Folk remedies for moths at home

In nature, there are several types of domestic moths: grain moths, furniture moths, clothes moths and fur moths. All these insects are capable of causing some damage to products and things. Many are familiar with the classic moth, which lives in closets and feeds on items made of fur and natural fabric. This is a small clay-yellow butterfly, from whose eggs many tiny moth larvae emerge. They are the ones who have a good appetite and pose a danger to things. Protecting fur coats, woolen products and food from moths is the task of every caring housewife. There are different methods of pest control, but the safest are folk remedies for moths. Our article will tell you how to get rid of moths using folk remedies.

Citrus peels

Orange or lemon peels are a traditional folk remedy against moths. Their strong smell is not to the liking of adults. Therefore, in every section of the cabinet where orange peels are laid out, butterflies will not dare to lay eggs. Tangerine peels have a similar effect.

Citrus peels

To obtain the desired effect, the peel of a tangerine or orange must be fresh; it is important to prevent it from drying out or developing mold. Since dry citrus peels do not have a strong aroma, they will not protect against pests. Therefore, they need to be changed regularly.

Important! You can use tangerine or orange peels only for preventive purposes, since they are not capable of getting rid of moth larvae that have already settled in a fur coat.

How is it dangerous?

The damage caused by moths will be an unpleasant surprise for any housewife. The proximity to this small, inconspicuous insect causes holes to appear on clothes. They can be tiny or so large that the item can only be thrown in the trash. It is especially unpleasant when expensive wardrobe items, such as a natural fur coat, winter boots, or a mink hat, are attacked. This is associated with considerable financial losses, which significantly impact the family budget.

In extreme situations, a person in his own apartment may find himself hostage to insects. There are so many moths that they swarm around, land on your face, and get into your mouth and nose. In the evenings, following their nature, they circle around light bulbs and lamps, and at night they prevent sleep more than mosquitoes or flies. At night, the persistent desire of moths to settle on a human face causes especially strong irritation.

Cloves, thyme, rosemary

Cloves, thyme and rosemary
Having placed bags of thyme, rosemary and cloves around the apartment, you will not know what moths are for several months. The fact is that the insect cannot tolerate the spicy smell of these plants. Therefore, in order to get rid of pests forever, it is necessary to replace old aromatic sets with fresh ones from time to time.

Review
My wife is allergic to many insecticides, so we used traditional methods to fight moths. And after its destruction, bags of cloves were placed in cabinets. And the smell is pleasant, and moths do not bother me.
Oleg, Perm

Grandmother's recipes for fighting moths

Orange peels

Moths cannot tolerate the smell of either fresh orange or orange peels. Therefore, in order to scare it away, it is necessary to place 2-3 fresh orange peels in the largest places where the insect accumulates (cabinets, shelves, various cells).

This remedy is popularly considered the most effective, but to obtain the desired effect, citrus peels should be constantly changed, preventing mold from appearing on them and drying out . This remedy is also good for preventing the appearance of moths. Having felt the strong smell of citrus fruits, the moth will not lay eggs in these places.

Lavender

A plant such as lavender has been widely used by people for many centuries to combat moths. But even today lavender does not lose its relevance. Many modern residents give

preference for this particular fragrant plant with small lilac flowers. Lavender has a very strong, pleasant scent that does not fade for a long time and with great success repels both moth caterpillars and adult butterflies.

To spread the aroma throughout the house, place dried lavender in small bags, in which you need to make several small holes. Unused tea bags to place the plant in are also great for this purpose. Once filled, they are placed in closets, in piles between clothes, in drawers, shelves and other places. House moths are unable to tolerate the smell of lavender and will soon leave your home.

Mint

Mint, like lavender, has a strong aromatic effect. Therefore, the methods for using them are similar: dried mint leaves are packaged in small bags and laid out in places where the greatest concentration of moths is observed.

At the same time, to completely get rid of moths, it is necessary to check from time to time whether the smell of the plant has worn out, and, if necessary, replace the old bags with new ones containing fresh dried plants. For greater effectiveness, dry mint leaves can be stuffed into the pockets of fur coats, coats, jackets and jackets made from natural fabrics.

