Hello! A friend told me a story. They left a couple of years ago for the whole family at sea. And they left more than a month.
Had a great time, rested, gained strength. It's time to get home.
A very unpleasant surprise awaited them at home. They got a mole in their apartment. Quite active activity was launched by these moths. During the fight against a moth, a girlfriend used a lot of money. But the victory was won. Want to learn how to deal with moths in an apartment effectively? Now I’ll tell you everything.
The content of the article:
Folk remedies to combat moths
The constant headache of a good housewife is how to protect clothes from moths. To protect your clothes from it, things need to be aired more often and take out to fresh air and to the sun.
Once a year, you need to thoroughly wash and clean the inner walls of the cabinet and chest of drawers. Do not line the shelves with newspapers with residual glue - it is very attracted to moths.
Before spending money on the purchase of various imported anti-moths, pay attention to natural remedies. First of all, these are pieces of dried lemon and orange peel, sprigs of wormwood, geranium, and ledum.
Also used are such folk remedies for moths as nut branches, resinous pine chips, flowers and leaves of St. John's wort. Lay them between clothes and shoes. Put several buds of cloves into the pockets of raincoats, jackets and coats. Cloves will very well protect against moths and woolen things.
But it is worth considering that using these chemicals we will destroy not only the moth, but also pollute our home. I recommend using folk remedies. They may not be so effective, but there will be no harm from them, that's for sure. And this is important in our time.
Moth in the house does not tolerate the smell of ordinary fresh soap. It can also be laid out in a closet or chest of drawers and it will also protect your belongings.
All herbal remedies in the fight against moths must be regularly and periodically replaced with new ones. You can also alternate them and choose for yourself the most suitable and optimal. Folk remedies will help you with this.
You can also use lavender oil. But it must be handled carefully so as not to stain things. We take rags of tissue, moisten in oil and hang them in problem and suspicious places.
If you suspect that a moth has started in your laundry, hang it in the bright sun or dry it in a dryer. It is known that moth eggs and larvae die under the influence of oxygen and light. This technique must always be used.
Insect moth mainly damages those places that are most often contaminated with sweat and fat. That is why such problematic things can be cleaned with pure gasoline or ammonia solution before storage, of course, if this does not damage the product itself.
It is advisable to store clothes and things in boxes, plastic bags, putting some folk remedy for moths along with things. It will not be superfluous if you put gauze bags with the product on the shelves in the cabinets and even in the pockets of the clothes that are stored there.
In the fight against moths, things and clothes before storing, it is necessary to brush all the folds and seams with a brush, and if possible, iron them through a wet cloth moistened with vinegar. Before storing your items in storage, you must wash them and put them clean in a cupboard.
Moth practically does not start in clean things. It's just that not all things and clothes can be washed before storage.
Surely in your house there are various woolen things - clothes, rugs. Before folding wool blankets and blankets for a long period, wash them in a special solution against moths.
With quick and vigorous movements, squeeze the product several times until the dirt is completely removed. Do not rinse, dry in the fresh air. Save the rest of the mixture until next time.
How can you fight moths in an apartment
Moth is an insect that leads mainly nocturnal life, which causes great damage to humans. However, it must be understood that it is not adults that are terrible, but larvae. They are the serious pests.
There are several types of pests that breed in our apartments. The most common moth - fur coat, clothes, carpet, furniture and kitchen, or food. The names themselves speak for themselves. You can not list which of them eats. Our task is to combat the pest in the apartment.
How to destroy the larvae
It is necessary to get all the things (clothes, bedding) and check them. Then shake well. Since the larvae weakly adhere to the surface, they simply fall to the floor.
Moth does not like high and low air temperatures. If this is the summer period, you need to take out damaged things in the sun. The insect does not tolerate direct sunlight, since protein folding occurs in its body. If this is the winter period, then take out, respectively, in the cold.
After airing on the street, it is imperative to wash things at the maximum permissible temperature regime. Hot water helps to destroy both larvae and eggs.
