The moth is a gray small butterfly that does not cause inconvenience or disgust. But when a pest appears in the house, every housewife knows: trouble has come. The insect spreads quickly and actively, occupying new territories. To understand how to deal with an uninvited guest, you need to know how moths reproduce and how they penetrate a human home.
Moths are a household pest.
General information
Moths in the house are not dangerous in themselves. But they are an indicator of a problem.
Depending on the species, there are clothes moths and food moths. In addition, there are grain, nut and potato varieties. But the first two individuals are frequent guests in human homes.
These names suggest where the moth nest can be found. Diet preferences also depend on this.
Clothes prefers to feed on natural furs and fabrics, and can migrate to furniture upholstery or carpets in a hungry year.
Accordingly, the food industry prefers groceries, tea or dried fruits.
Moreover, one type of moth does not change its taste preferences and does not switch to another type of food.
How clothes moths get into an apartment
So, where do moths come from in the closet if all things are new, clean and neatly folded? To find out, you should remember whether you purchased the following products recently:
- natural wool carpets
- furniture with natural upholstery
- outerwear made of fur or wool
- wearable woolen or knitted items
- shoes with natural fur.
It is also useful to read: Fighting cabbage moths
If moths appeared at home after one of these purchases, then we can say with confidence that the larvae were already in it at the time of purchase. After settling in, the moth began to multiply and spoil other things that came in its path. Unfortunately, the pest can even be in expensive items from trusted stores that protect their reputation.
Store-bought or used furniture can also serve as an excellent “vehicle” for transporting moth larvae to a new place of residence. This is especially true for old furniture, in which it is very easy to get to the “tasty” filler.
Clothes moths can choose a more exotic way of entering the house - on the fur of pets. In principle, moths do not parasitize living creatures, but they can very well use their fur as a temporary shelter. Cases when moths appear in this way are quite rare, and only adult moths can settle in this way and on dogs with long, shaggy hair - bobtails, giant schnauzers, wire-haired dachshunds, South Russian shepherd dogs.
Listed above are the main ways in which clothes and food moths appear in a person’s home. But whatever the method of its penetration, it is important to prevent the parasite from multiplying throughout the apartment.
Life cycle of a moth
The lifespan of a moth is not very long. But during this period it reproduces quite actively, so it can cause a lot of harm. There are several stages of development.
Development takes place in several stages:
- adult insect.
Life cycle of a moth.
The female lays eggs, their number can reach 200 pieces, and dies after 4-5 days;
- eggs. They are very small and can be collected in one place or spread over some surfaces;
- larvae. Appear small and whitish after 14 days. The lifespan of this pest reaches 50 days, and at this time it causes maximum damage;
- The pupae appear after the insects have eaten enough to make a cocoon. After a month, which is how long this stage lasts, an adult appears.
Important signs
The life span of the pest from the first stage to the end of its life cycle can reach 2 years and 5 months. However, it is directly affected by living conditions, because moths do not like low temperatures and heat. Also, how long moths live in indoor conditions directly depends on the active struggle of the owners.
The process of reproduction takes place sexually, with the participation of individuals of both sexes. Most often this happens immediately after the butterfly appears. After a few days, egg laying begins in the same place where the insects will grow and feed. In comfortable conditions, even 5 generations develop within a year.
Which moth is more likely to appear in the house?
Food Clothing
How it spreads
Moth in the house.
There are several possible ways for moths to appear in a house or apartment. If it is a food pest, it may have been brought from a store or market. If the seal of the food package was broken or errors were made during storage, then it is likely that contamination will occur.
The same applies to the clothing subspecies. It can be carried on things, dilapidated pieces of furniture, carpets that were not stored correctly. They can use thick, long dog hair to move around.
Infection of human housing occurs from the street or ventilation pipes. A butterfly or several can very easily get in from an open window, and then it’s a matter of time before there becomes a whole flock of them.
How do moths appear in an apartment?
Domestic insects fly into open windows and doors on their own. Most often this happens in the summer during intense heat. A few adult individuals are enough to form a colony of larvae numbering a hundred individuals within 1.5-2 months after entering the premises. Considering that all types of household pests lead a secretive lifestyle, their presence is usually detected untimely, when the larvae manage to ruin some things.
Agricultural pests also penetrate into residential areas. Thus, when purchasing grain, cereals, and various products consumed by insects, there is a possibility that they contain egg clutches, from which, under comfortable conditions, larvae emerge after 2-4 weeks.
Signs of a pest
Moth larvae on clothes.
There are several visual signs that can help you identify pests in your home. The main one, of course, is the flying adult moths. But they are already an indicator of the spread of a large number of pests.
You can recognize the appearance of moths by small larvae in places where they can be very conveniently located: on the back walls of furniture, kitchen units, in unclosed bags of cereals and in cabinets with furniture. Small eggs are most often securely hidden, and they are almost colorless, so they cannot be identified.
