The strong smell of the vinegar attracts the moths, and once they land in the liquid, they will drown and be unable to reproduce. Here are the steps to create your own homemade moth trap: Pour about an inch of apple cider vinegar into your small bowl or jar. Add a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar and mix it in.
You can easily make a simple moth trap by hanging up a white sheet at night and shining a torch onto it. Moths will be attracted to the bright light and will hopefully land on the sheet where you can observe them more closely.
Peppermint oil has been known to effectively repel Pantry Moths. So, you may want to wipe down your shelves with this fragrant oil. Rosemary, clove, lavender, thyme, and Eucalyptus may also be helpful. Each of these natural repellents for pantry moths is safe to use around food items!
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).
Prepare a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water. Use it to wipe down drawers, furniture, walls, cabinets and other hard surfaces in the areas where you suspect clothes moths and carpet moths eat clothes. Vinegar is a great natural solution to kill carpet moths thanks to its acidity.
A mixture if Dawn dish soap and water in a spray bottle. That mixture will penetrate the egg clusters and kill them.
Use Moth Traps for Adults
For adult Clothes Moths, Moth Traps are very effective. Moth Traps are great because they can catch many moths at once. Plus, evasive species of moths like Clothes Moths are hard to catch with your bare hands or even a net. This is because they are almost always hiding in dark crevices.
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.
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.
Dryer sheets typically contain chemicals such as linalool, beta-citronellol, and geraniol, which are known to have some insect-repellent properties.
When combined with vinegar, baking soda can kill Carpet Moth Larvae and eggs. However, baking soda on its own, is not the most effective method to eliminate Carpet Moths from your home.
Light traps - 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.
Killigan's moth traps are a great way to eradicate them. We tried them out in a pantry that's had intermittent moth issues for years, and they totally eliminated the moths within a month. With no strong odors and an attractive appearance, we didn't mind having them on our pantry shelves either.
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.
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.
The most common and effective method for killing all stages of clothes moths in clothing, blankets, and other washable articles is to thoroughly launder them for 20 to 30 minutes in water that is at least 120°F.
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.
Installing a cedar-lining in your closet or attaching cedar rings around hangers can also help prevent moths from moving in, but it won't clear up an existing problem and may lose effectiveness after a few years. To prevent pantry moths, store food in air-tight containers made of glass or hard plastic.
Moth traps
Moth traps are pieces of sticky flypaper covered with moth pheromones to attract the adults. Moths that land on the paper are unable to get free and eventually die. Hang moth traps in places that tend to attract moths, such as inside closets or kitchen storage areas.
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.
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.