Ultraviolet. An excellent tool in the fight against moths. When a mink coat or any other fur thing suffers, it is naturally not possible to wash it. In this case, quartzing of fur products is perfect. Direct rays kill the larvae within an hour. But the color of a fur coat can fade.
Dry heat treatment with steam. This is a great alternative to quartzing. Take the garment steamer and go. Who does not have a steamer - use a hairdryer.
If this is upholstered furniture, it must be vacuumed, then wipe the surface with a damp cloth. Use hot water with detergent. Treat all damaged items, clothing, furniture, carpets with special aerosols or sprays.
What to use
On the shelves of stores there is a huge arsenal of chemicals for insect control. The principle of action of all pesticides is that after processing things, the larvae eat the fibers and die.
You can put preventive products in the cabinets. Let it be a naphthalene known to all. Or modern drugs in sections, tablets. All of them are saturated with insecticides. These are drugs that destroy harmful insects. You can use the fumigator, which is also based on an insecticide.
It just needs to be plugged in. The effect occurs over a period of 3 days to 2 weeks. But it is not as toxic as when treated with aerosols. The plate, which is heated in the fumigator, begins to evaporate the substance poisoning for the insect. Sometimes plates are replaced with special fluids.
Sticky plates or tapes are used. These are pheromone-based traps. On the shelves of shops you can find this effective means of luring and killing insects.
The action is that the sticky surface of the trap is treated with special means containing pheromones of male insects that strongly attract females, invoking the process of reproduction. Thus, traps contribute to breaking the biological cycle of insects.
Covers are made of porous breathable material, which provides clothing with normal ventilation and pest protection. The fabric of these covers is saturated with active chemicals that prevent moths from entering clothing.
Folk methods of struggle
Concerned housewives, before buying funds from harmful insects in the store, try to use the "grandmother's way", especially if the house has children, pets or allergies. Folk remedies are completely safe and able to completely free the apartment from harmful insects.
The method, of course, is not as fast as pesticides, but it is harmless. Moreover, these funds are much cheaper than toxic drugs in stores.
Fragrant soap or laundry detergent is applicable. This folk remedy is very effectively used both with clothes and with kitchen moths. The main drawback of laundry soap is its unpleasant odor.
Clothes with such a smell are few who are pleased to wear. You can use scented soap, picking up a pleasant aroma for yourself. Pieces of soap can be cut, laid out in cabinets, on shelves and in pockets of clothes.
Lavender is also applicable. This plant has a strong, persistent and pleasant aroma. It does not run out of breath for a very long time. Well repels butterflies and caterpillars. You can use dried lavender flowers or essential oil.
Keep essential oil open in cabinets or cabinets. In no case should they be sprayed on the clothes themselves. Otherwise, a spot may remain that simply cannot be removed. You can spray clothes with a decoction of lavender.
Geranium is also effective.Every second in the apartment, she grows in a pot on the windowsill. But not everyone knows that this plant is an excellent protection against clothes and kitchen moths. It is advisable to have a bush of geraniums in each room. At the same time, do not forget to open and ventilate all cabinets.
Or, for example, everyone knows tobacco. It can be fragrant or simple, it does not matter. After all, both of them are equally effective. The fragrant tobacco is bred in the form of a living houseplant.
If it is possible to grow tobacco in the open ground, then it is cut during the flowering period, bouquets are made and laid out throughout the apartment, including on the shelves of cabinets. In this case, cabinets must be aired more often. Regular or smoking tobacco is used in finished form.
Dry, not necessarily ground leaves, are laid out in cupboards. Just do not sprinkle tobacco with the things themselves. From the smell of tobacco, things turn yellow and become unattractive. It should be placed in perforated bags and laid out inside cabinets.
Other popular remedies
- Mint. Like lavender, it has a strong aroma. The plant is dried and applied by the same analogy as lavender. If the bag of mint has stopped smelling, you need to replace it.
- Cedar. You can use pressed cedar oil, wood sticks or ordinary cedar cones. However, oil is considered the most effective. Open the bottle cover and place the product on any internal surfaces of the cabinet.