Clothes moth
Clothes moths in an apartment are also not uncommon. Moreover, if there is one in your closet, rest assured: it will be natural fabrics – furs and wool – that will suffer first. For this kind of insect, it doesn’t matter what condition your favorite item is in, whether it’s been washed or not.
The main thing for her is the availability of this gastronomic delicacy. There are two main ways for clothes moths to enter your home:
- through already infected things;
- with your pets.
Let's say you just purchased a nice little thing and not at some market or sale, but in a presentable and popular boutique. And what from this? You still don't get a 100% moth-free guarantee from a high-end store. Its larvae or pupae can end up on any things you bring into your home. As a result, damaged furniture upholstery and clothing, carpets and fur products. This kind of trouble can befall you even after going to an expensive store.
However, much more serious attention is required to second-hand items that you may decide to purchase at a stock store or second-hand store. They often become prey to parasitic insects. This does not mean that you need to completely forget about such methods of acquiring good things on the cheap. The main thing is to carefully inspect the item if you are planning to buy it, and if you suddenly find small moth larvae on the surface of some blouse, under no circumstances should you take on the burden of removing these parasites from your home.
It is often necessary for owners of mustachioed pets to prevent the appearance of moths in a timely manner. Moreover, the most common carriers of these parasites are the following dog breeds:
- bobtail;
- Giant Schnauzer;
- wirehaired dachshund;
- South Russian Shepherd, etc.
If you are the owner of one of these creatures, provide your pet with complete protection against moths.
If we talk about clothes and shoes, which need to be taken care of doubly, the risk category includes:
- natural wool carpets;
- furniture with natural upholstery;
- outerwear, in most cases wool and fur items suffer from moth invasion;
- knitted clothes;
- shoes with natural fur.
Moreover, if you have already noticed this pest in your apartment or private house, try to determine whether you made any purchases immediately before? It is quite possible that they were the reason for the appearance of moths in your home.
Possible reasons for the appearance
There are a number of reasons why moths can enter a home and remain there. One of them, which is the most significant, is comfortable conditions for her.
Moths are often brought into the house by people themselves.
Most often, moths enter a room from the street through an open window that does not have a mosquito net, or through ventilation. If there is a possibility that your neighbors have insects, then it is likely that all their neighbors will have them through the ventilation hole.
If it is not entirely clear where moths constantly come from in your apartment, then you can ask your neighbors if they have any pests. It’s even better to attach a fine mesh to the ventilation grill before the moth starts, so you don’t have to fight it at all.
Where do clothes moths come from?
Most often, moths are brought indoors on things. On furs, carpets or even furniture, several individuals can enter the room, which will quickly multiply and cause damage to clothing.
House moth.
And if there are comfortable conditions for them, like old carpeting or fur, then they will stay for a long time.
Even when purchasing new products, there is a chance of infection, because errors were made during storage in stores or warehouses and infection occurred.
In rare cases, dogs, especially long-haired ones, can bring pests indoors. It happens that butterflies completely accidentally lay eggs on thick fur, and in such a temporary shelter they end up indoors.
It is a mistake to believe that unsanitary conditions or cleaning problems will be to blame. You shouldn’t think about how moths appear in an apartment, because infection can occur completely by accident.
Where and why food moths start
In addition to the accidental way in which food moths get into the house, there is the possibility that they will be brought by housewives unintentionally. It could get into food in pursuit of food.
Thus, sometimes stores violate the rules for storing unpacked or sold goods by weight. These can be various cereals, nuts, dried fruits, spices or food.
Caterpillars of food moths have special vitality. If they have already started in cereals, but find themselves in an unfavorable environment, such as too much cold, they can remain viable for a long time. When conditions change, they will actively begin to feed.
Mole photo
The size of an adult varies from 5 to 8 millimeters, and the wingspan from 9 to 16 millimeters. The color is beige-golden, there are hairs on the head. The entire body is covered with golden bristles that shine when the insect is examined in the light. The wings have a peculiar fringe in the form of long hairs; there are no ornaments or designs on them.
Moth eggs are white in color and look like small grains of rice. It is noteworthy that one end of the egg has a more rounded shape than the other.
Then the eggs hatch into white, small, approximately 1 millimeter in size caterpillars, which already have mouthparts. Feeding on knitted items, wool, silk or plant matter, the caterpillar grows up to 12 millimeters in length. The life cycle of a moth lasts up to 2.5 years.
After the caterpillar has reached a developed state, it stops feeding and weaves a silk cocoon, in which it will transform into a pupa, from which an adult will then emerge.
You can take a closer look at the moth photo.
How to get rid of household moths in an apartment
There are several ways to get rid of insects that have entered the closet or furniture.
Traditional methods
Orange zest is a preventive remedy.
