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Chestnuts as an effective remedy for moths

Chestnuts have long been known among people as a remedy for moths.
You just need to know how to use them correctly for the desired result. Anyone is familiar with a tree like chestnut. But in fact, few people have thought about the areas in which its fruits are used. In fact, the fruits of this tree have proven themselves to be an excellent means of effectively combating moths at home. At the same time, the effectiveness of this method has been fully proven: once a study was conducted during which a chestnut was placed in the pocket of a fur robe, and after a few days all the moths simply died .

Signs of damage and prevention

In their garden plots, many owners prefer to use methods that help prevent the laying of eggs by the chestnut leaf miner and reduce their numbers.

To prevent the proliferation of the pest, several methods are used:

wrapping tree trunks with glue belts during the beginning of butterfly summer;
hanging adhesive tape or yellow plates at the height of the crown, which are generously smeared with Pestifix glue - this helps catch moths in the summer;
cleaning up fallen leaves in the fall, in which pupae and butterflies hide for the winter;
treating tree trunks with insecticidal preparations to destroy pests that hide under the bark for wintering;
deep digging of soil in the trunk circle of chestnut trees in an area of at least 1.5 crown diameters.

How can these fruits be used to eliminate insects?

If a housewife needs to fight moths at home, then in this situation it is not necessary to use various chemically active substances. Both raw and dried chestnuts can help her here. At the same time, the effectiveness of both options 1 and 2 will be noticeable.

But if you decide to use raw fruits, then you can place them only in a room that will be very well ventilated in the future.

In unventilated places, raw chestnuts quickly become moldy, which is why their effectiveness is reduced several times. Therefore, it is advisable to first dry them in any way, and only then use chestnuts as a means of combating various types of insects.

In order to quickly get rid of pests, you should first prepare the cabinet, and only then arrange the fruits in this place:

Before you put the finished product in any cabinet, you first need to do a thorough cleaning so that all things are in their place.
First, you need to remove absolutely all things from the closet, wipe it well and ventilate it, and only then put them back.
All the fruits that the housewife wants to use in the process of fighting such insects need to be laid out in such a way that there are several pieces between 2 things in the closet at once. And this action must be performed with absolutely all items of clothing located in the wardrobe or other place.
If a person dries the fruits correctly, then not only will they not get dirty, but they will also not emit an unpleasant odor.
A chestnut placed between things can serve as a kind of moth repeller for 2-3 years, after which it must be systematically changed.
However, it is preferable to replace old fruits in your wardrobe every autumn with new ones collected in the current season.

If the housewife wants the efficiency of chestnuts to be higher, it is often recommended to simply split them before putting them in the closet. To do this, do the following:

You need to break the fruit into very small pieces using a hammer.
The resulting pieces need to be placed in some kind of fabric bag or simply wrapped in regular fabric.
Bags with pieces of this product can be safely placed in the wardrobe between items of clothing and things.

If the owner adheres to these rules, he will be able to quickly get rid of insects at home.

Preparing chestnut for use

In order for chestnut to bring maximum effect, you must adhere to several rules:

Firstly, it is best to collect roundels in the fall , when they are already fully mature and the prickly crust has split, because only the brown glossy core is needed. The fruits of this tree ripen from the end of September to the end of November. It is during this period that you should stock up on glossy fruits
Secondly, to prevent it from becoming moldy in the closet, it must be dried. Drying is carried out within 10-15 days. More is possible, but not less. You can dry it in any available way. Whether in the sun, or indoors on a newspaper, it doesn’t matter. The readiness of chestnuts is determined by their appearance. If they have acquired a matte tint and shrunk, then they are ready.
Thirdly, the fruit should not stain clothes , so after it is dried, it should be thoroughly wiped with a dry napkin or rag.

Once it has been collected, dried and free of contaminants, you can begin to use it. It should be placed in the closet in random order between clothes. Also, you can and should put several fruits on the shelves in the kitchen, since chestnuts perfectly repel all types of moths, including food moths.

It is important to remember that it should be placed on the shelves before the larvae appear, because otherwise it will not help at all.

In what cases is the method with chestnuts against moths effective?

