Air, heat, or freeze items you don't dry-clean or wash. A combination of sunlight and vigorously brushing the infested items can kill moth eggs and larvae. But this can be dirty work; expect to get grimy, and take care not to track eggs or larvae back into your home.
The best natural moth-repellent essential oil is cedar. Cedar oil is strong and effective and the moths don't like it! Other good essential oils to repel moths include lavender, rosemary, lemon, bergamot, sage, and mint.
Most moth infestations come from the pantry moth or clothes moths. The most common way to contract a moth infestation is by carrying infected items into the home. Food and clothing items that have larvae or eggs hiding within them can introduce a moth problem when you least expect it.
How do moths get into the house? If you find a single moth in your home, it's likely that it has come through the window. But if you're inundated with them it's likely that the larvae has been brought into the home through somebody's shopping or clothes.
Lavender — Lavender is a widely-loved moth repellent for good reason. Its floral scent is delightful to humans but repulsive to moths. Our 'Protect Me' Scent Bags can be placed in closets and drawers to protect your garments. Plus, they impart a lovely fragrance to all surrounding clothes.
Moths tend to dislike lavender and Cedar. Although lavender smells great to humans, it is highly repellent to insects like moths. Cedar is another great choice. Cedar masks the smell of natural fabrics and also gives clothing and linens a fresh, fragrant aroma.
It's hard to pinpoint how these things get indoors in the first place, but they do not go away on their own, says Suiter. If you don't want moth hanky-panky in your pantry (translation: lots of babies!), it's time to do some sleuthing. Here's how to get rid of these common pests.
Dryer sheets typically contain chemicals such as linalool, beta-citronellol, and geraniol, which are known to have some insect-repellent properties.
An astonishing variety of wildlife species eat moths. “Not only do birds and bats consume moths at every stage of the insects' life cycle, so do lizards, small rodents, skunks and even bears,” Mizejewski says.
Many people wonder what brings these pests indoors. Common knowledge holds that light attracts moths, and this is true in many cases. Moths often gather around outdoor lighting or windows at nighttime, where they may move inside through small cracks or when doors and windows are opened.
Moths are attracted to light, which is why you often see them flying around lamps and other sources of illumination. If you have any areas in your home where there is a lot of light shining through, moths will be drawn to them.
So, clothes moths may live one month, eggs may take less than ten days to hatch, larvae will reach maturity in about a month and the pupate stage will last about two to three weeks. So to get rid of a moth infestation, you would need to hammer all stages for at least four to five weeks to break the life cycle.
One of the best ways to keep these pests away is by using natural repellents like vinegar or bay leaves. You can also try using strong-smelling herbs such as lavender or rosemary to ward off adult moths.
Moths can come into your house through food or fabric items that are contaminated with eggs or larvae. These items are usually unwittingly carried in from the outside. Used furniture, clothing, and rolls of carpet are common hiding places for moth larvae or eggs.
No, adult moths do not bite. Moths are mostly harmless, fluttering insects. Because a moth's mouth parts are so small, it is not physically possible for it to bite a human, with few exceptions, including the “vampire moth." The most that will happen is the moth will leave behind a little dust as it flies away.
As such, the goal here is to systematically turn off the lights in your home to lure a moth back outside. You will turn all of the lights off in your house leaving only one light on near your patio. As the moth seeks new light sources to chase, it will usually fly back outside where it belongs.
Cedar oil is strong and effective and the moths don't like it! Other good essential oils to repel moths include lavender, rosemary, lemon, bergamot, sage, and mint.
Using Citronella Oils for Moth Prevention
Use this handy trick to keep moths and other pests away from your outdoor areas. In the morning spray or paint some citronella oils on your light bulbs. As night falls they should be dry.
Air, heat, or freeze items you don't dry-clean or wash. A combination of sunlight and vigorously brushing the infested items can kill moth eggs and larvae.
Moths won't respond to a yellow light if they are at a distance as it appears very faint. Therefore, most people buy yellow light bulbs as there will be fewer moths in their homes.
Reefer-Galler SLA Cedar Spray
Aside from moths, it also eliminates other insects, including ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, and spiders. We put this spray to the test on a rug that had moths living on it. As soon as we applied the product, we could see that the moths had died.