The moth is a pest butterfly that lives in the house. It causes significant harm to food and woolen items. It is not enough to exterminate all butterflies, it is also necessary to fight the larvae that they lay. Since one larva is capable of gnawing a hole in a sweater per day, the entire wardrobe will suffer from many of these parasites. Having found them at home, the question arises of how to get rid of them.
What do you need to know about moths?
Before you fight moths with all available means, it is worth considering that this, outwardly completely harmless, butterfly can cause serious damage. But the main danger is not at all the adults flitting around the apartment. Much more trouble is caused by the larvae, which nature has awarded with extreme gluttony. The development of an individual occurs gradually, and small caterpillars that have appeared in a wardrobe can live in it for a long time without hindrance.
The best environment for them is high humidity and warmth. But in the absence of suitable conditions, the larvae easily adapt even to a significant drop in atmospheric temperatures and can go without food for up to a month.
Another distinguishing feature of this annoying pest is persistence. In an effort to get to the "delicacy" fur coat or woolen coat, the insect can easily overcome fabric and polyethylene covers. Accordingly, one should not rely on these methods of protection.
Another type of moth is food, it is fertile. During its life cycle, the butterfly lays about one and a half hundred eggs, from which very voracious caterpillars hatch later. You can find them during the audit on kitchen shelves or in cabinets. It is quite difficult not to notice traces of the appearance of a pest. But there is simply no other method of dealing with moths, except for the complete disposal of the found clutches, in this case.
Why does a mole attack?
In rooms where ventilation is often carried out, and things in closets do not hang on hangers for most of their "life", it is almost impossible to meet insect pests. Their best friends are dirt, dust, high humidity and lack of direct sunlight. Moreover, even if a pale cream-colored butterfly was seen in the premises of a house or apartment, fighting with adults will not give a visible result. The thing is that they have no desire to spoil things made from natural materials. And the main danger is the larvae, which require a significant supply of vitality at the pupation stage.
There is no effective "folk" or "home" remedy for the destruction of winged individuals. They can only be scared away from cabinets and food storage areas using a variety of substances and plants with a pungent aroma. But the larvae can and should be fought by all available means.
What attracts an insect? There are several reasons that greatly increase the chances of encountering this dangerous parasite. Before dealing with moths in an apartment, make sure that:
- Clothes and shoes put in the closet, clean and dry.The fabric that has retained particles of human sweat and skin is a more tasty bait for the pest.
- You follow the rules of seasonal storage of wardrobe items. Fur coats, for example, are stored in special covers, hats - in cardboard boxes, scarves and hats - on special holders, shoes - without insoles.
- All storage areas have adequate ventilation, are located outdoors with a high level of humidity, and are regularly ventilated.
- Containers for storing cereals and other bulk food products have a sealed lid.
- Cleaning is done promptly and thoroughly - grease, dirt, dust attract moths like a magnet, signaling that there is something to profit from in the room.
Fighting moths takes a lot of time and effort. It is not worth adding to the enemy's chances of success by capitulating before he has time to attack. Make sure that your closets are always tidy and that your garments are regularly ventilated and stored in proper conditions. In this case, it will be much easier to defeat the pest.
Calling specialists
If the damage to the apartment by moths is very high, and none of the listed folk remedies for moths help, then it is recommended to seek help from disinsection specialists. Using professional products based on natural aromatic preparations for the treatment of all areas of the house, they are capable of destroying all flying pests from the first time for a sufficiently long period, however, the price of such a procedure will be more expensive than the independent use of various antimolent drugs.
Traditional methods of struggle: aromatic salt, lavender and tangerine
How to deal with moths if you have already noticed the appearance of adult insects in the house? First of all, you should carefully check all the premises of the apartment for the detection of egg clutches. For preventive purposes, it is worth:
- audit cabinets;
- dry feather beds and feather pillows;
- arrange ventilation in all possible insect habitats.
In addition, you should take care of the preparation of repellents that will not allow moths to even get close to clothes in the future. Of course, naphthalene immediately comes to mind, with its aroma quite capable of knocking down not only a flying insect, but also a person. The aroma of this substance until recently was considered almost the only protection against the invasion of gluttonous butterflies. But today the negative impact of the substances it secretes on human health has been proven. That is why, in order to prevent it, it is better to use more gentle measures of influence. To scare off moths will help:
- Plants with a pungent aroma. "Amulets" hung in the cupboards: sprigs of lavender, tansy, geranium, mint, carnations, will not only become a natural deodorant for clothes sent for long-term storage, but also scare away uninvited guests. True, modern individuals here have learned to overcome their natural aversion to pungent odors and can take risks in order to lay eggs in a particularly luxurious fur coat. And the aromatic components do not act at all on the larvae.
- Fragrant soap. It works by analogy with other scarers. Notes of mignonette, lily of the valley, pine needles, citrus are considered especially effective. Among the advantages of this method is the absence of marks on clothes, which are sometimes left by plants.
- Essential oils. Concentrated compounds easily cope with their purpose, scaring away moths within a radius of tens of meters. It is enough to put them on a napkin and send them to the closet. But the items of clothing should not be directly coated with oils - they leave greasy stains that are not very aesthetic and difficult to remove.
- Orange peel. The intense aroma released by the peel of the citrus fruit as it dries serves as a natural deodorant and repels harmful insects.Zest can be used not only in wardrobes, but also in kitchen cabinets, which favorably distinguishes it from all other products.
It is worth considering that in any case, it will not work to fight moths without the use of radical measures of influence. Experts advise:
In the fight against adults, do not forget that the larvae are the main danger. It is they who spoil clothes and carpets, gnaw through home textiles and disguise themselves well in the bowels of cabinets and other pieces of furniture. It will not be possible to do with the "cosmetic" effect. We need drastic measures of influence that can lead to the death of clutches of eggs and larvae at any stage of development. Otherwise, instead of your favorite clothes sent for seasonal storage, only worthless rags, riddled with the mouths of gluttonous pests, will remain in the closet.