Very often, many doubt that the “chestnut method” is an effective tool in the process of fighting moths. In fact, this method has its own unique feature, since only these fruits can scare away the butterfly itself, which is why they will simply not be able to lay new eggs in things. Naturally, chestnuts will not be able to get rid of the larvae themselves. But if the housewife notices a butterfly flying nearby, then they will not allow eggs to be laid in clothes with their smell. In the event that a person wants to 100% get rid of the butterfly itself, then he needs to perform the following actions:

All contaminated items in your wardrobe must be immediately removed from your home and better thrown away.
If the clothing is in a state where it can still be rehabilitated, then it must be washed as thoroughly as possible and preferably ironed with a hot iron.
If the clothes in which the moths appeared are made of natural fur, then this product can simply be taken out either into the cold or into the bright sun. This must be done in order to scare her away, as she is afraid of bright light and severe frost.
In extreme cases, you can resort to the use of chemically active agents, but this will be dangerous for both insects and people. Therefore, in this situation, you need to think 100 times about simply throwing away an item of clothing rather than completely ruining your health.

If people have moths in their clothes, then you can get rid of them by using chestnuts. But if adult butterflies have already laid larvae, then in this situation such a method will not be effective. Since it does not kill the larvae, sooner or later new adult butterflies will hatch from them.

Mechanical methods

The only simple mechanical method that can affect the chestnut moth is treating the tree crowns with a powerful stream of water. Such a shower knocks down the individuals on the leaves, and wets the wings of swarming insects and nails them to the ground. But it is impossible to destroy the eggs and larvae inside the leaves in this way.

Mechanical control can also include preventive measures. This is primarily a seasonal cleaning - you need to collect all the fallen leaves and burn them. If dried branches are visible on the tree, they must be removed and also burned.

How to get rid of moths without chemicals

Chemicals such as naphthalene or dichlorvos and other analogues with a pleasant odor are harmful to human health, especially for children, pregnant and nursing mothers. They contain toxic substances, the direct task of which is to poison annoying insects, and at the same time the owners of the house. How did our grandmothers cope with this scourge? With improvised means!

It is much easier to prevent moths from appearing in your home than to fight it later. If you know what this parasite is afraid of and what repels it, and constantly keep such products in your closets, the moth will most likely fly around your house.

We do an audit of cabinets

Any creature feels more at ease where it is not disturbed. Therefore, to ensure that moths never appear in your home, it is necessary to inspect and clean the cabinets approximately once every 3-4 months .

When removing each woolen, fur or leather item, carefully inspect it for the presence of larvae and traces of their vital activity. And if you find such traces, before putting the item back in the closet, it must be processed: what can be ironed, and the fur treated with hot steam; in winter, put things out in the cold for several hours; In summer, hang it in direct sunlight.

Wipe the interior walls and shelves of cabinets with soapy water to which a few drops of lavender, citrus, eucalyptus or fir oil have been added - moths cannot tolerate these odors. If larvae are found, all washable items must be washed in hot water (at least 60 degrees.)

It is also important to remember that insects are attracted to the smells of sweat and mustiness, so never keep dirty clothes in closets.

To store woolen blankets and blankets, it is better to purchase special sealed cases.

Moths cannot stand the smells of some plants, and among them is lavender, beloved by many.

Plants against moths

There are many plants whose smells we find pleasant, but moths cannot tolerate. These are lavender, chestnut, tansy, strawberry, eucalyptus, pine needles and citrus fruits . If a plant, for example, tansy inflorescences, is dried, put in linen bags and put in a closet, then moths will not grow there.

Lavender is used in the same way. In addition to dried herbs, you can put dry peels of oranges, tangerines, as well as spruce or fir branches in linen bags. Chestnut nuts are simply placed in the pockets of clothes hanging on hangers.

As for strawberries, the plant itself does not repel moths - only its berry smell does, so strawberry soap in an open package or dry perfume laid out on shelves will help get rid of the pest. Dried herbs retain their “anti-moth” properties for several months, citrus peels and pine twigs - 1-1.5 months, chestnuts - as long as desired, soap and perfume - as the smell disappears.

1. Moths do not survive in temperatures below 0° C or when exposed to sunlight.

2. Pour soapy water into a basin, add a few drops of lavender or fir essential oil, thoroughly wipe each shelf and cabinet wall on all sides with aromatic water.

3. Place moth-repellent, environmentally friendly folk remedies on all shelves, in cases with clothes, in pockets and sleeves of fur coats, jackets and coats, in shoes: chestnut fruits, fir branches, tansy wrapped in cotton material, dried lavender in a cotton bag , citrus peel (oranges, tangerines, lemons), strawberry soap.

