicles in furs, carpets, wool, etc.

So babies after birth have something to eat. Caterpillars can only do one thing - it is and is almost constantly. What's most interesting is that synthetic fabrics cannot be absorbed by caterpillars, so they use them faster and more than ordinary wool or fur.

The caterpillar builds a cover for itself from the eaten wool, which it subsequently feeds on. How to get rid of and prevent moths. To do this, you need to find the places where the moth lays its eggs. After all, it is they who sometimes cause irreversible damage to your favorite things.

As you know, a mole cannot gnaw through paper or a cardboard box. Therefore, pack clean things in such materials, and put lavender or other products in them.

Let us recall the most important rules for the destruction of a pest. The moth does not like cleanliness, fresh air, and bright sunlight. Most often, the nests are located in dark places (cabinets, shelves, corners). It is necessary to get rid of eggs and caterpillars, because the flying moth itself is harmless.

The eggs are silvery white in color, and the caterpillars are one centimeter tall and can be recognized by their black head. You can get rid of the moth family only with the help of chemicals, since folk remedies only scare away the moth.

It is necessary to use anti-malants very carefully, following the instructions.

After removing the wrapper, tablets, plates and briquettes are best placed in a gauze bag, and only then sent to the top shelf. In order not to worry about how to get rid of moths, keep your entire apartment clean.

Avoid the accumulation of dirt, dust and unnecessary things, because in addition to moths, other harmful and dangerous pets can also grow there. Having familiarized yourself with the types of home moths and methods of dealing with it, you can easily protect your home, clothing and food.
Source: "jossy.ru"

We fight moths at home

A moth is a rather annoying and nasty insect that creates a lot of problems and damages things and products. Today, there are about 30 species, each of which lays the larvae in certain places, ranging from clothing to cereals.

Some are trying to kill them, but as practice shows, there is no sense from this, tk. they mainly destroy males, who do no harm to things, but the females lay the larvae in different places and our main goal is to get rid of them, but they usually hide in various places. How to deal with such insects.

Of course, you can purchase various chemical control agents, but there is an option that children will accidentally pick them up or try to taste them, pets.

Today we will tell our readers how to get rid of moths in an apartment using folk remedies.

  1. An excellent remedy is dry lavender herb, which should be placed in small canvas bags and put in things, cabinets in the pantry, where you store cereals and flour, which is so susceptible to moths. The moth cannot stand the smell of lavender and will quickly disappear.
  2. Also, a moth cannot live where you decompose dry tangerine or orange peels, small bunches of walnut twigs and leaves, tobacco and bitter wormwood.
  3. Make it a rule to take out all your clothes to dry every summer and always under the sun's rays - the moth really does not like sunlight and immediately dies.
  4. Frost also has the same effect - take your clothes outside or an open balcony in winter, and in an hour, all the moth will die from a sharp temperature drop.
  5. If you find clothes on which there is a nest with moth larvae, then we take them out to the balcony in winter and then wash them in hot water or put them in the freezer, if the case takes place in the summer.
  6. Vented items should be packed in plastic bags and shuffled with citrus peels or lavender.
  7. You should store flour and cereals in tightly closed glass containers and check them for larvae at least once a month.
  8. Love to admire houseplants - put a geranium that destroys moths. Place flower pots close to the closet and in the kitchen.
  9. Purchase lavender oil from the pharmacy, soak swabs or pieces of material in it and wrap them in plastic, which you pierce in several places with a thick needle and place in a place free from things in the closet.
  10. The essential oil will begin to evaporate and saturate the air in the cabinet and the moth will die. The tampon lasts for two weeks, then it should be replaced with a fresh one.

In order to destroy the moth and not give it a chance to reappear in your house in the future, you need to know what the moth loves and what it avoids or is afraid of.

Of the many species of moth known to science, we will limit ourselves to considering the species that live in residential buildings. For the kitchen, this is a grain moth, and in living rooms, carpet, felt, furniture, clothes and fur coat types of moths can exist quite comfortably.

Grain moth control

In the presence of comfortable conditions - high humidity and lack of ventilation, the grain moth becomes a full-fledged hostess in the kitchen. Having gained access to cereals and their derivatives, female grain moths lay eggs on them in large quantities.

