Protect Your Home From Moths This Autumn
After the warmth of summer, autumn seems to have announced its arrival a little too abruptly over the last couple of weeks for our liking! Whilst there are still plenty of chores to be getting on with in the garden, our thoughts are starting to turn to jobs around the house, particularly when it is pouring with rain outside.
As we exchange our summer clothes for cosy autumnal jumpers and socks, a few of us have noticed that we are not the only ones looking for warmth. After reaching for a particularly favourite woollen jumper, one colleague was devastated to discover that it was full of tiny holes. The cause of these holes: clothes moths, or more specifically, their larvae.
Problematic Clothes Moths
Whilst some moths are attracted to the light, clothes moths prefer warm, dark places to hide and lay their eggs. Did you know that it is actually the larvae that eat your clothes and textiles rather than adult moths? In order to develop into adult moths, the larvae have evolved to live on the Keratin present in natural fibres such as wool, cashmere, fur and feathers. Keratin is also found in human and animal hair and skin - most of which gets combined with household dust in our homes.
The Benefits Of Moths
Finding moths inside your home may not be good news for your expensive textiles, but we should all be encouraging them into our outside spaces. Moths and their caterpillars are great for the garden as they are a vital food source for spiders, frogs, hedgehogs, birds and bats. We can all do more to encourage them into our gardens, such as by ensuring they have somewhere to hide during the winter. Instead of cutting back all of your dead plants and clearing up leaves, consider leaving some of them on the ground or in your flower beds to create a natural home for both moths and other insects this autumn and winter.
How Can You Prevent Clothes Moths?
You might not always realise that you have moths or their larvae in your clothing or textiles until you move a piece of furniture or take a jumper out from a drawer and find lots of holes. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a thorough deep clean at least once a season to disturb any moths which might be thinking of laying their eggs in your home.
Here are some of our top tips for helping to prevent moths from moving into your home:
If you have woollen carpets or rugs, make sure you are vacuuming under furniture, including sofas and side tables regularly to stop dust and hair from building up. Consider emptying out your wardrobe and giving it a thorough clean a couple of times a year to remove dust and check for moths and larvae.
If you have clothing stored away in drawers or boxes then make sure you remove everything and thoroughly check to see if any moths have laid eggs or larvae. You might not be able to see the eggs, but you will easily be able to tell if they have been in your clothes as you will notice holes or weak points in the fabric.
How Can I Remove Clothes Moths?
A natural way of removing and killing clothes moths and larvae from clothing is to put your clothes in the freezer for two weeks. However this is not always convenient - especially if you have lots of clothing which needs treating and a small freezer!
For persistent problems we have a range of moth control products which should stop moths from returning to your home:
Aeroxon Clothes Moth Trap is a ready to use glue trap with sexual attractant to monitor infestations of clothes moths on clothing, carpets, materials, soft furnishings and upholstery. The non-toxic trap contains a special pheromone which mimics the scent released by a female moth. The male is drawn to the scent and becomes stuck on the sticky surface inside the trap. Each trap will last for up to 3 months and is perfect for placing all around the house.
We hope you have found our moth control tips useful and would love to hear from you if you have tried any of our products or have any other suggestions for dealing with clothes moths.
Share your tips with us via our social channels or drop us an email to enquiries@myproductstore.co.uk
We hope you have a fantastic autumn!