- Horse chestnut. Its fruits are picked, dried in the oven and laid out in cupboards. Effective, does not have a strong aroma.
- Tansy. At the end of summer, collect, dry and arrange in cabinets. You can put tansy in bags so as not to litter. It has a very pleasant aroma. Perfectly repels moths.
- Rosemary. This amazing plant is used not only in medical and cosmetic products, but also in the fight against insects. The essential oil of this plant can keep the butterfly in awe for a long time, preventing it from penetrating deep into things in order to lay larvae there.
- Ginseng, thyme, cloves. The principle of operation is the same as that of the above plants, you need to put it in bags and put it in cabinets.
- Essential oils. Such as rosemary, fir, eucalyptus, patchouli, lemongrass and citronella oil. Actively used in the fight against insects. It is necessary to add a few drops of oil to the water and thoroughly rinse the furniture and shelves where the butterfly was found. You can put open bottles with oils in the cabinets.
It is important to understand that all of the above funds do not destroy the mole in the apartment. They can only scare away adult butterflies from cabinets and bedside tables.
How to get rid of a kitchen / food pest
Food moth in the kitchen is a frequent occurrence. Wool does not interest her. But she feasts on food. She really loves spoiled food. What does it feel like to see in a bag, for example, with the decoy of some bugs - panic begins.
If you find a butterfly in the kitchen, do not run after it. An urgent need to audit products and begin processing cabinets. Chemistry will not help you in this matter, since this is not about things, but about food. Rinse all cabinets thoroughly with soda solution.
To process with a vinegar solution all cracks in kitchen furniture. After all, it is in secluded corners that the moth lays eggs. And, of course, you need to use the "grandmother's ways."
- Leaves of laurel. Place the leaves in jars with cereals and on shelves with food. Food moth does not like the smell of bay leaves, so it rarely appears where it is stored.
- Walnut leaves Butterfly does not tolerate this smell, so it will not appear here again. Do not forget to throw out the leaves, replacing them with new ones.
- Allspice peas. Place jars of pepper in the cabinets of the kitchen furniture.
- Garlic.Arrange garlic cloves in cereal containers. This will not affect the taste and smell of the cereal itself, but it will scare away small pests.
- Citrus. You can put crusts in jars with cereals, or just on the shelves.
Prevention
If you managed to get rid of the apartment moth, you must prevent its repeated invasion. Prevention measures will help in this matter:
Check out seasonal items in your closet. They must be clean after washing or after dry cleaning. After washing and drying, shake the clothes well so that the moth eggs unhook from the fibers.
Bulk products must be stored in airtight jars or bags. Periodically check products (cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruits). Infection with larvae can not be noticed, since they are too small, but caterpillars and butterflies can be seen with the naked eye.
Be sure to regularly ventilate the apartment and conduct wet cleaning. At least once or twice a month, clean carpets and upholstery of upholstered furniture with water and disinfectants.
Fur items and woolen items should be wrapped in clean plastic bags or newspapers (the insect does not tolerate the smell of printing ink), and put fur coats in dense paper covers. You can sprinkle with special preparations.
The shoes that you send for storage need to be prepared. To do this, remove the insoles, wash them well and completely dry them. Put tobacco or lavender in the shoes themselves.
Install mosquito nets on windows and ventilation openings so that an uninvited guest cannot enter your home and damage property.
How to deal with moths in an apartment and garden
Getting rid of moths is not as easy as it seems at first glance. There are several reasons for this. Not all insecticides that we see on store shelves are effective against such a tenacious insect.
In addition, in nature there are many types of moths, but there is no universal remedy. Therefore, before buying an insecticide you need to determine what kind of moth you are dealing with.
Consider how to deal with moths in an apartment, what means should be preferred, and how to determine the type of insect.
Who is in the apartment
In the apartment you can find the following types of moths:
- wardrobe;
- fur coat;
- furniture;
- food.
To combat the moth found in the apartment you need to use not one tool, but 2-3. But, first of all, it is necessary to determine what type of pest to fight.