Tips on how to remove moths and avoid their appearance

In order to avoid the appearance of moths, you need to regularly ventilate your apartment. Carry out a deep cleaning at least once a month. Wipe walls, shelves, furniture, windows and chandeliers. Moths can appear where you least expect to see them. For example, on the spine of a book, or in old trash hidden on the mezzanine. Therefore, the most important advice is to throw away everything unnecessary. Why keep things that have already outlived their usefulness? After all, if you keep your old trash, you risk paying for it with a hole in your new fur coat. Therefore, be realistic and say goodbye to your old stuff without a doubt. Also, when stocking up on dry goods, don't make purchases for the year. Buy everything in moderation, and store grains in a glass or metal container with a tight-fitting lid. It is better not to use plastic bags for storage, because pests can easily get into them. In order not to think about how to remove moths from dry foods, buy good quality flour and cereals. Because cheap cereals contain dust, which makes it easier to get started. After purchasing dry products, it is better to place them in the freezer for an hour, this way you will avoid the appearance of moths.

Many people think that moths don’t like dirty things; this is a colossal mistake. In dirty things, the moth gets wound up faster, and consumes such things with a huge appetite. Therefore, only clean, washed items should be in the closet. Note that the moth never eats clothes that you often wear; her favorite treat is things hidden away. The most interesting fact is that moths do not tolerate the aroma of fresh newspaper. That's why our ancestors wrapped wool scarves and fur hats in newspapers. You can also place dried orange peels and horse chestnut kernels in the cupboard; their aroma repels moths very well. Kerosene is considered another effective remedy, but its smell can incapacitate not only moths, but also humans. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it, although in the army this is how they poison the pest. How to remove moths from hard-to-reach places. To prevent moths from appearing in dark corners, on favorite clothes or on book spines, use aerosols. Before using them, read the instructions and spray the product in the right places. Most often they are applied to furniture upholstery, shelves with books, clothes, dark corners and chandeliers. Also, do not forget about upholstered furniture, folding sofas, mezzanines and storage rooms. Moths can grow where there is dust and dirt. Therefore, carefully clean the premises, do not leave any places uncleaned, because these are where moths can appear. Folding furniture needs to be vacuumed not only from above, but also from the inside, paying due attention to the corners. In order not to worry about how to get rid of house moths, all things hidden in sofas, closets or mezzanines should be packed. It is also better to immediately treat things with special anti-moth products. If you are not a supporter of chemistry, use folk remedies. Wash the areas themselves with soapy water and ventilate. Afterwards, place your things and arrange the lavender branches. When cleaning, do not forget to vacuum curled carpets, because they most often contain a source of infection. Also air your winter clothes at least once a month during the warm season. If you follow all the tips and keep your apartment clean, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of moths, but rather prevent their appearance.

Types of moths

Fighting moths requires close study of the pest. First of all, before choosing the means, we must decide what type of insect we are dealing with. After all, two species of this butterfly can live in city apartments - clothes moths and food moths. Each of them differs not only in appearance and name, but also in their lifestyle and way of eating. You can look at different types of moths and learn about their distinctive features in the article: Moths - photos and features of the existence of each species. Here we will only describe them in general terms.

Clothes moth

Sometimes this pest is also called furniture moth. In fact, these are two completely different species, the butterflies of which practically do not differ from each other in appearance. The main damage is caused by insect larvae, which in nature feed on the fur and feathers of animals and birds. In the conditions of a city apartment, they adapted to the diet that people offered them - clothes, carpets, furniture upholstery.

Adult insects lack mouthparts and therefore cannot feed. However, they are the reason for the spread of the pest, since during their entire short life they manage to produce entire hordes of voracious caterpillars - their larvae. When choosing a method of combating clothes and furniture moths, it is necessary to take this into account and carry out complex treatment, destroying not only caterpillars, but also butterflies.

food moth

He eats exclusively grocery products. Loves cereals, bread, flour products. Food moth can also be called granary moth. In fact, these names hide several types of moths, differing from each other in color and size.

Essential oils

One of the effective and efficient ways to combat moths is the use of essential liquids.

Basic oils whose smell cannot be tolerated by insects:

Lavender;
Eucalyptus;
Rosemary;
Patchouli;
Citronella;
Fir;
Lemongrass.

You can place open bottles of essential oils on furniture shelves - they are guaranteed to repel moths.

