Blimmin' Clothes Moths.. how soon to do a 2nd moth bomb? (and a toxicity question)

492800

This is war! And I want to win.

We finally did a moth bombing at the weekend, how soon should I do a 2nd moth bomb to maximise the effect?

Also, my partner really hates the idea of the bombs and chemicals (it took quite a big argument discussion to even be allowed to do a moth bomb). How toxic are they after a half day after being set off? does the fumes denature and not leave a toxic residue? Or should we scrub all the surfaces down afterwards?

I do have some of the Formula C Spray, again, how toxic is this to us humans as, again, my partner doesn't like the sound of it.
Whereas I'm like, f*ck it, I want to kill the buggers, but I do have to be sympathetic to his needs.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Brie

Put everything in the freezer.  That will kill what's in the clothing completely chemical free.  I believe you need to leave it at least 24 hours to really do the job but I'd give it longer if possible.  

"Bomb" the furniture that is has been storing the clothing if necessary. 

Obviously you'll need to find a place to keep the clothing after taking it out of the cupboard/wardrobe/whatever and while you put each bit in the freezer (assuming you don't have a large chest freezer that can take it all in one go) and then while you wait to ensure the wardrobe is clear.  Maybe put one bit of the frozen stuff back in and see if anything crawls out and says hello.  

Ganga

You can also buy odourless mothballs .

twopenny

I've got some little things that hang on the wardrobe rail I got from a cheapie diy shop. No strong smell. Long finished I top them up with essential oils. 
Lavender, cedarwood work well. That's what lavender bags were used for and cedarwood wooden balls.

I wipe the inside of wooden furniture, drawers and such with the oils on a cloth. Not too much.
Steam cleaning can work but it's a pfaff.

Prevention is the key and I've lots of woolly jumpers. It's not the moths but the larvae that nibble. The next 2 months are the time to deal with them then stop them coming back

Emmia

We've had great success with the sticky traps tucked behind sofas or beds, it's astonishing how many they catch (but it's not an instant solution).

stripling

Emmia said:

We've had great success with the sticky traps tucked behind sofas or beds, it's astonishing how many they catch (but it's not an instant solution).

Moth traps are excellent but they are not designed to 'solve' the problem they are designed for monitoring purposes. Moth killing requires a multi system approach - wardrobe scrubbing then C Spray in all corners/joints, cloths hangar moth killers (proper ones not cedar or whatever) and moth traps for monitoring near wardrobes and other locations. They lurk in tiny places.

Clothes moths in clothes can be killed by freezing or dry cleaning clothes, but carpet moths sometimes need the carpet dumping and skirting boards sprayed. Bombs reduce but don't solve and yes, they're pretty horrible in the atmosphere.

It's a war of attrition and you need to keep it up for several seasons to win. This is why moth traps are so good. They tell you when you are winning. 

MoonChild91

I had this last autumn when I got my winter clothes out of storage and it was horrible, so I really feel for you. Here's what worked for me - it seems a lot, but you have to be thorough or they come back!

- Freeze all woolens, silks, linens etc that could provide food for moths. 48 hours will do it, but you might want to leave it longer to be safe. For large items like coats, get them dry cleaned.

- Once frozen or cleaned, individually bag items for storage; if space is an issue try putting one wool jumper in with 2 acrylic etc (that way if one thing is infected it can't spread to others). Make sure these are airtight and moth proof - Lakeland do some v good zippable storage bags I can recommend and I use garment bags from Total Wardrobe Care which have velcro around the hanger that have also been good. I put items in these, and then in an airtight plastic storage box with a moth repellent sachet. 

- Wipe your wardrobe/closet down with a moth killing formula, including all the cracks that eggs could be hiding in. If your carpets are wool, make sure you're hoovering super regularly and thoroughly. 

- Get some moth traps and repellent and place these where you think there might be activity; at the very least these will let you know if you've still got an ongoing issue and hopefully do away with any newcomers. 

- Periodically move things about in your wardrobe and check for further signs of damage so you can jump back on it as soon as it starts. 

- Make sure you're only keeping clean clothes in your wardrobe, and keep your laundry basket away from it (moths love sweat and dead skin)

Fingers crossed I haven't had any issues since I've started doing this, but I am meticulous now about storing clothes I'm not wearing - I have a lot of vintage items which got damaged the first time round and I'm determined not to have it happen again!

techphobe

The above post is very comprehensive and good advice. I have removed or bagged up with all clothing made up of fibres the larvae would eat to starve them. I then thoroughly  cleaned the wardrobe and drawers and sprayed inside.  I use only Acana products. 

I also have sticky traps in the wardrobe and open the wardrobe doors as much as possible as the moths hate light. I think the traps only attract the males. Finally I have noticed that the moths like to hang out on the cornicing near the ceiling when hatched so EVERY time I see one I vacuum it up.

So far this spring the sticky in my wardrobe has caught 5 moths and I have vacuumed about 15 so they are definitely getting active again now it’s warmer. They do seem to be smaller in general than last year so hopefully the larvae are now unable to find much food. I am hopeful that I can get rid of them eventually. Do people think my moth numbers seem bad enough that I should do a bomb?

short_bird

Don't forget to clean your vacuum on a regular basis, especially during breeding season...   

4SeasonsInOneDay

Moth bombs are really easy, effective and don't leave any smell or residue. So much more efficient and effective than anything else. Open wardrobes so they treat all clothes. The instructions say that if a repeat or two is needed then 5-7 day intervals are best.