Geranium

To get rid of annoying moths in an apartment, it is not necessary to use active control methods in

in the form of special preparations and disinfectant procedures. For these purposes, there are also passive, but no less effective means. For example, a remedy such as geranium.

Everyone knows the strong, persistent smell of this plant. To repel moths, just place geraniums on the windowsill. The plant must be old enough. If the room is large, then it is recommended to place several pots with this home flower at once - 1 plant for each room. Geranium is especially effective in combating kitchen and clothes moths.

For better results, wardrobes, clothing and kitchen cabinets should be periodically opened for ventilation.

Caucasian chamomile

To get rid of moths, Caucasian chamomile powder is used, which must be scattered throughout the entire area of the apartment - approximately every 1.5 meters. The amount of total powder scattered should not exceed a few grams.

Pepper and tobacco

Moths perceive the smell of black pepper and tobacco very negatively. To repel it, natural dried tobacco (not from cigarettes) and black peppercorns are used.

Take a small amount of tobacco and a few balls of black pepper. Then place this botanical arrangement at the bottom of your wardrobe.

Laundry soap

Laundry soap is an effective and quite affordable means of combating both clothes moths and kitchen moths. Its only drawback is the unpleasant specific smell, which

when left in the closet for a long time, it is transferred to clothes. But, of course, it is much better to have clothes with an odor that can be easily eliminated by washing or airing than with any damage.

The rules for using laundry soap are very simple: place pieces of fresh-smelling soap in your pockets or in kitchen cabinets. This smell is a good repellent for adult insects, and the larvae, sensing it, become less active.

Laundry soap is great for protecting closets and pantries from moths.

Essential oils

Various essential oils are excellent aromatic moth repellents. Lavender oil, fir oil, patchouli oil, citronella oil and lemongrass oil are especially good for use for this purpose. To fill your apartment with an odor unpleasant to moths, simply open glass vials of oils and place them on cabinets and shelves. You can also use cotton swabs soaked in essential oil for these purposes.

But it is important to remember that these substances cannot be sprayed on clothes, since sunflower or palm oils can be used to make them, which will leave stains that are difficult to remove on textiles.

Rosemary, cloves and thyme

The insect also cannot stand the smell of these spicy plants. Place a combination of spices, or each one individually, in small pouches with holes. Then distribute these aromatic sets evenly throughout the apartment, including in the closets. This method will save you from moths for several months. After this, you can simply replace the old spice bags with new ones.

Among the pests of coniferous plants, the most common are sawflies and bark beetles. Gels against insect bites will provide you with gentle and reliable protection against parasites. You will find a description of the most popular and proven means in this article.

Magnetic mosquito net is excellent protection against mosquitoes. This type of mesh is suitable for windows and balconies. You will find other types of “anti-mosquitoes” at https://stopvreditel.ru/parazity/zashhita/setki/na-okna-i-dveri.html link.

Garlic and vinegar

These products, due to their strong unpleasant odor, are the strongest repellents.

domestic insects, including moths. To combat it, simply place garlic in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets, in bedside tables, on shelves, in pantries and in drawers. When cleaning an apartment, vinegar is added to the water for washing the floor.

In addition to the above remedies, other traditional methods of fighting moths are also known among people. For example, the temperature method. After all, moths, like all living beings, cannot tolerate temperatures that are too high or too low. Therefore, to completely exterminate it, sometimes it is enough to simply ventilate the room well with frosty air or wash contaminated items with water whose temperature is above 50 degrees.

Essential oils

Essential oils are an excellent and very effective folk remedy for repelling moths. In addition to the eucalyptus composition, lavender, fir, clove, lemon and rosemary oils are widely used. Insects do not like their fragrant aroma.

Using essential oils for moths is not difficult at all. It is enough to add a few drops of any oil to a container of water and wipe the shelves in the closets, floors, kitchen surfaces and furniture in the room with it. You can also spray the surface of upholstered furniture with this solution.