How to use essential oils:

Washing floors in rooms with water with the addition of a few drops of essential liquid;
Wiping with oil the surfaces of cabinets and shelves where moths are likely to accumulate;
Laying out cotton swabs soaked in essential liquids inside the furniture;
Spraying rooms, closets and wardrobes.

Ways to fight moths

All traditional methods of control are based on repelling pests using substances with a strong odor. So, what is the moth afraid of? Let's consider the main control methods used at home in the absence of specialized chemicals.

Naphthalene

Everyone knows this odorous drug. It has become so firmly established in our lives that it has earned the honorable name of a folk remedy for moths. The repellent effect of mothballs in the fight against insects has been proven over time. However, thanks to the latest research, it has become clear that this drug has carcinogenic properties and is harmful to health.

And yet, naphthalene is still popular, because with its help you can really get rid of moths, since this insect cannot stand its smell and is in a hurry to leave the “dangerous” apartment. To successfully expel the pest, sachets with an odorous preparation are placed in the following places:

Naphthalene will not help in the fight against food moths, because bulk products and groceries tend to absorb the odors surrounding them. It is hardly worth spoiling the food yourself in order to prevent larvae from getting into it.

Orange peel

Citrus fruits have long been famous for their ability to repel insects, so do not rush to throw away the peel of an orange or lemon you eat. It will be useful in the fight against pest butterflies.

The big advantage of using orange peels is that they are not hazardous to health, and the smell emanating from them is very pleasant. Therefore, this remedy can be used to expel both clothes and food moths.

The crusts are laid out in the following places:

kitchen cabinets;
bread box;
shelves where food is stored;
furniture cabinets;
boxes and bags with winter things.

The only negative is that if there are already moth larvae in the bag, you won’t be able to get them out with crusts. Only a butterfly will be able to scare away, so this folk remedy for moths cannot be called quite effective.

Interesting fact! Clothes moth larvae hide from daylight in peculiar cocoons, which they weave from fabric fibers and fasten with their own secretions.

Lavender

An old remedy well known for its repellent effect. Lavender for moths has been used for a long time and has proven its effectiveness against this pest.

nice smell;
long action;
health safety.

Lavender is placed in odor-permeable fabric bags or paper bags with holes. They are laid out in the same places as orange peels. You can also arrange the plant branches in vases and place them on shelves in the rooms.

Geranium

Some indoor flowers help against moths. For example, geranium is famous for this property. It has a strong enough odor to drive away the butterfly and thus prevent the reproduction of larvae.

Geraniums in pots are placed in rooms. You can also rub the back of the carpet with a leaf torn from a flower, and place the plant branches on shelves and cabinets.

Chestnut

You will be surprised, but even chestnuts are used against moths. To do this, they are collected in late autumn, dried and laid out in cabinets. Raw fruits quickly become moldy, so it is advisable to dry them thoroughly in the oven.

Chestnut seeds have the following benefits:

they are easy to unfold and assemble;
they do not have a strong odor;
the fruits are quite large in size and will not litter the room.

Advice! Since folk remedies for moths only repel insects, it is worth thinking about using “heavy artillery” and purchasing an insecticide specially developed for this type of pest. In this case, it will be possible to get rid of moths quite easily and within a short period.

Essential oils

Essential oils for moths are also often used. Any aromatic herbs are suitable for this purpose. It can be lavender, cloves, lemon, rosemary. The main thing is that the oil substance smells strongly and spreads its fragrance throughout the entire apartment.

How to use essential oils:

Use water with a few drops of oils added to wash the floor.
Spray the cabinets and room with them.
Wipe shelves and kitchen surfaces with essential oil.
Place gauze swabs soaked in this product everywhere.

Scented herbs

Often, in order to repel moths, it is enough to simply place bunches of fragrant herbs everywhere. Herb against moths helps very well in some cases. However, to do this you need to know which one to use.

So, what plant repels moths? These can be wild or cultivated herbs; the main thing to guide your choice is the strong smell that the plant should have. The following plants are often used:

Mining moth: presenting portraits of pests

Biological certificate
Types of miners
Plant protection
Destruction

In another way, the leafminer moth is called a miner with the prefix of the adjective that this pest damages. These insects parasitize many plants, including a list of numerous species of trees and shrubs, vegetable and berry plants, and wild herbs.

These insects even parasitize southern trees: tangerines, oranges and lemons. Below is a photo of a citrus leaf miner.