Small larvae, hatched after a while from the laid eggs, eat with an incredible appetite everything edible around them: buckwheat, rice, wheat, rye, barley, flour, pasta and dried fruits. The grown caterpillar with a web connects individual grains, glues them to itself and drags this food supply along, crawling from place to place.

At the end of the developmental phase, the caterpillar finds a secluded place in the cracks of cabinets or behind the baseboards, creates a cocoon around itself and turns into a pupa, from which a moth butterfly emerges over time.

All types of cereals, flour and dried fruits should be stored in tightly closed containers. If it was not possible to protect the food from moths, we study the degree of spoilage. If the cereals are pretty spoiled by the larvae, we immediately get rid of them.

If the caterpillars of the moth have just started their "work" and did not have time to spoil the food supplies, we carefully sort out such cereals in the microwave for 3-5 minutes or in the oven of a gas stove at a temperature of 700 C for 20 minutes. In this case, the oven door must be ajar.

You can destroy the eggs and larvae of the kitchen moth by subjecting the cereals to cold treatment. It will be enough temperature below 00 C and half an hour of time.

All cabinets, shelves, drawers in the kitchen are washed with warm soapy water, and then once again we go through them with clean water. We coat each groove, each slot, each hole with a brush dipped in vinegar or saline solution.

Having carried out the titanic work to remove the "uninvited guests", it remains to put sprigs of geranium or lavender on the shelves and put sprigs of geranium or lavender on the shelves, pour a handful of tobacco or peel of citrus fruits - all these smells will scare away moth butterflies, and therefore the appearance of eggs and larvae of this gluttonous insect is more for us does not threaten.

Fighting wool moths

A community of clothes, carpet, felt, furniture and fur moths feeding on fur, carpets and wool, for convenience, we will call one collective name - woolen moth. Representatives of this family of domestic pests are outwardly similar to grain moths, but are extremely tenacious and resistant to temperature extremes.

All 12 months of the year reproduce and multiply, they can go without food for more than a month, but if they already find something edible for themselves, they are able to gnaw through plastic wrap or synthetic fabric that have become an obstacle on the way to a treat.

They enjoy almost everyone: fur, felt, wool, velvet, feathers, book bindings, wax - this is an incomplete list of what the caterpillars of the woolen moth are able to eat.

They live for about two years, then turn into a pupa, from which a moth butterfly later flies out. Without fail, we regularly clean the apartment: we clean carpets, soft and hard furniture. The eggs of the moth larvae are loosely attached to the lint and fibers of carpets and clothes, therefore, by vacuuming or shaking out these objects, we can quite easily get rid of the clutches of eggs of insect pests.

We dry and ventilate all things at least four times a year. Fresh air and bright sunlight are harmful to wool moths. We clean and wash winter clothes, pillows and blankets before storage.

Do not forget that spots of dirt, grease or sweat are a favorite delicacy of caterpillars of woolen moths; it is from such spots that these pests begin to eat, subsequently eating away fabric or fur along with the dirt.

On the shelves and in the section of the wardrobe, we place, as in the case of grain moths, tobacco, citrus peel, sprigs of lavender or geranium, a piece of cotton wool moistened with fir or lavender oil.

Chemicals

We place fumigation preparations in the form of tablets, plates and sections on the upper shelves of wardrobes and wardrobes. The active substances that make up these drugs evaporate and, going down, saturate the air with vapors that scare away moth butterflies. Naphthalene, "Antimol" and "Prayer" work for six months.

We treat clothes, upholstered furniture and carpets with contact agents in the form of solutions and aerosols. The preparations "Supromit", "Aeroantimol", "Suprosol", "Dichlorvos" and "Neophos" destroy both butterflies and caterpillars and eggs of harmful insects. Contact means against moths work for three months.

Flying moth butterflies that cause your "applause" are harmless male insects.