Important! To enhance the effect, cotton swabs soaked in oil will help, which should be placed in each room.

What not to do

You should not spray alcohol in your closet to eliminate moths. The repellent effect will be insignificant and short-term, but alcohol can ruin clothes.
After washing, suitcases, food storage containers and duffel bags should not be left wet, as they may grow fungus, which, among other things, is a good food for moths and other pests.
There is no need to leave Velcro that attracts moths in the kitchen, especially at night, as they also attract other, smaller insects that will quickly ruin the work surface of the product.

Naphthalene

Naphthalene is truly a folk remedy. Its effect in the fight against moths has been known since the time of our grandmothers. However, the latest research has proven that the drug contains carcinogenic substances that are unsafe for human health. Therefore, naphthalene was not used to kill food moths, since the products are capable of absorbing odors.

They began to use naphthalene against moths only in closets, laying it out on shelves, in bags with woolen items, in the pockets of coats and fur coats.

Why do moths appear in the kitchen?

The food moth or moth is an inconspicuous butterfly with a wingspan of no more than 1cm-1.2cm. The body is covered with down, the eyes are large, the wings are fringed. The coloring of each species is slightly different.

In your kitchen you can find the following types of moths:

Floury. It got its name from its love of settling in and spoiling flour. It has grayish-yellowish wings with brown streaks along the edges. Often lives in mills and flour mills. It may end up in your kitchen in a package with flour.
Potato. This individual with a grayish-dirty coloration climbs into potato tubers and eats them. During the winter period it can spoil seed potatoes well.
Barn. Small in size, pale yellow in color with a reddish tint. Light gray stripes on the wings. A lover of cereals, dried fruits, peas, beans, he does not disdain sugar and tea bags.

Moths appear in the kitchen due to banal unsanitary conditions:

poorly ventilated area;
dirty cabinets, dishes;
cereals, legumes, tea leaves are in open bags, boxes without lids;
groceries are not used for a long time, up to a year or more.

Most often, the insect enters the apartment from contaminated food products brought from outside.

Laundry soap

An excellent folk remedy for moths in the closet is laundry soap. Both clothes and kitchen moths are afraid of its smell. The principle of use is quite simple: you need to place bars of scented soap in the closet between things or products. You can also treat all interior surfaces of furniture cabinets with soapy water.

Review
“To get rid of moths, I used laundry soap on the advice of my mother and reviews from a friend. I treated both the closet, which was favored by insects, and other places where clothes were stored for prevention. Afterwards I left small pieces of soap in the cabinets. Moths don’t bother me anymore!”
Inna, Ryazan

Cinnamon

Edible cinnamon placed in the closet and bags of clothes will help drive away insects. It must be remembered that the smell of cinnamon can cling to clothes longer than other scents, so before using it, it is better to wrap the cinnamon in tissue paper.

After the moth has been completely expelled, everything must be done to prevent its reappearance. Regularly cleaning cabinet interiors with mild soap, vinegar or essential oil sprays to control pests will ensure that moths do not return.

Other folk methods

Other folk remedies can also help in the fight against moths.

Moths cannot stand the smell of cedar. By placing its branches and pieces of wood in your wardrobe, you will save your fur coat from moths. For the same purpose, you can use a folk remedy such as cedar oil.
There will be no insects in the cabinets if you place tampons soaked in camphor in them.
Black pepper is another folk remedy for controlling household pests. It’s enough to put bags of peas on the shelves, and no one will get into your things.

Black pepper, oil and cedar bark

Review
Irina, Moscow: “Traditional methods did not help in the fight against moths. Perhaps the reason is that there was a lot of it. We had to use chemicals."
Irina, Moscow

What to put in the closet against moths for prevention

After general cleaning in the kitchen, when all the groceries are packaged in clean, sealed containers, it’s too early to breathe easy.