Citrus leaf miner

Biological certificate

Why is it called that: miner moth or miner? The fact is that the passages that its larvae gnaw inside the leaf blade, thereby causing undoubted harm to the tree, are called “mines.” According to their biological characteristics, all moths, including leaf miners, are a subspecies of butterflies.

Description

The egg laid by the female leaf miner moth hatches into a small larva with a spindle-shaped, segmented body. A little later, it turns into a caterpillar with its inherent gnawing apparatus, thanks to which it is able to gnaw fiber, feeding on leaf tissue.

Mining moth larva

An adult moth insect is a butterfly with a wingspan of up to two centimeters and a variety of wing colors depending on the species to which a particular individual belongs.

Nutrition

Insects feed on plant leaves, and the variety is so great that it boggles the imagination. Even conifers are amazed by their miners. Below are lists, far from complete, of quarantine objects, for example, trees:

horse chestnut;
Linden;
holly;
sycamore;
Rowan;
poplar;
thuja;
juniper;
Apple tree;
cherry;
citrus.

Shrubs:

rose;
rose hip;
hawthorn;
honeysuckle;
spirea.

Herbaceous plants:

balsam;
strawberries;
clover;
clematis;
bell;
centaury;
dandelion;
violet, including indoor violet.

Vegetables:

tomatoes;
potato;
cucumbers;
beet;
salad;
parsley;
cabbage;
melons;
and others.

Leaves damaged by leaf miners

Development

The age of the moth, the beginning of its reproduction, is familiar to every nature lover who has been close to a light source in the summer. Everyone saw how moths began to fly around the light bulb. Miners are also present in large quantities among them.

Many city dwellers are familiar with chestnut and poplar leaf miners, which parasitize these trees, which are planted to purify the polluted air of the “concrete jungle.” So, during the summer, it is these insects that penetrate apartments and other residential and public premises located near these trees.

Residents of suburban areas observe such years in apple and cherry leaf miner butterflies.

After mating, the female lays up to fifty small translucent eggs on the leaves of the quarantine plant. The larvae appear after a few days and immediately penetrate inside the leaf plate, covering the entrance with an egg shell, a kind of shell.

After this, the growth and development of the larva begins, during which it goes through the molting stage several times.

The first three stages of development, from molting to molting, the larva feeds intensively, gaining height and weight. then, in the fourth stage, the caterpillar emerges and prepares its body for pupation. The fifth stage is characterized by the production of a silk cocoon, after which the caterpillar pupates.

If the pupal stage occurs in cold weather, then development stops and in this state the miner goes to winter; the adult insect will appear only in the spring of next year, when the temperature allows.

Types of miners

Let us give examples of some leafmining moths that are most often found in our gardens and vegetable gardens, and also damage green spaces that are easy for cities of the industrial age.

Chestnut miner

One of the worst representatives among miners. The chestnut leafminer moth spread across Europe relatively recently, but forced it to take exceptional control measures. During a season, this pest is capable of producing three generations of offspring.

Chestnut miner

Tomato

Tomato leafminer spreads on tomatoes and other plants of the nightshade family: potatoes, eggplants, nightshade, and physalis.

Tomato moth

Mining moths appear on tomatoes even in greenhouses. If the infection is not detected in time, you can lose a significant part of the harvest, because the diseased leaf does not fully provide the plant with photosynthetic products.

In addition to nightshade plants, tomato leaf miner can damage pumpkin crops.

Another vegetable pest, the beet leaf miner, parasitizes all types of beets and some salads.

Apple tree

A pest of fruit trees is the apple leaf miner, which also affects pears.

Mining moth on an apple tree leaf

Cherry

Cherry moth is a pest of stone fruit crops. It parasitizes cherries, plums, cherries, and apricots.

Cherry miner

Plant protection

The fight against leafminer moths begins with preventive plant protection. There are many agrotechnical techniques that can be used to reduce the damage caused by these pests to crop plants.

Autumn harvesting of leaves and then placing them in compost.
Selecting plants that are not damaged by leaf miners. Biologists usually cite chestnuts as an example; the small-flowered species is not affected by moths at all, but the leaves of the meat-red species kill the larvae.
Sifting the soil for seedlings and planting holes will help get rid of pupae.
The use of predatory ichneumon insects in greenhouses.
The use of adhesive tapes, to which butterflies can stick during the summer.
Manual collection of affected leaves.
Washing butterflies from leaves under the pressure of a water jet.