According to observations, it becomes more difficult to get rid of a moth every year. If earlier getting rid of this harmful insect did not require much time and effort, now it is already a real problem. It sounds strange, but over time, these pests become more intelligent and tenacious.
You tried many ways, but didn’t succeed in getting rid of the moth? In this case, the time has come to thoroughly understand the situation and choose the best method of pest control. From this article you will learn how to get rid of moths at home, about what this insect eats, and also about its main types.
Varieties of moths
Before you begin to fight the moth, you need to find out what type of pest you are dealing with. There are many varieties of moths, but only a few of them are found in apartments. This insect can quickly adapt to conditions. That is why it is very common and occurs almost anywhere in the world.
At home, the following types of moths most often start:
- rye
- fur coat;
- cereal;
- wardrobe;
- furniture.
How to get rid of a moth that wound up at home? First you need to understand that the adult moth, called the imago, is harmless. Such an individual does not eat anything. The main damage is caused by the insect larvae themselves, which are quite voracious.
Any mole has several stages of development. The appearance of the insect directly depends on the stage at which it is. Adults include butterflies and moths. They are distinguished by the presence of small wings, as well as a grayish-brown color.
Adult individuals live in places where possible food is present. Their goal is to lay eggs in the most comfortable place and thereby give life to new offspring. In this case, the larvae may appear a few days after the bookmark.
The development of the larva takes about two weeks. It gradually grows, increasing to 1 cm in size. When the last stage of development begins, a cocoon begins to form in the food moth. The chrysalis is in the cocoon for three days, after which the successor of the genus, the moth, appears.
The life cycle of a moth is from one to two months. Two weeks from this period, the insect spends in the form of a butterfly.
Why does a mole appear?
Many people think that moths start at home because of dirt. In fact, this is not so: an insect appears where there is suitable food for it. Given the omnivorousness of the moth, it can be argued that it can find suitable food in a variety of places.
An insect can enter a room with food, fly into a window or an open door. Often moths sneak from neighbors through ventilation. Fur moth can enter the house along with acquired fur products or carpets. It can also be entered in winter shoes with natural fur.
When buying old furniture, there is also a great risk of bringing pests home. Larvae can live in the most closed places, where most of the dust and moisture accumulate. Particularly dangerous furniture with rotten wood. Such an environment will be ideal for breeding moths. Therefore, do not be surprised if after buying an old sofa you have a lot of moths at home. How to get rid of her? The answer is simple: first you need to get rid of decrepit furniture.
By the way, pet owners also need to be on their guard. If your pet has long hair, it can be a great place to live for moth larvae. At the same time, the mole is not harmful to the animal itself. However, it becomes a kind of vehicle for insects, on which they can get into housing.
What does the moth eat?
A mole can do so much harm that no other insect can do. Hats, fur coats and other products from wool can be spoiled by this insect in just a week. Moth larvae quietly gnaw through felt, fur, as well as cotton and synthetics. This is the first and foremost dangerous moth home. How to get rid of it, we will describe in the next section.
Food moth can eat almost any food that is in the house. But she likes to lay eggs on the products most preferable for her. For example, if the moth is fruit, then the first thing she will pay attention to is stocks of dried fruits. Cereal moths can settle in flour or cereals. If there are a lot of larvae, the insect can infect all food stocks.
Various spices, sugar, salt, soda and coffee do not attract moths. Also, this insect will always shun certain medicinal herbs.
Clothing moth, unlike food moth, has a slightly different shade. However, there are no large visual differences between the two species. Such moth prefers to feast on fur products, carpets and woolen threads. In some cases, the insect can begin to eat, including leather products.
How to get rid of a moth
If moths are affected by food, you need to act depending on the degree of harm done. So, with severe lesions, the products should be discarded. If there were few insects in the product, it can be sorted out and then dried in the oven. Drying temperature is 60 degrees.
The cabinet in which the mole lived should be washed in two stages: first with a soap solution, then with plain clean water. To process the grooves and crevices in the cabinet, you can use a 3% vinegar solution.
Ultraviolet radiation can also be a good tool in pest control. For example, you can use a quartz lamp. When irradiated with ultraviolet, the protein in the body of the moth begins to coagulate, which leads to its death.
For the treatment of affected things, it is best to use the familiar "Dichlorvos". Also, the thing can be treated with steam or boiling.
Folk remedies
Medicinal herbs and essential oils can help remove pests from home. So, the moth does not tolerate pungent odors. Therefore, fir or lavender oil can be a good repellent. Also, the insect does not like the smell of cedar wood, table vinegar, garlic, orange peel, kerosene and pepper.