Therefore, while you are chasing them, female butterflies make their way through cracks in furniture and folds of clothes to darkened and secluded places to start laying eggs, from which gluttonous and omnivorous offspring will hatch later. It is better not to allow moths into the apartment, taking preventive measures in advance and regularly. And may this uninvited guest never be in your house!
Source: "globuslife.ru; goodmaster.com.ua"

Insect control methods

Moths (lat.Heterocera) is a collective name for relatively small insects from the order Lepidoptera (butterflies (Lepidoptera). An ordinary moth is a small butterfly, the larvae (caterpillars) of which feed on keratin (horny substance) extracted from wool, hairs of fur coats, carpet pile ...

It is because of the keratin nutrition that moths are referred to as keratophages, i.e. organisms that feed on keratin. Eating keratin, the larva leaves behind waste products, thereby spoiling the products. Of course, the moth larva cannot eat the entire fur coat or carpet, but it is not a problem for her to permanently spoil the presentation of the product, because one maggot can easily punch a hole through a regular wool or half-wool sweater in just a day!

Caterpillars (larvae) of moths are able to digest not only keratin, but also other difficult soluble substances.

Therefore, in addition to keratin, they can also feed on technical felt, which is used for heat and sound insulation, bristles, feathers, fur, leather, dried meat and fish, book bindings, museum collections, etc.

In search of food, moth caterpillars are also able to gnaw their way in materials in which they cannot develop (cotton, silk, synthetic fabrics). The moth goes through several stages in its development: the laying of eggs, from which caterpillars, pupae and, in fact, the moth butterflies themselves are born.

We often see butterflies fluttering around the apartment. The life span of a moth is 1-2 months.

I want to note that you need to fight not so much with butterflies, but with the laid eggs, which they lay and the caterpillars that later appear from them, because it is the caterpillars that cause all the damage to the products. A female moth lays up to 100 eggs at a time.

It is important to know that butterflies moths do not like sunlight and prefer to live in dark and secluded places, for example, in a closet with clothes or in a linen chest of drawers. The hatched larvae (or caterpillars) also prefer not to be seen by humans and live modestly in dark corners, usually in the woolen things themselves, where it is almost impossible to find them.

Or it is possible, but only after they have destroyed part of the clothes with great appetite to such an extent that it is no longer possible to visually not notice the problem. After the caterpillar has successfully pupated, it magically turns into another moth butterfly, ready to lay its eggs over and over again.

Some types of moths, for example, the clothes moth, in an ordinary city apartment can reproduce all year round!

At the moment, the number of moth species according to various sources is about 40 pieces. Some are agricultural pests, others are domestic. The most famous domestic pests are fur moth, clothes moth, furniture moth, grain moth. Of agricultural pests, barley moths, as well as rye, cabbage and apple moths, can be distinguished.

Moth species

Distinguish:

  • Fur coat moth (Tinea pellionella)
  • Insect of shiny clay-yellow color, front wings in front of the middle are often with two small dark dots and one, larger, behind the middle. The lower wings are light gray, with a yellowish sheen, in a span of 15-16 mm. It feeds mainly on clothing made from natural materials.

    Caterpillars are white, worm-like, almost naked, with eight very short abdominal legs, with transparent skin through which the contents of the stomach are visible; the head is brown.

    The caterpillar attacks mainly furs, lives in a portable case and gnaws all the hair on its way, regardless of whether it eats them or not.

  • Furniture moth (Tineola biseliella)
  • A butterfly of a brilliant light yellow color, with a rusty-yellow head and slightly brownish front wings at the base. Allocated to a special genus due to the lack of labial tentacles.

    This species, described by the St. Petersburg entomologist Gummel ("Essais Entom.", III, 1823), was later investigated by Radoshkovsky ("Proceedings of the Russian Entom. Society.", III, p. 44 duct.) , and before pupation they go outside and eat up the winding paths in the furniture cover, while following the direction of the patterns of the matter; pupate on the underside of chairs, sofas, etc., where whole nests of their white, silky cocoons gradually accumulate.

    The development of caterpillars in winter lasts about 5 months, and in summer - 2 months. Pupation begins in February. Butterflies fly in March, April and May; fly again in July and August.
  • Corn moth (Tineola granella)
  • A silvery-white insect, with a brown variable pattern on the front wings and with a gray abdomen and hind wings, up to 15 mm in span. Butterflies fly twice: in spring and late summer. Each female lays up to one hundred eggs on grain grains: rye, barley, wheat, etc., gluing 1-2 eggs per grain.

