Clothes moths are well-known fabric pests
in the home. Carpet beetles are just as destructive and are more abundant than
clothes moths in many areas.
Carpet beetle larvae do not spin webs and
have a tuft of long brown hair at the end of the body. Clothing moth larvae
leave behind a silken web as they feed.
When the moth is in its whitish worm-like
larva stage, it eats wool and furs and does its damage. The moth also likes
dimly lit areas so much damage can be done before it is even seen.
Use Effective Preventive Measures
Practicing good housekeeping habits is an
important step to protect your clothing against fabric insect damage. Use the
vacuum cleaner for most of this cleaning. Spray the vacuum bag with CEDAR-AL
cedar spray prior to vacuuming and dispose of the bag contents promptly; it may
include eggs, larvae, or adult insects.
Purchase woolens or woolen synthetic
blends that have already been treated by the manufacturer with a moth-resistant
compound. Brush woolen clothing often to remove insects and their eggs.
Although we recommend spraying it on an
inconspicuous area prior to treating the entire carpet, you can spray your
carpeting safely with the CEDAR-AL cedar spray as it is color safe for most
fabrics.
Proper Storage
For temporary storage, protect woolen
articles by placing dryer sheets sprayed heavily with the CEDAR-AL cedar spray or
pieces of cloth in the container or closet in which the articles are stored.
To
hold the vapors, the container (garment bag, chest, box or trunk) must be
airtight. If storing woolens in a closet without placing them into containers
see that the closet is tightly sealed. When you spray, avoid breathing the
spray and wash your hands afterward. Dry items thoroughly before packing.
The CEDAR-AL cedar spray soaked dryer
sheets or pieces of cloth should be placed in a shallow container on a shelf,
or suspended from a clothes rod or hook in a thin cloth bag or perforated
container.
Cedar Closets and Chests
Heavy and tightly constructed cedar
closets and chests can be the ultimate luxury in storage. If they are thin and
loosely constructed, they can smell good and still be worth no more than
cardboard boxes.
The concentration of volatile oil in the
heartwood of cedar kills moth larvae, but the smell does not repel them as the
cedar spray does. A cedar chest or closet must have at least 3/4-inch thickness
of heartwood and must close tightly to keep the oil from evaporating to be
effective against moths. The value of a cedar chest lies in the fact that it
will kill newly hatched or young worms. It will not kill eggs, worms after they
are half grown, as the cedar spray does or deter the adult moth as the cedar
spray does. To be effective, the cedar chest must be kept tightly closed and
the garments stored must be clean and free of moths.
Herbal Potpourris
Although they may smell good, herbal
potpourris are not an alternative to deter moths. The United States Department
of Agriculture has proved that many herbs are ineffective including allspice,
baking soda, camphor, cayenne pepper, eucalyptus leaves, and lavender flowers.
The herbal potpourris do have pleasant
fragrances and can be useful in reducing mothball odor. Suspend them in small
cloth bags in the storage containers. The scent does wear off, but can be
preserved if you add some orris root or calamus powder as a fixative.
Dry cleaning is also an effective way to
kill moth life.