To prevent the firefly from becoming a guest in your home again, we recommend using one of the following suggestions:

Citrus peels - lemons, oranges, grapefruits. Moths cannot stand their pungent smell. Just place the crusts in cabinets, periodically replacing them with new ones.
Garlic. Dry the garlic cloves in the oven and grind in a coffee grinder. Pour the resulting powder into a jar and place it in the cupboard with cereals. Fire protection is guaranteed!
Aromatic oils – spruce, fir, cedar, lavender. A dispenser with the aroma oil of one of these plants will repel food moths from your kitchen, and a light pleasant smell will hang in the room.
Tobacco. Killer for moths. Crushed tobacco leaves are poured into a small plate or bowl and placed inside grocery cabinets.
Camphor oil. Simply lubricate the walls of cabinets and shelves with cotton wool moistened with camphor oil.
Soap-perfume, soap-deodorant. Remove the packaging from the soap and place the bars on your kitchen shelves. A pleasant smell for you will cause disgust in the moth and reluctance to settle among the cereals.
Bay leaf, cloves, basil - place open packets of these seasonings in cabinets; a few sprigs can be placed in containers with cereals.

Each of these recipes has worked well in life.

Benefits of folk remedies against moths

Many housewives give preference to folk remedies for protection against moths, resorting to radical methods of control only in extreme cases. And this is correct, since folk remedies do not contain harmful substances, therefore they are safe for human health. This is especially true for families with small children.

The advantages of folk remedies for moth control also include their availability and low cost, which is an important factor in modern life.

Do not forget that folk remedies for fighting moths are best used for preventive purposes. The most optimal option for using them, as well as special sections against moths, is before a winged pest appears in the house. If there is a large concentration of pests, complex treatment using insecticidal preparations for moths such as Antimol is necessary.

How to remove moths from cereals using specialized means

In addition to traditional methods, food moths can be effectively removed using products specifically designed to combat these insects. So, to get rid of pests, special pheromone traps are used. Externally, they look like elongated rounded pyramids with an adhesive surface, having large slits on both sides. At the bottom of this design there is a pheromone bait. Males, sensing a characteristic smell, fly into the trap and stick to it.

Adviсe

At the end of the cold season, before storing a fur coat or hat, they must be cleaned and dried well.
To store fur and wool products, it is better to use special cases in which dried herbs or oil-soaked tampons should be placed.
You should regularly audit your wardrobe. Any insect will feel at ease where it is not disturbed. Therefore, regular inspection and cleaning of cabinets will help prevent the appearance of moths. Each fur or wool product must be carefully inspected for the presence of moth larvae.
Fur items should be shaken regularly to prevent damage. After all, the larvae and eggs of insects adhere to them very weakly, and fall off at the slightest shaking. Therefore, during wearing, things are not exposed to insects. Those that sit on the shelf for a long time suffer more.
Warm blankets, blankets, pillows and carpets must be periodically taken out into the fresh air to dry.
If traces of pest activity are detected, all items in the closet should be heat treated against moths. In winter, they can be laid out in the cold or hung in direct sunlight in summer. Items that are subject to hot processing must be washed and ironed. When washing clothes, you can add a few drops of essential oil and vinegar to the water. Folk or chemical anti-moth remedies will not be superfluous.
To prevent moths from infesting winter boots or boots, they must be dried before storing them. You can put any anti-moth remedy inside (a sprig of tansy or lavender, a tampon soaked in essential oil, or tobacco).
To prevent kitchen moths from infesting the house, all bulk products brought home must be stored in glass jars or tightly closed containers.
Regular cleaning and ventilation of the premises are the key to a clean, pest-free home.

Knowledge of folk remedies and the rules for their use will help prevent the appearance of moths in your apartment.

Where do food moths come from in the house?

Contrary to popular belief, food moths do not appear in an apartment due to a violation of the shelf life of food. These cereal pests get into cereals, dried fruits, flour and cereal products even before the food reaches store shelves. If the products are carelessly packaged and not carefully processed, adult insects climb inside and lay eggs there. Moths often enter a house through windows or ventilation, after which they find the most favorable environment for reproduction, easily gnawing through cardboard and paper packaging.