    The caterpillar connects several grains into a bundle, braiding them with cobwebs, and feeds on them, holding itself among them in a spider web cover, crawling, dragging the entire bundle behind it.

    It pupates here in the crevices of floors, walls, etc. It also attacks dried fruits and all kinds of seeds, in addition, it can develop in rotten wood and tinder fungus.

  • Barley moth (Gelechia (Sitotroga) cerealella)
  • Sometimes also called corn moth. Up to 17 mm span. Light brown, sometimes with dark spots and a longitudinal stripe on the front wings. The hind wings are gray. The labial tentacles are long, rising above the head like horns; the last segment is shiny, black, hairless. Butterflies fly in June and September.

    The first ones lay their eggs on the ears of winter grains (barley, winter wheat, sometimes rye) that are ripening by that time. The caterpillar enters the inside of the grain and gradually eats away all its contents, without touching the outer film, so that the grain looks normal from the outside.

    In August, when the bread is already harvested, the caterpillar separates the half of the grain filled with its excrement with a longitudinal silky partition, pupates in the clean half.

    The butterfly flies out of the grain through a small round hole already in the barn or near the stack and again lays its eggs on the surrounding grains. The second generation of caterpillars develops in the same way in barns, and then the next generation of butterflies flies earlier - in March.

    If the grains infected by young caterpillars fall into winter crops, then the development of the caterpillar in them does not stop under the ground, but proceeds more slowly and ends in May.

  • Rye moth (Ochsenheimeria taurella)
  • 13 mm in span, yellow-brownish, hind wings whitish, brownish at the rim, antennae black at the base. It flies in Central Russia at the end of summer and lays eggs on wild cereals and winter crops.

    The caterpillar feeds on the core of the stem, hibernates here and in the spring continues to eat away the stems, attacking their younger parts under the ear; eaten ears get sick and dry up. Pupates at the end of June in a silky white cocoon between leaves.

  • Cabbage moth (Plutella cruciferarum)
  • 15.5 mm in span, front wings are brownish yellow, with oblique brown stripes and along the posterior margin with a white wavy stripe. The hind wings are brownish gray. The head and back are white. Antennae with white rings.

    They fly for the first time in the spring. Eggs are laid in heaps on the leaves of various cruciferous plants, rape, horseradish, especially on cabbage and rapeseed.

    Caterpillars are green, with brown heads, eat young leaves during July, and here at the end of July pupate in trellised cocoons. Butterflies fly for the second time in early August, and during the fall the second generation of caterpillars develops, which pupate for the winter.

Control methods

Products heavily affected by moths will have to be thrown away, and those in which there are few insects can be sorted out and dried in the oven, opening its door a little, at a temperature of 60–70 ° C for 15–20 minutes. You can use the microwave for the same purpose.

The cabinet where the food was stored and the moth lived must be washed from the inside with warm soapy water, and then with clean water; smear the grooves and cracks with a brush with table vinegar. Keep the cabinet open until dry.

Sunbathing in insects leads to protein coagulation. Under the influence of direct rays of the bright sun, moth eggs die within an hour. And in very hot summer weather - within 30 minutes. Affected things are treated with drugs based on dichlorvos.

A more radical means of killing moth caterpillars does not yet exist. In addition, dichlorvos is the only sure remedy against the skin. Heat treatment is also detrimental to these harmful insects.

If it is possible to expose the contaminated thing to high temperatures without risk, pest control can be carried out by boiling or steam.

Freezing also leads to the death of insects at all stages of development. Eggs and feeding larvae of kozheedov die within 24 hours.

Antimal drugs

The cheapest option is tablets and briquettes, which are an alloy of naphthalene and camphor. The tablets are traditionally placed at the top of the cabinets. Heavy vapors of naphthalene and camphor descend, preventing moth butterflies from laying eggs on clothing.

These old remedies would be good for everyone, but they are by no means safe for human health, especially in high concentration.

