Sometimes you want to get your once favorite sweater, which is hidden in the back of the closet. But the horror is that from a warm woolen miracle, a favorite thing has turned into an openwork cape. This clothes moth has worked hard on the design. How to avoid this situation and protect your favorite things from a pest using a traditional and proven method for years, we will tell in this article.
How to recognize a pest
A small moth with inconspicuous gray or gray-yellow wings - this is what an insect pest looks like that lives in a house and spoils clothes or furniture. Items made of natural wool or fur, furniture upholstered with natural materials, and shoes with fur are subject to attack.
But the main danger is not the butterfly itself, but small gluttonous caterpillars that can exist completely unnoticed next to a person. Her persistence may well deprive the new angora blouse of less thanper month.
Moths and their larvae are most comfortable in warmth and humidity, although caterpillars can easily adapt to changes in temperature or lack of food for a long time. However, moths are almost impossible to find in well-ventilated areas, or in closets where clothes are often taken out. At the same time, the cleanliness of the premises or the we alth of its owners are completely unimportant. Moths also start in we althy homes if clothes are not properly stored and furniture is not cleaned often enough.
It must be said that moth caterpillars do not feed on fabric and wool. They feed on skin particles and keratin, so the larvae can get into the house even on new things from the store or pet hair.
To find a pest, it is not enough to notice a fluttering moth. The larvae hide in wardrobes and chests of drawers, in crevices and cracks in the upholstery of furniture, in the seams of outerwear. In their quest to get to food, caterpillars gnaw through plastic and canvas bags, so it’s impossible to protect clothes from moths. But there are old proven ways to deal with the pest. And one of them is naphthalene.
How to use moth balls
Naphthalene is a crystalline substance that is obtained from oil and coke. The substance has a strong pungent odor, does not dissolve in water, burns with strong soot. In industry, it is used to make dyes. In everyday life, it can most often be found as a well-known way to deal with moths. A recognized folk and inexpensive remedy is mothballs.
They do not harm adults, caterpillars or larvae, but the strong smell repels insects that cannot lay eggs. Therefore, it is impossible to poison moths with mothballs in the full sense of the word, but you can avoid the appearance of new individuals.
Today they can be purchased not only in the usual form, but also in the form of briquettes or plates. Naphthalene balls can be placed in canvas bags and left on the top shelves of wardrobes, in the pockets of fur coats and coats, or placed in closed boxes with clothes. It is important not to forget about carpets and furniture covered for the winter. Particles of the substance, evaporating from the surface of naphthalene balls, fill the space and do not allow moths to lay eggs. To this day, naphthalene is considered the most effective remedy against moths.
To rid clothes of a strong unpleasant odor, it is recommended to wash clothes in a weak solution of vinegar or dry-clean.
Precautions
Moth balls can be dangerous not only for moths. The substances contained in them include carcinogens, which in high concentration cause allergies, suffocation and even cancer. Therefore, it is impossible to process clothes that are often used with it. Naphthalene is also poisonous, so you need to make sure that it does not fall into the hands of children or be eaten by pets.
And in no case should mothballs be used outdoors, because mothballs, once in the air, quickly scatter and cause harm. Sothe product is best used in closed non-residential premises, or sealed boxes.
Prevention measures
To avoid a re-attack of the pest, you need to follow simple rules:
- Wash clothing at the highest temperature setting and dry thoroughly before storing.
- Ventilate and hang winter items in direct sunlight. Store fur coats and jackets in special cases.
- Store cleaned and, if possible, steamed shoes in airtight boxes.
- Vacuum furniture thoroughly and wipe cabinets from the inside.
Success in pest control is ensured not only by the use of mothballs, but also by an integrated approach, compliance with safety measures and prevention.