Traditional methods, although quite effective, do not work very quickly. They are best used as preventive measures. These include various herbs that repel adults with their aroma.
They do not affect the larvae. Mothballs were often used for things. It is effective, but things acquire an unpleasant aroma.
There is one proven folk method - shaking . The insect does not like disturbances and changes in climate conditions. Therefore, at the first suspicion of infection, you need to shake up all deposits of rags.
Natural furs and coats should be carefully inspected and checked for damage. In summer you will need to put it in the sun, and in winter in the cold.
Professional methods
Professional cleaning will kill the larvae and eggs.
If the scale of infection is very large, then you need to contact professionals. They quickly and effectively clean all contaminated surfaces.
Under the influence of special preparations and temperature treatments, they will kill all harmful insects and clean the home even in the most inaccessible places.
Aerosols
Aerosols are effective, but quite labor-intensive. To remove all insects, you need to spray all moth-infested parts and furniture surfaces.
The room must be closed for the effect to occur, and then ventilate and wash everything well. Several treatments will need to be carried out, and one bottle of aerosol will not be enough.
Moth sprays.
Fumigators
Most often, these drugs are used to protect against mosquitoes, but they will also be effective against moths. Their use is completely simple.
- The plate or flask with the working solution is installed in the apparatus and plugged into a power outlet.
- When heated, a smell is released that people do not notice, but insects really do not like.
Pheromone traps
The principle of operation of the traps is that they emit a certain aroma and pheromones lure moths. They fall into a sticky trap and die. Such a trap only affects adult individuals; larvae are not lured in this way.
Sticky traps with pheromone.
Sections and tablets
Sections are small plates or bags that are hung in the closet. They repel butterflies, so they are used more for prevention. Usually their effect does not last more than 4 months.
anti-moth
tablets also work on the same principle as the sections They are placed on shelves and in hard-to-reach places and are valid for about 3 months.
What to do if moths appear in the apartment
Found a pest? Don't panic! After reading the instructions below, you will learn how to get rid of moths in your apartment:
- Regardless of what type of moth is in your home, you need to inspect the entire room. She doesn't like light, so pay special attention to cabinets and drawers. View all containers, bags and bags of cereals. Moths do not like strong odors, and in these places the best conditions have been created for their existence. We advise you to inspect dressers with clothes and shelves with books for larvae and already adult individuals. Remember that moths will not settle alone;
- found a nest with larvae? Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the contaminated area and wipe the area with a solution of a combination of water, detergent and a small amount of chlorine;
- If moths have settled in the closet, then first carefully treat the clothes with a steamer. Next, wash the items in a washing machine at a temperature not lower than 60°C, and treat the closet with the solution we wrote about in the previous paragraph;
- Place wool and fur items in the freezer for 2-3 hours. The larvae will not survive in such conditions;
- You can clean outer clothing from larvae yourself using a brush and the same steamer. Pay special attention to folds, pockets and lining. After completing the steps, take the clothes to the dry cleaner;
- treat all carpets, furniture and curtains in the apartment;
- Kitchen moths can be found in drawers. Carefully inspect bags of cereals, bread products and other bulk products. Remember, under no circumstances should you eat contaminated food! Throw everything in the trash bin, don't be sorry. After this, treat the cabinets and drawers with a bleach or vinegar solution.
You have completed the first steps to get rid of the pest. But what to do if the moth begins to actively reproduce again?
How to get rid of food moths in an apartment
With the food subspecies of the pest, things are a little different. They are in the kitchen, and there is the use of potent products with a persistent aroma. Sprays or aerosols are also prohibited.
To remove food moths from the kitchen , you need to:
- conduct a thorough audit;
Moth larvae in the grocery store.
- remove heavily damaged and contaminated cereals;
- carry out temperature treatment of food residues;
- thoroughly wash the shelves with soap or vinegar solution;
- use traps.
A good way is folk remedies. For example, if you place citrus peels on shelves, moths will avoid them.
This article will tell you in more detail about how and what method effectively works against moths in a house and apartment.
What does a mole look like?
These are insects belonging to the order of butterflies. Their appearance directly depends on the species. Household pests are represented by the following types:
- food;
- wardrobe;
- grain;
- furniture butterfly.
The color is often inconspicuous - greenish, grayish. The sizes are small - up to 15 millimeters. An insect can place a nest in the house and in nature:
- rye;
- cabbage;
- apple
You can find out in more detail why moth larvae are dangerous by reading the corresponding article on our website.
Moths are insects belonging to the order of butterflies. The appearance of the moth directly depends on the species
Prevention measures
In order not to start a long and tedious struggle for your own things or products, it is better to take a number of preventive measures.