  1. Antimol tablets are hung in a cabinet (3-4 tablets per cabinet). Throw them out after two weeks.
  2. "Desmol" is an effective drug, it is also used as "Antimol".
  3. "Molemor" can hang in the closet for six months, but you need to use no more than two records in one room.
  4. "Suprosol" is an aerosolized antimaline drug.
  5. "Supromit" is a liquid preparation for killing moths with a pleasant odor. They handle the walls of wardrobes, clothes. Valid for several months.
  6. Moskitol - anti-moth plates.
  7. "Reid antimole" - in the form of an aerosol, gel and plates.
  8. "Trap - antimole - spray".
  9. The improved moth plates are free from unpleasant odors.
  10. According to the manufacturers, they destroy moths and larvae, scare off carpet bugs and skin-eating beetles. You can count on the combat readiness of the plates within 6 months.

  11. Moth sections are the most civilized form of anti-moth drugs.
  12. They can be scented with lavender, tangerine and chamomile. Special sections are produced for delicate protection of children's clothes. It is necessary to remove the protective tape and place the section at the top of the cabinet. Antimal action of one section extends to 0.5 cubic meters. m. It will have to be replaced with a new one in 4–6 months.

However, the warnings on the packaging that in a room with an area of ​​up to 15 sq. m. you can use no more than two sections, and the product should be stored separately from food in places inaccessible to children, clearly speak of the toxicity of these repellents. Due to the fact that chemical preparations have different odors, sometimes not very pleasant, I recommend not to purchase such products on spontaneous markets, or from hands.

As well as the means, packaging and name that at least may cause doubts in you, and even more so with incomprehensible inscriptions not in Russian.

This is primarily a security measure, because it is unclear how such funds can affect the human body, and so that the fight with pitch does not turn into more serious problems.

Folk remedies

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did not know a more effective remedy for moths than naphthalene. However, as it turned out, it only scares away moth butterflies from clothing, but cannot destroy either eggs or caterpillars. In addition, according to the latest scientific evidence, volatile naphthalene is classified as a possible carcinogen leading to cancer in humans and animals.

Lavender and fir essential oils can be used as natural and safe moth repellents. Bouquets of dry lavender in gauze, tampons soaked in lavender or fir oil will protect items stored in the closet from moths.
The moth does not tolerate the smells of camphor and pieces of cedar wood.

You can also use vinegar to fight moths: Pour a few tablespoons of vinegar into a hot pan, and close the pan in the cabinet.

Just do it carefully so as not to harm yourself and your belongings with the hot frying pan. Feverfew (Caucasian chamomile) powder can help get rid of flying moths. 3-4 grams of this powder are scattered per 1 meter of area. They do not like moth butterflies and the smell of tobacco, pepper, dry orange peels, strawberry soap.

The moth cannot stand the smell of leaves of domestic plants such as coleus (aka "nettle") and geranium. From time to time, fresh leaves of these unpretentious plants are put into the wardrobe to replace the old ones.

However, remember that all herbal remedies are only repellents.

They scare away moth butterflies, protecting things from the invasion of insect pests. If the moth has already occupied your closet, putting a bunch of lavender in it is useless. We'll have to resort to chemistry.

Prophylaxis

All groceries should be stored in tightly closed jars or, in extreme cases, well-tied plastic bags. The larvae cannot stand bright sunlight and fresh air. That is why things that are often "in use" are not afraid of moths.

And winter clothes sent to the closet for the summer need to be taken care of in advance. The caterpillars of the moth begin their meal with dirty and sweaty spots, completely eating away the fabric along with the dirt. Therefore, to prevent the appearance of moths, clothes must be cleaned and washed before storage.

After cleaning, fur and woolen things are placed in plastic bags, and fur coats are placed in covers made of thick paper with an antimolytic drug.

Shake things well before packing: the eggs of the moth are not too firmly attached to the fibers of the fabric or fur, so they will fly off.

