The larvae of a home moth can cause a lot of trouble. The main food source of these pests are horn components. These include, inter alia, woolen, knitwear and natural fur. The appearance of a moth usually puts the hostesses in a state of panic. However, it is enough to know just a few simple secrets, and you can easily save your things from destruction. To get rid of the pest, it is necessary to use both special synthetic products and alternative methods. After you remove the moth from the house, you should not forget about preventive measures. They are extremely important.
Appearance
If you notice moths in your home, this is a very alarming sign. Pests can develop quietly while maintaining a constant microclimate and the availability of food. One clutch counts from 100 eggs, so you can easily imagine the scale of the disaster. It is for this reason that housewives are usually interested in the following questions: what does the larva of a home moth look like? How to get rid of it? Let's try to figure it out.
Recognizing the moth larvae is quite simple. They look more like off-white caterpillars. Sometimes their body may have a yellowish tint. Insects have small legs. The head of the larva is darker compared to the whole body. If you look at it through a microscope, you can find powerful jaws. Insects grow pretty fast. Their length can be from 3 to 7 mm. They are extremely undesirable to move to new areas in search of food. Their favorite habitats are natural fur, woolen carpets, knitwear and natural fabrics. Moth does not like synthetics. Since the larvae require a lot of food for development and growth, they gnaw through holes. Usually the youngest individuals move. On a small area, there can be a huge number of eggs and also 5-6 larvae.
Damage
Larvae of home moths can make your favorite clothes unusable. It will be impossible to restore it. A characteristic feature of this pest is the presence of a special cover. Its larva creates from the remains of damaged material and its own secretions. With this protective cocoon, the larva can move along woolen threads and nap.
A simple way to deal with pest
So what is worth knowing about him? Sometimes a moth larva can also be found in furniture. How to get rid of this pest in the sofa? A furniture moth can make a real nest out of the remnants of upholstery and products of its vital activity. For this reason, one of the common methods of control and prevention is ultraviolet treatment. After all, growing larvae prefer secluded dark places and very rarely come into the light. To get rid of them, just put things, fur coats, hats, carpets or furniture in the sun. To prevent the appearance of moths, experienced housewives recommend putting out furnishings on a sunny, hot day outside. At temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, the cocoons of moth die, and the eggs stop developing. The larva fully develops in 90 days. If you lower the ambient temperature to 13 degrees, its growth period will increase to 190 days.
Food moth
One of the most unpleasant pests is food moth. Due to the presence of nutrients, it grows quite quickly. For all the time of development there are four molt. If the hostess rarely disturbs pests, they can feel at ease. Almost everything attracts them - from dust to stale furs. What to do if you find at home the larvae of moths? How to get rid of a pest? Further on, a small overview of effective folk methods and special means for combating various species will be presented.
Varieties of moths
Several types of moths can live in a person’s house. Each of them is adapted to life in certain conditions. Many are interested in what the larva of a moth of a house represents? What a pest looks like, not everyone knows. Here, everything largely depends on the type of pest. You can find masonry in a closet with clothes, inside a hat, in furniture upholstery, in bags with cereal or flour.
The main types of moths today include:
- fur coat;
- Woolen
- cereal;
- furniture;
- rye
- cabbage.
The latter variety is considered the largest. Domestic moth is smaller. The color of the wings also depends on the species. The fur and wool moths have light wings and have a yellowish tint. The cereal is darker. She has wings of a brownish-gray hue.
How to get rid?
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Even one small moth larva can cause great damage. How to deal with it? Getting rid of clothes is much harder than getting rid of food moths. This is due to the fact that it is small and very active.
The first thing a hostess should do when she finds masonry moths is to review her principles of housekeeping. How did a pest get into your apartment? One of the most common ways is from the porch or through open windows. However, not in all cases, the moth immediately begins to multiply actively. If the apartment does not have favorable conditions for a measured life of domestic pests, then you are not afraid of the invasion of a moth.
The main reasons for the appearance
They should be given special attention.
