An easy and time-honored method of drawing them out of hiding is to take advantage of their night-time instincts for navigating darkness by seeking out bright lights (historically, the moon and stars).
To find a moth in a room, look carefully at the upper part of the wall and scan your entire room. The adult moths are often very pale in colour and hard to spot. Also search for signs underneath low-rise furniture, in darker areas, and where the carpet is undisturbed and most fluffy.
Spray them with a solution of a couple of drops of ordinary dish detergent in a bottle of water. The moths will fall down and drown. In an environment where a wet spray can't be used (such as a library), use an electric flyswatter or other suitable Fly-killing device - Wikipedia, or a powerful hand-held vacuum cleaner.
You can mix a small pot of rum and treacle (the moths don't have to have all the rum) and paint it on tree bark. You can stake out heavily-scented flowers such as buddleia or tobacco plants at dusk. Or best of all, get someone who loves you dearly to give you a light trap.
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.
For an instant kill, cleaning containers using a solution of hot soapy water will instantly kill Pantry Moth Eggs. Additionally, freezing items will kill eggs and larvae, although you must wait 72 hours for this method to be effective.
You are looking for white webbing (a bit like messed up cobwebs) and frass and you may even find clothes moth larvae. Inspect carpets, especially round the edges, check rugs including the undersides and under bits of furniture.
The best way to see lots of moths is to use specifically designed moth traps. A trap running on a muggy night in July/August can catch over a thousand moths of up to a hundred species! A moth trap is basically a box with a special lamp inside and something for the moths to perch on or hide in.
Moths are sometimes found on old walls during the day. It is found on the the bark of big trees. On the underside of leaves in the shrubs. Caterpillars of moth may have a preference for certain plant species, although generally more polyphagous than butterflies.
Try leaving an outside or porch light on after dark, and look for moths on lighted windows or lit walls and fences. Low-energy bulbs attract moths and are better for the environment.
These include sugar water, vinegar, fruit, and sticky traps. Placing these near hiding spots can effectively attract and capture bugs.
Set up moth traps
So, while cleaning and discarding infested items are crucial, setting up moth traps is a key step in ensuring that your home remains moth-free. Place them where moths are most active—such as closets or pantry shelves—and effectively reduce the population of these miscreants.
Where do they hide? They avoid light and are most commonly found in dark locations such as basements, attics and closets. Within these locations, moths can be found in the folds of fabrics or hiding in corners.
Natural scents like lavender are also sometimes effective at keeping away flying adult moths but, as with all natural moth repellents, they don't have any effect on moth larvae. After cedar, the next best option is lavender, followed by bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, and thyme.
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.
The Pest Expert Formula 'P' Fogger is an aerosol (ULV) device which releases a moth-killing pyrethrin gas that expands to fill a room, delivering a rapid knockdown of both clothes and carpet moths. As it does not need to be lit, it offers no fire risk and so is perfectly safe for use in enclosed spaces like wardrobes.
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. Unsealed containers in our pantries are perfect targets for pantry months.
There is, however, still a noticeable emergence in adult moths around April and May and a second wave in August and September. If you haven't noticed them in your house just yet you will certainly notice an increase in articles about them in the national media at this time of year.
Moths can represent change, transformation, and growth. Many cultures see moths as symbols of death and believe they bring messages from the afterlife. Others believe that moths symbolize your intuition and encourage you to trust your inner wisdom.