  • Carpets and fur coats are sprayed with the liquid preparation "Antimol Contact" before they are put away for storage, and when the products dry, they are wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a closet. This protects them from damage by moths for 3-5 months.
  • To prevent the appearance of moths, we advise you to regularly ventilate and clean the apartment as often as possible.
  • And also clean upholstered furniture and carpets at least 1 - 2 times a month (most efficiently with a vacuum cleaner). Preferably with the use of disinfectants such as monochloramine.
  • Pay special attention to the cleaning of cracks between baseboards and walls, in the floor, spaces between walls, furniture and the floor when vacuuming.
  • Here, the larvae of kozheedov and pupae of moths are most concentrated. Adult skin beetles often accumulate in shades or on windows, where they can be easily collected with a vacuum cleaner.

  • Moth butterflies do not tolerate the smells of printing ink, therefore, during storage, some things can be wrapped in newspaper, which will be a reliable "screen" against moths.

Since moths do not like the smell of cedar, fur coats or other similar products can be hung on hangers made of cedar wood, the smell of which will scare away moths, and things will be saturated with a pleasant fresh scent of wood.

Probably, every housewife at least once in her life faced the problem of the appearance of moths. Small gray moths fluttering around the apartment bring a lot of trouble to the owners, and disgusting white maggots bring sensitive ladies to semi-fainting. To remove them from the house and permanently get rid of pests, use simple folk remedies or industrial preparations.

Know the enemy by sight: what is a mole

The moth belongs to the order Lepidoptera, like butterflies, but does not have a proboscis. The moth itself does not feed, its raison d'être is to reproduce. The stages of this process are eggs, larvae, moths. The larvae devour our favorite woolen sweaters, spoil products from mink and other fur, turn cereals, dried fruits and pasta into miserable dust.

Types of domestic moth: description, differences, where they live

More than a dozen types of domestic moths are known, but most often in a house or apartment you can find fur coat (fur, woolen), clothes (clothing, clothing, furniture) and grain moths. The names of the pests indicate their main taste preferences.

  1. The fur coat prefers to feast on fur and woolen products, including fur inside winter shoes. Wool carpet will also suit her taste. He does not disdain products made of felt, velvet, feathers and can even start in books if there is nothing else to eat. If there are stuffed animals in the house, then you should take care of their protection. The fur coat moth is so gluttonous that it will gladly feast on even a stuffed squirrel.
  2. The dressing moth loves dirty clothes. Consumes the remains of nutrients on the fibers of the fabric in places of dirt and sweat stains, leaving holes in clothes after the end of the meal. She spoils sofas and other upholstered furniture. It is also called furniture or clothing.
  3. The grain moth lives in food storage areas. She is often called food, because the list of her favorite dishes includes not only grains and cereals, but also any pasta, legumes, sesame seeds, dried fruits and mushrooms, flour, sugar, peeled nuts and even tea.

On its way, a small gluttonous creature is able to gnaw even cellophane. For this reason, you should not hope that by placing your favorite mink coat in a bag, you will save it from the prospect of becoming food for dozens of small worms. The gluttonous moth is very dangerous for your property, but fortunately, it is harmless to the human body.

Moths of different types of moths, larva - photo gallery

Professional pest control is a radical way to get rid of moths quickly

So, to your horror, you found a dark gray moth in the apartment, peacefully sitting on the ceiling, flying out of the closet or wardrobe. Naturally, you will try to destroy it. But just do not hope that by killing the poor moth, you will be able to sleep peacefully. The moth is the tip of the iceberg, since the main danger, as we have already said, lurks in the larvae.

There is a professional pest control service for moths. According to her experts, the moth and its larvae will be destroyed once and for all, which cannot be achieved with more traditional means.

  1. Professional destroyers of gray moths use products that are absolutely safe for human health, which is good news.
  2. The treatment of housing is carried out by spraying the surfaces with a special drug for moths (cold fog) or spraying the same drug in the form of a cloud (hot fog), which is much more expensive.
  3. Barrier protection of the premises is carried out (smearing with a special antimol gel around the perimeter of the apartment) and treatment of common areas if you live in an apartment building. This service is quite expensive, but if you cannot get rid of the gluttonous pest on your own or the situation is already too neglected, then you really should contact the specialists.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible and rational to contact such a service:

  • not every city has such organizations;
  • not everyone is ready to pay that kind of money for pest control of an apartment;
  • it is often quite possible to solve the problem of the appearance of moths on your own.