Here is a list of the most common mistakes that contribute to the spread of moths in the home:
- The hostess stores things in uncleaned form. If sweat stains remain on the clothing, it may attract moths.
- Storage of fur products in cellophane cases.
- The apartment has long been stocks of cereals and flour. Most often, food moth starts in caked semolina, flour or millet.
- Clutter in cupboards: if things are folded for a long time and do not shift, moths can get into them.
- Inattention when inspecting clothing.
- Reluctance to exert minimal effort to prevent the appearance of moths. From pests, orange peels and dry branches of wormwood and lavender, just laid out on shelves, help well.
How to get rid of a woolen pest?
What to do if you find larvae of moths in your winter clothes? Methods of struggle can be both modern and traditional. The main thing is that they effectively exterminate all individuals. Even a few eggs stored in folds or seams can lead to the emergence of a new population of pests.
The use of chemical compounds
If you find a sufficiently large accumulation of moth larvae at home, then folk methods of struggle may not be enough. For this reason, experts recommend using synthetic agents to treat infected areas. The main thing is to take into account that non-adults do the main harm. First of all, it is necessary to fight with the voracious larvae of the moth.
Remember that toxic aerosols and sprays should never be used in the kitchen. This can lead to poisoning of the entire family. Throw away spoiled cereals and flour without sparing. Products damaged by moths cannot be used as food. What to do in the kitchen where the moth larva was discovered? How to get rid of a pest? First of all, it is necessary to conduct a thorough cleaning using a soap-soda solution. Such a simple composition disinfects well.
Effective remedies
There are plenty to choose from today.
The following compounds are good at killing moles:
- "Armol";
- "Clean house";
- Raptor
- "Dichlorvos Neo";
- "Tornado";
- Extra Mit.
Moth-affected areas should only be treated with a respirator, glasses and long-sleeved clothing. After processing the premises with toxic substances, an unpleasant chemical smell will remain for some time. Some modern tools do not have this drawback. The room will be fully ventilated a couple of days later. To destroy the moth larvae, it is enough to carry out one or two treatments. Protection after using the product will remain for 6 months.
Folk ways
To combat moths, it is not necessary to use hazardous chemicals. It is quite possible to get by with proven folk remedies. They are quite affordable and give a good effect.
Popular folk remedies include:
- dried peels of orange and mandarin;
- tobacco leaves;
- peppermint and lavender essential oils;
- sachets of lavender, wormwood;
- coniferous elixir;
- cedar bark;
- leaves and flowers of geranium.
Adults and larvae of moths cannot tolerate harsh aromas. In the absence of butterflies, reproduction ceases.
How else can you get rid of moths? Experienced housewives recommend such simple methods as frying and freezing things. The principle of action in this case is that the mole, together with things, is transferred to conditions unsuitable for its existence. Insects simply die when exposed to too high or too low temperatures.
Prevention
Often, the larvae of a home moth appear even in sufficiently attentive hostesses. What needs to be done to never face this unpleasant problem? Try to ventilate in the apartment as often as possible. For storage, items should only be washed and ironed. Whenever possible, try to take out fur and knitwear at least once a year in the sun or frost. In no case do not store knitted scarves, suits and sweaters in bags. Valuable furs are best treated with special compounds that prevent the appearance of moth larvae. In the closet, you can put sachets of tansy, wormwood or lavender.
A simple and convenient method is to use dry orange peels. Antimol tablets also give a good effect. You can still put small pieces of cloth in the cupboard soaked in essential oils of peppermint, eucalyptus or tea tree. Such pungent odors scare off insects. To prevent the occurrence of food moths, try to regularly sort out cereals. Also, do not pre-buy a large supply of flour and cereals. When choosing a product, check its quality. Glued particles and lumps inside the package may indicate damage by food moth. Try to maintain order in the apartment. Wipe the shelves in the kitchen cabinets regularly and keep dust out.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined in the photo what the moth larva looks like, the main ways to deal with it. To protect your things from this unpleasant problem, it is enough to follow a number of simple recommendations.