Interesting Facts
Contrary to popular belief, moths are called not only domestic pests, but also a couple of thousand species of moths from the order of Lepidoptera.
The famous silkworm is also a moth, domesticated and put in the service of man.
Like many pests, the house moth is widespread on the planet. But in the tropics, she is very uncomfortable.
Only larvae eat clothes and food. Adult butterflies are deprived of the oral apparatus: they receive the entire supply of nutrients “in childhood”.
Means of effective control: what is the mole afraid of
Before you deal with moths in an apartment, it is necessary to identify its habitat. Clothes and linen individuals live in living quarters. Lovers of cereals and cereals - in the kitchen. The choice of an insecticide will depend on this factor in the future. In particular, you can use:
- Aerosol preparations. Dichlorvos and its analogues do an excellent job with flying insects and are poisonous to their larvae. True, pesticides should be sprayed inside the cabinets with precautions. And some time after processing, all clothes will have to be thoroughly ventilated. Sprays are also not suitable for fighting food types of moths. Here it will be much safer to use thermal effects. However, there are also universal drugs - such as "Armol" or "Raptor".
- Sectional elements. They are also called deodorants. Outwardly, they look like pieces of ordinary soap, they are hung and laid out in cabinets in order to prevent and repel insects. Not poisonous to humans and animals. Produced by most major manufacturers.
- Electrofumigators. Like other agents in this spectrum of action, they are effective against flying insects. In this case, moth control will be effective only if the adult insects have not laid eggs.
- Thermal impact. Like other insects, pests of this type are afraid of thermal effects. The premises where the moth settled can be frozen, thus killing the larvae, or treated with a steam generator. Roast cereals in the oven or in a dry frying pan.
It is worth noting that the only effective remedy in the event of a moth invasion are contact pesticides. Unfortunately, there are no other ways to get rid of this dangerous parasite. Accordingly, if the invasion has become rampant, and when the seasonal wardrobe is revised, significant damage is found, it is worth considering using the services of professionals. They will be able to pacify the "over-the-top flying guest" and ensure the total destruction of insects in all rooms of the apartment.
Pest control in the kitchen
Larvae and moths lead different lifestyles. Butterflies flutter in search of a suitable place to lay their eggs. The larvae hide in closets, destroy food supplies. To get rid of the pest, you must:
- Review all food supplies, products. In case of severe infection, they are thrown out together with bags, packages in garbage cans.
- Groats, dried fruits, in which the larvae were not found or found a small amount, are subjected to heat treatment. They are sent to the oven for heating for 5-15 minutes.
- The cabinets are carefully wiped with wet wipes and rags. Table vinegar, ammonia or essential oils are added to the water.
- Food supplies are placed in an airtight container, put in place.
- Special anti-moth preparations, folk remedies are laid out on the shelves.
On a note!
In case of severe infection of the premises, it is recommended to carry out pest control to exterminate butterflies and caterpillars. Effective drugs - sprays, aerosols.
How to get rid of moths in an apartment and house with the help of professionals
For professionals, there is nothing easier than coping with an infestation of insect pests. After fighting moths with "cosmetic" methods, it will be too late, and little aesthetic holes will appear on clothes, even those skeptics who were confident in the miraculous protection of naphthalene, geranium and tansy turn to the services of specialists. Just one call to the number will be the first step towards the successful destruction of harmful insects. The specialist receiving the call will clarify the localization of the threat and suggest effective methods of dealing with moths and other domestic parasites.
How to deal with moths in an apartment is offered by professionals? First of all - to abandon the ideas of herbal medicine. You can win here only with the help of proven insecticides. Moreover, even their experts suggest not to spray locally, wasting time and effort, but to spray in the form of a cloud of water suspension, capable of dropping into the most inaccessible corners of the premises where the larva or adults can live.
This method is applied with the help of technical means called "fog generator". By feeding the insecticide from a pressurized tank, the specialist monitors the treatment process in real time and can ensure the creation of a directed stream of steam to the most dangerous areas from the point of view of insect larvae attack.
The hot fog generator combines the spraying of pesticides with thermal action. This approach makes it possible to guarantee the total destruction of all individuals and provides the longest and most effective protection in the future. However, you can take care of preventive measures in advance by ordering the installation of barrier protection using special chemicals c.
Testimonials
- After a mole started up in our closet, we were forced to throw out most of the fur things, however, even this did not help to cope with the problem. We were advised a great remedy for moths - the Raid fumigator. We turned it on for only a few hours a day, and literally a week later, there were no traces of moths in the whole apartment. - Irina, 30 years old.
- Since we have small children at home, we decided not to use chemicals, however, Mosquitall aerosol did not give an unpleasant odor and turned out to be completely non-toxic. We would have dealt with moths very quickly. - Vladislav, 34 years old.
Prevention measures
Upon completion of the work performed by professionals, the moth will leave your home for a fairly long period of time. And in order to avoid her return, you should remember to follow simple security measures:
- cereals and bulk products should be stored only in hermetically sealed containers;
- fur coats, sheepskin coats and coats must be cleaned before being sent for storage;
- clothes to be washed - process at the highest possible temperatures;
- do not mix clean linen and clothes with dirty ones;
- regularly ventilate cabinets and wardrobe items stored in them.
Observing these simple rules, you can avoid the reappearance of the moth where it was already expelled... If the reason for creating favorable conditions for the reproduction of insects is the increased humidity in the dressing room, it is worth moving the cabinets to where they will be regularly exposed to direct sunlight.