Disinsectors use drugs that are effective against moths, but relatively safe for humans.

How to get rid of moths in an apartment or private house: folk remedies

If you have made the decision to fight on your own, you should first figure out what kind of beast you are dealing with. Distinguishing different types of moths from each other is easy. Usually, it is enough to see where the moths are flying from and inspect that place for the presence of larvae. Depending on the type of moth, the means and methods of control will differ.

Today there are a lot of proven and effective means for neutralizing moths and their larvae. You can either run to the nearest household goods store to buy some advertised insecticide, or follow the advice of grandmothers and use natural folk remedies.

How to save yourself from furniture and fur moths

What desperate housewives do not come up with so as not to see carefree fluttering moths in their house - they take away cigarettes from their husbands and hide them in the pockets of hanging clothes, put dried sprigs of lavender, mint and orange peels in the cabinets. On a sunny or frosty day, some take all the contents of the wardrobe to the street or balcony in order to freeze it - fry all the living creatures that dared to breed there. Others cover the shelves and the bottom of the cabinets with sheets of newspaper, and even wrap their hats and felt boots in it, so that not a single moth dares to climb in there and lay its eggs.

What to do if a mole starts up in a wardrobe

  1. We take out all the clothes from the closet, chest of drawers, bedside tables and take them out into the fresh air. The weather, of course, should be dry, damp and rain - definitely not our allies. The best time to do this is in the summer. The moth terribly does not like fresh air, and frost and direct sunlight can kill it.
  2. Shake the clothes well to remove the eggs, which are weakly attached to the villi. You can knock it out like a dusty carpet. This will require some effort, but most of the eggs laid will fall off.
  3. All shelves and cracks in the cabinet are thoroughly washed with a solution of laundry soap with water and a few drops of ammonia. You can also use vodka or regular ethyl alcohol - 2 tbsp. spoons for 1 liter of water.
  4. We take a rayon cloth and wipe dry all surfaces.
  5. We review all dried and ventilated clothes for stains and dirt. We erase if necessary. You can also add ammonia to the rinse water.
  6. Visually clean items can simply be steam ironed if allowed in the care instructions.
  7. It will not be superfluous to give fur products to dry cleaning, since the fur coat moth is quite small and knows how to hide well between the villi.

Carnation is an effective means of protecting woolen clothes, fur coats and other products from clothes moth

The most effective ecological remedy for moths is the well-known spice - cloves. She is able to destroy both the moth and its larvae. To do this, it must be thoroughly crushed into powder, and then poured into pockets, hoods, and wherever possible. Having tasted such a delicacy, the larva will die. You can also make a sachet with crushed spice and place them in all the corners of the wardrobe so that the gluttonous creature does not even think of going back there! The same can be done with crushed chestnuts.

How to protect clothes from damage using soap, essential oils, tobacco and herbs - tansy, basil, lavender

As you know, the moth cannot stand the smell of lavender, mint, fir, eucalyptus, wormwood, orange and lemon peels, walnut and tobacco leaves. She hates the smell of soap, so our sensible mothers also put fragrant pieces of it between layers of neatly folded linen and clothes. The harmful insect cannot stand the smell of many essential oils. A few drops of lavender oil should be dripped onto a cotton pad and placed in cupboards. They also do the same with sachets with aromatic herbs - basil, tansy, mint.

Can you use bay leaves to protect your home from moths?

The bay leaf scent repels insects, so it can be used to get rid of gluttonous pests. Fresh or dry leaves are laid out in places where moths can appear - in upholstered furniture, in a closet with clothes, under a carpet, in a pantry where cereals and other dry foods are stored. This is a safe and effective way to repel moths.

Lavender and other scents that will help drive butterflies out of the house - gallery

Kitchen cupboards are washed with a vinegar solution to remove moths.

A moth appeared in closets: how to get rid of it with vinegar, cloves - video

Fighting with industrial means

Modern housewives have long forgotten about Dichlorvos and naphthalene, since modern means of fighting moths are much safer and more effective. The assortment is large enough.