It is often possible to determine whether a product is affected by food moths visually. As a rule, such products are covered with a thin cobweb; they contain small, the size of a grain of rice, yellowish larvae. They represent the main danger to human health. When eating cereals and other bulk products, the larvae leave their excrement and shell fragments in the food during molting, which, if accidentally consumed, can cause poisoning of the body. Mature food moths do not eat anything and consume only water, but they lay a large number of eggs, from which more and more new caterpillars hatch.

It is not easy to completely remove these pests from an apartment, but it is possible if you take an integrated approach aimed at simultaneously destroying larvae and adult insects.

If you find moth-affected products in your kitchen, you should follow these recommendations:

All bulk products must be subjected to heat treatment by calcining them on the stove or in the oven at a temperature of 60 - 65 ° C. Alternatively, you can place the affected food in the freezer for 2 to 3 days. Temperature readings should not exceed -10 °C.
Groceries containing cobwebs should be immediately thrown away or burned.
All kitchen surfaces should be vacuumed, not ignoring dark corners, ceiling joints and chandeliers.
It is advisable to thoroughly wash food storage containers with a solution of laundry soap and treat them with vinegar, and then dry them.

Such measures will help remove most of the larvae from the house. The next step is to reduce the number of adults. This is done by chemically treating the room or using various folk remedies.

Reasons for the appearance and spread of moths

There are many ways to bring moths into the house. A small, inconspicuous butterfly flies into the light through an open window or balcony door, but this rarely happens.

More often, moths enter a home in the following ways:

through used or new furniture that has been lying in a warehouse for a long time;
after purchasing food products in unsealed packaging that were stored in violation of conditions or terms;
when buying clothes from private advertisements, in second-hand stores, pawn shops, and even in stores;
through donated items;
using the ventilation hole, through the front door if it is insulated with felt.

Moths don't come out of nowhere. If butterflies appear, it means the owners themselves brought things, food, furniture into the house that were already infested with larvae, or the insects entered from the street, from neighbors. The risk of food moths entering the apartments of residents increases if grocery stores or catering establishments are located on the first floors of apartment buildings.

Sometimes dogs bring butterflies into the home. Insects use animal fur as temporary shelter. The larvae prefer old, worn things, but they also feed on new items.

Mint

Melissa and mint have similar characteristics. To prepare the protection, containers and bags filled with mint are used. The bags are placed in places where the maximum number of pests accumulate. As soon as the herb becomes less fragrant, it is replaced. Plants such as marigolds, fir or spruce branches, chestnut, as well as wormwood and decorative chamomile have similar parameters and properties. Using a chestnut or walnut you can easily get rid of grain, clothes or bee moths.

Lavender

To combat moths at home, use a plant such as lavender. The plant emits a rich aroma that is persistent. Therefore, in those places where this plant is present, there are no adults, eggs, or larvae. For protection, both pre-dried vegetation and high-quality lavender essential oil are used. The effectiveness of this folk method of struggle depends on the correct preparation and distribution throughout the room.

Review of the best products on the market

Among aerosols, the following brands are most often purchased:

"Armol". Used to destroy moths on outerwear (fur coats, coats), carpets, curtains, upholstered furniture with natural upholstery. Has a lavender scent. “Armol Expert odorless” is used to treat public places or for allergies. Analogues are Mosquitall “Moth Protection” and “Extramit”.
“Raptor Moth Protection.” Particularly effective in the fight against clothes moths. If the item is not washed after treatment, the insecticidal effect will persist for a year. After washing, the treatment must be repeated.
"Clean house". At the same time effective and economical. A 150 ml bottle is enough for double treatment of a standard one-room apartment. Has a herbal aroma.
“Difox.” Does not leave stains or streaks on the treated surface. Does not affect larvae, therefore requires twice application.
"Tornado". Protects the house from moths for 6 months. Has a pleasant smell.

The most effective fumigators are:

"DiK-3". Compact body and low power consumption of 4.5 W are the main advantages of this device. Compatible with liquid and universal action plates.
Mosquitall. It is an analogue of “DiK-3”, destroys moths in a room of 30 square meters. m.
Raid. Effectively fights moths, but is more expensive.