Another effective remedy is Caucasian chamomile powder. Five grams of powder will be enough to process one square meter of space. By the way, if you are looking for a way to get rid of moths with folk remedies and at minimal cost, then using Caucasian chamomile will be the best solution.
No matter how good and affordable folk remedies are, you need to remember that they only scare away pests. Unfortunately, they do not destroy the larvae and eggs of the home moth. How to get rid of it completely? To do this, you will have to use special antimole drugs.
Antimole drugs
Currently, there is a huge amount of funds from moths. They not only allow you to get rid of pests, but also are able to prevent their appearance in the house. Such drugs are in the form of:
- plates;
- sprays;
- briquettes;
- sections;
- aerosol;
- pills.
The most common and cheapest means is a mixture of camphor and naphthalene. For the effective destruction of moths, it must be placed on the very top shelves of cabinets. Thus, its pairs will fall down, which will prevent females from laying eggs. This method has great efficiency.
Also in the fight against moths, you can use the following tools:
- "Trap";
- "Antimol";
- Moskitol;
- "Armol" and others.
The most modern preparations for moths have no specific smell at all. As a rule, they allow you to get rid not only of this insect, but also of carpet beetles and skin-eaters.
Before using any tool, it is important to first read the instructions that are attached to it. It contains information on when it will be possible to ventilate the treated room and what needs to be done to make the use of the product more effective.
Moth sections are a more comfortable solution. These products have a pleasant aroma and provide delicate protection for children's clothing. Before you start using this drug, you first need to remove the protective tape from it, and then place it on top of the cabinet.
Fumigators
Fumigator is a good weapon not only against moths, but also against other harmful insects. Compared to aerosols, it works much slower, but it has some advantages. So, when using a fumigator, there is no need for large labor costs. The likelihood of allergies is also minimized.
The most popular fumigators include:
How to get rid of moths forever with a fumigator? To kill an insect with the help of this tool, tablets with a repellent or insecticide in liquid form are used. Funds are placed in the fumigator, which, in turn, is connected to the electric network. Thus, the repellent is heated and gradually spreads throughout the room. You can completely get rid of pests using this method in a few days.
Mole in the closet
Woolen moth is one of the most common species. It poses the greatest danger to humans, as it multiplies and lives throughout the year. This insect is able to survive even at low temperatures.
As a food source, wool moth uses:
- felt;
- fur;
- wool;
- feathers;
- polyethylene;
- book bindings.
How to get rid of moths in the closet? To permanently destroy pests, you need to follow simple recommendations:
- Remove all clothing from the closet to the street and shake it properly. It is very simple to shake off insect larvae from clothes.
- After that, let the clothes lie in a bright place during the day. In the fresh air and in bright sunlight, the larvae will feel uncomfortable.
- Before you put the clothes back in the closet, they must first be treated with a special anti-grinding preparation.
- It is also recommended to put dry lavender wrapped in gauze in a cupboard. In addition, you can soak cotton swabs with the oil of this plant and also put them next to the furniture.
Kitchen moth
What if a mole is wound up in the kitchen? How to get rid of a pest? This insect can be found in any kitchen, even if perfect purity reigns on it. As mentioned earlier, it can get into the house along with purchased products.
How to get rid of a moth that appears in the kitchen? Follow the recommendations:
- First of all, wash all dishes and cutlery. To clean the utensils, it is recommended to use a soap solution. You should also rinse all the shelves inside the kitchen with a solution of vinegar.
- All cabinets in the kitchen should be disinfected. To do this, you can use a special solution that can be easily prepared independently by dissolving two teaspoons of tea tree oil and one spoon of alcohol in two cups of water.
How to prevent the appearance of moths in the house
To prevent the pest from wound up in the apartment, it is enough to follow a few simple rules:
- All products that were purchased in the store should be checked immediately for larvae.
- Food must be kept in closed and dry containers located in a dry place.
- About two times a month to carry out general cleaning of the room.
- All fur items must be periodically ventilated in the open air.
If you take care of everything in advance and be careful, then the question of how to get rid of moths in the house will not arise. Keep clean and check all the things that fall into your home.
Conclusion
Now you know how to get rid of moths. In the fight against this insect, you can use a variety of methods. It is very important to destroy the pest larvae as quickly as possible, because if they are inactive, their intensive reproduction can turn into serious problems: damage to things, products and furniture.