  1. Insecticidal sprays help quickly. It is necessary to spray the insecticide solution in the habitats of the hated insect and, as the manufacturers promise, the moth will not be in a day. The disadvantage of the remedy is that you and everyone who lives with you on the same living space will also breathe it along with the insects. After processing the wardrobe, it is necessary to conduct through ventilation of the room.

    Insecticidal aerosols effectively kill moths

  2. The pills and sections scare away butterflies. They are laid out on shelves with things, hung in a wardrobe. They have a delicate aroma, most often lavender and orange. Safe and non-toxic, but may cause an allergic reaction, especially in children.

    The tablets do not kill the larvae, but only scare away the moths

  3. Fumigators help get rid of the insidious moth for a long time, but they act gradually and slowly. A very convenient way both for use in an apartment and in a private house, if the latter has electricity, of course. The main disadvantage of the fumigator is the impossibility of creating a high concentration of insecticide in the wardrobe, which reduces its effectiveness several times. For human health, such a remedy is also not the safest, as it can cause headaches and allergies.

    The fumigator is convenient to use both in an apartment and in a private house

  4. Sticky tapes and traps are absolutely safe for both people and animals. Can even be used in a food pantry. They are not particularly effective, since such funds help to catch moths, and not their voracious descendants - larvae. Can be used as an additional enhancer.

    Sticky tapes are a good way to catch moths

Some fumigators should only be turned on for 1–2 hours as they can be very toxic and unsafe for people, including pets.

Which method is safer to use at home

Which moth remedy to choose - natural or industrial - is, of course, your own business. But if there are small children, pregnant women and animals in the house, then you should think carefully before purchasing any fumigator or aerosol. It is best to opt for the classic and more ecological methods, which definitely will not harm anyone except the moth.

Thanks to their advertising and ease of use, tablets, blocks and sections from moths occupy a leading position even despite the inability to kill our main enemy - the larva. An increasing number of housewives prefer a bag of lavender with a special repelling block, which is attached to the walls of the cabinet and retains its effect for up to 6 months, or an aerosol if voracious insects have a feast. Dichlorvos aerosol is still quite popular, although it is inferior to modern insecticides, which are safer for human health. Among the folk remedies, the most popular are carnation and lavender.

Do mothballs help kill insects?

The disadvantage of industrial products is that they can cause allergic reactions in both adults and children. I would like to give special attention to the well-known naphthalene, which our grandmothers so loved to lay out on the shelves in the closet. It is recognized as a dangerous carcinogen, does not have the most pleasant smell, moreover, it acts only on moths, and not at all on their cubs. Therefore, mothballs are not the best choice to save your home from moths.

Naphthalene is a dangerous carcinogen, therefore it is not recommended for use in residential premises

Prevention measures

The fight against moths and their larvae is quite difficult, but can be quite successful. So that the nasty insect does not return and again does not undertake to gnaw our property, we must adhere to simple rules of prevention.

  1. Do not be lazy to revise the contents of the cabinets at least once a year. Take things outside. The moth does not like fresh air, and does not tolerate drafts and sunlight at all. That is why she and her cubs feel so comfortable in closed dark closets and closets.
  2. Wash and clean clothes before long-term storage, do the same with woolen and duvets. Moth does not like cleanliness.
  3. Store clothes that you do not wear in special vacuum bags. No oxygen - no life even for the larvae.
  4. Inspect cereals, crushed nuts, dried herbs, and other bulk foods for larvae every few months. Store them in tightly closed jars.
  5. Make it a rule to dry cereals in the oven or microwave immediately after purchase and only then pour them into storage containers.
  6. Do not forget about folk remedies for prevention. Place orange peels, lavender sprigs, or clove sticks around clothing and food storage areas.
  7. Buy geraniums. They say its scent repels moths. True or not, I don't know, but its smell has such a beneficial effect on the nervous system that even a moth cannot unbalance you.

Proven folk and industrial remedies for the control of moths and their larvae, preventive measures will no longer collide with these insects. Store clothes in vacuum bags: without air, nothing living can survive. Check food regularly for larvae, and inspect lockers and pantry. Use lavender and cloves to repel pests. This will help protect your home from pests.