To keep moths away from your outdoor areas, the best approach combines disrupting their navigation, using scents they hate, and managing the environment.
To repel moths outside, eliminate their food sources (like pet food or soiled patio furniture) and use potent scents like lavender, cedarwood, peppermint, and citronella. Because moths are highly attracted to light, dimming your exterior lighting is the single most effective way to keep them away from your outdoor spaces.
Clove - Clove's spicy, pungent aroma is another strong deterrent for moths. The aroma is too intense for most insects, keeping them away from treated areas. We recommend hanging one of our 'Treat Me' Natural Scent Bags in your wardrobe for an instant moth-repellent.
Moths and their caterpillars are a vital food source for a vast range of wildlife. Key predators include bats, birds (which feed thousands of caterpillars to their chicks), spiders, frogs, lizards, and smaller mammals like shrews and rodents.
The most effective way to repel and prevent moths is to combine physical cleaning—washing or dry-cleaning infested items and thoroughly vacuuming closets—with targeted deterrents. The top repellents vary based on your needs, leaning heavily on natural options and chemical controls.
To permanently eliminate moths, you must address both the adult insects and their larvae by breaking their breeding cycle.
Moth season typically spans April to October, with peak activity during the spring and late summer months. Because warmer temperatures speed up their lifecycle and reproduction, you will notice the most moths around April and May, and again in August and September.
At night, moths are primarily hunted by bats, which use echolocation to catch them in mid-air. Other nighttime predators include nocturnal birds (like owls and whip-poor-wills), various spiders (such as orb-weavers), and tree-dwelling amphibians and reptiles (like frogs and small lizards).
It's October! 🎃 Look out for these butterflies and moths in your gardens and local green spaces Many butterflies and moths spend the colder months as caterpillars, but there are still some that you might spot fluttering around amongst the beautiful autumnal landscape.
Exterminators widely agree that bed bugs are the hardest pest to get rid of. Their ability to hitchhike, resilience against over-the-counter pesticides, and talent for hiding in microscopic crevices make DIY eradication nearly impossible.
5 ways to get rid of moths
The Bible uses moths metaphorically to represent the frailty of human life and the fleeting nature of worldly wealth.
Should you touch the wings? No, because they could be damaged. Do they have scales on their wings? Yes, in fact that's what 'Lepidoptera' (the scientific classification of butterflies and moths) means, and the scales do get rubbed off by friction.
Repel them
Interesting fact – moths can't stand the smell of essential oils like lavender and cedarwood. Spray these fragrances around your home and place lavender bags or cedar balls in your closet to ward off the pests.
Let's clear up a common myth: Clothing moth larvae can not chew through plastic bags (think ziplock). It is far more likely the eggs were there before the wool was stored or there was a small opening. A not on moth killing methods. Freezing is only good if you have a commercial freezer that gets super cold (-20F).
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. Other insects, including hornets and ants, prey on moth caterpillars, and both spiders and beetles feed on moth pupae tucked away in their cocoons.
To get rid of moths when you cannot find the source, set out pheromone traps to catch active adults and locate their breeding grounds. Then, aggressively vacuum hard-to-reach areas, wash vulnerable fabrics, and inspect hidden spots like old wool rugs, pet food containers, and forgotten pantry items.
Just like many (if not most) other insects, moths can not survive in freezing temperatures. In fact, it is for this exact reason that freezing your Clothes moth-infested items for 72 hours can be such an effective extermination method.
For most species of moths, this sleep-like state occurs during the daytime. This is because moths are nocturnal. Moths do not have eyelids. As such, you can't tell if a moth is sleeping by checking if its eyes are closed!
To repel moths effectively, use natural deterrents like cedar blocks for clothes storage, lavender sachets, and herbal repellent packets containing thyme, eucalyptus, or cloves. For severe infestations, chemical mothballs are highly effective. Always wash clothes and vacuum undisturbed areas to remove hidden eggs.
A moth's favorite food depends on its life stage and species:
Most outdoor moths lay their eggs in the late fall. The eggs incubate over the winter and hatch in the spring. However, for common indoor pests like clothes moths and pantry moths, females can mate and lay eggs year-round when indoor environments are warm.
A common little moth turns out to have the best ears in the animal kingdom. According to a new study in Biology Letters, the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) is capable of hearing frequencies up to 300,000 hertz (300kHz), which is 15 times the frequency humans can hear at their prime, around 20 kHz.
Actions to reduce moth larvae:
Empty vacuum contents outside; double-bag and seal before disposal. Wash or dry-clean all fabrics in affected areas. Clean wardrobes, cupboards, drawers, and storage boxes (pay attention to cracks/joints). Improve ventilation—moths thrive in warm, still environments.