These include:
- proper storage of things and products. Clothes should be placed in the closet only after they have been cleaned and in special covers, if possible. Food products should be stored in sealed jars or bags;
- periodically clean the shelves and wash them. Linen needs to be shredded and supplies reviewed;
- for prevention . You can arrange bouquets of dried herbs and orange peels in the cabinets;
- It is good to inspect things after purchasing and purchase products only from trusted places.
All varieties of moths do not like the scent of lavender, mint, rosemary, citrus, geranium, camphor or cloves. You can buy a ready-made sachet, use a little essential oil, or even put some dried herbs in fabric bags.
Prevention and what to do if moths appear
You can get rid of moths in your apartment and prevent their appearance by:
- chemicals;
- folk remedies.
Modern insecticides for moths are available in the form of aerosols, gels, sections, tablets, plates and fumigators. Most of them contain substances harmful to human health, so they are recommended to be used to kill clothes moths.
Aerosols
It is necessary to treat not only the infected item with an aerosol, but also the place where the moth appears. After 3-4 hours, the apartment must be ventilated and thoroughly washed. Aerosols of the following brands have especially proven themselves: Raptor, Clean House, Armol.
Moth sprays
Sections
No less popular are the sections that are hung in the closet. They have a more repellent effect on adults. They will not harm the larvae. Therefore, it is better to use this remedy for preventive purposes.
Tablets and plates
Anti-moth plates and tablets have a good effect. They are not harmful to human health and pets, since they are based on vegetable oils. In addition, the advantage of this product is its low cost.
Gels
Moth gels are also made based on vegetable oils. They are produced in special containers that can be hung or placed in a closet. Antimol and Raptor gels are very popular.
Fumigators
Fumigators are best used for preventive treatment of an apartment, as they provide for a long period of insect control. The principle of use is quite simple: you need to place a flask with liquid or a plate into the device and insert it into a socket. The odor emitted during the heating process is detrimental to moths. For humans it is safe and almost imperceptible.
It is preferable to fight food moths with folk remedies, as they are safe for human health and pets.
Plants
Since ancient times, lavender has been used to protect against moths, and this plant is still in demand today. Its smell is harmful to parasites. It is enough to place sprigs of dry lavender in gauze or fabric bags around the apartment and such a problem will not arise.
Other herbs have a similar effect: tansy, wormwood, mint, geranium or thyme. Moths do not like the specific smell of plants. Therefore, in places where such plants are present, insects will not grow.
Herbs for moths
Essential oils
You can also get rid of moths in your apartment using essential oils. The smell of eucalyptus, lavender, fir, clove, lemon or rosemary oils cannot be tolerated by insects. Therefore, essential oils can be added to water to clean the inside of cabinets, tables and shelves. To enhance the effect, you can use pieces of cloth moistened with oil, which need to be placed around the apartment in places where moths may be present.
Prevention of occurrence
In the process of ensuring your home is fully protected from moths and similar insects, it is very important to know not only how to find moths, but also how to prevent them from re-entering your home. Thus, you will save yourself from the need to spend decent sums in the future, both on purchasing another product capable of eliminating this kind of insects and on purchasing new things. How can we learn to prevent such consequences? First of all, make it a rule to thoroughly inspect a new item, even if you just bought it from a good store. This is why it is worth checking it for the presence of moth larvae both from the outside and from the inside.
In the event that the presence of parasites on a new item of clothing was noticed too late, and just for prevention, hang the newly purchased item on the balcony and leave it there for at least three days. This should be done in clear, sunny weather so as not to damage the fabric in any way.
You can also get rid of clothes moths in your home using effective scented products. For example, place orange peels on the shelves in your closet (they need to be renewed after they have completely dried) or lavender. Essential oils also show high effectiveness. Moreover, it is not necessary to apply the product to the surface; it is enough to just leave an open bottle with one of the essential oils on the shelf.
If you want to destroy the slightest traces of annoying moths in your closet and are at the same time looking for a professional, high-quality product, use special insect repellent sections. They will eliminate the remaining moths and protect you for a long time from the re-invasion of these parasites. In addition, these sections emit a pleasant aroma, which will only improve the storage conditions for your favorite things. Another alternative remedy is store-bought anti-moth spray. They can be used to treat a fur coat, hat or home carpet. This method is especially valuable in the summer, when all outerwear is stored in wardrobes.
You can also prevent damage to things by moths by using newspapers or strong cigarettes. To do this, cover your outerwear with newsprint, and for added effect, put a few cigarettes in your coat pocket. However, if the cigarette smell is an unacceptable thing for you, this method is unlikely to be effective, because the tobacco aroma is quite pungent and will remain on clothes for a long time.
It is recommended to take similar measures in the case of food moths. Regularly review the products you bring from the store. Check flour and cereals for the presence of insect larvae. In addition, you should not store them in original packaging; it is better to pour them into a glass jar or other airtight container. Make sure that moths can never appear in your home.