Clothes moth. This insect feeds on natural tissues. Accordingly, you can find it in the closet. The body length of the moth butterfly does not exceed 9 mm; the color is similar to the color of straw.
The larvae of the parasitic butterfly have a white-yellow color and body length not exceeding 10 mm. A larva hides in a cocoon, which twists from improvised means: hairs, down and wool.
Accordingly, it is difficult to make out a 1 cm caterpillar hidden in a wool cocoon. Spools of unknown origin and holes indicate the presence of moth larvae on clothes. A hotbed of moths is most often found in stale things.
Fur moth. Already from the name it is clear that this insect eats fur products. The color of the fur coat is darker than the wardrobe. Body length does not exceed 16 mm. Dark spots are visible on the wings of the insect. An adult is not dangerous for fur products.Like the wardrobe, the fur coat does not have a mouth apparatus.
The caterpillar lives in a case, which makes silk and nutritious material. As they grow older, the larva changes its cover to a new one. The presence of lumps similar to tangled villi indicates the presence of a parasite.
Furniture Moth. This type of parasite feeds on upholstery of upholstered furniture. An adult moth reaches a size of 18-18.5 mm. It looks like a butterfly of wardrobe furniture, but has a darker color with a reddish tint.
The danger is exclusively larvae. The larva of a furniture moth hides in a silk cover, which changes as it grows.
In the enlarged photo you can see the fancy patterns located on the wings of the kitchen moth. Larvae of food moths are white-yellow in color. They do not weave a cocoon around themselves, which distinguishes them from other types of moths.
Methods of struggle
Today there are 4 groups of methods to combat the parasitic butterfly:
- Mechanical. This group of ineffective methods. Insects are destroyed by crushing, or infected things and groceries are thrown out of the house.
- Chemical. This group of methods involves the use of insecticides.
- Biological. Insects do not tolerate high temperatures. Therefore, as an option, we wash things at a temperature of 60-900 C or take them out in the sun. But this group of methods is ineffective.
- Folk. These methods are good for prevention. Unfortunately, it is impossible to destroy an insect with folk methods.
To make moth control effective it is advisable to use several methods at the same time. So, for example, folk methods will be a great addition to chemical ones.
How to choose an insecticide
The fight against moths at home using chemical methods will be effective if you choose the right insecticide. A lot of various preparations are promised to the attention of consumers today, promising that you will get rid of the moth once and for all. However, as practice shows, it is far from always possible to destroy a harmful insect the first time.
Effective moth control involves the use of an insecticide that has a detrimental effect on the type of parasite you are dealing with. Therefore, before buying a pesticide, make sure that you have correctly identified the type of parasitic insect.
Do not use universal means of control. Their effectiveness is lower than that of narrowly targeted funds. This is due to the fact that each species of moth is sensitive to a specific group of insecticides.
Do not buy cheap drugs. They are ineffective. As for pesticides, which have an average price policy, they help to get rid of parasites in 8 cases out of 10. Expensive insecticides are 99% effective. Given that you will have to process the apartment 1-2 times, the purchase of an expensive insecticide is a reasonable investment.
Many insecticides do not destroy larvae and eggs. Pay attention to this when choosing an insecticide. Often, the insect is destroyed by karbofos.
Folk remedies
Many parasitic insects, and moths are no exception, are afraid of pungent odors. Therefore. When dealing with it, you can use dried herbs, which should be laid out in wardrobes and in the kitchen. Lavender and wormwood are especially effective.
Essential oils are no less effective.It is not necessary to process clothes with them. It is enough to put cotton swabs dipped in your favorite oil in the house.
Geranium is another folk remedy against a butterfly ognevka. You can prepare drugs to kill the parasite at home. But not all of them are effective.
Alternative methods do not destroy the moth, but only frighten it away. With a high degree of infection at home, they are ineffective.
Prevention
Moth is not able to independently travel long distances. Therefore, we often bring it home ourselves. If, after some time after processing the house, the moth appeared back, you need to find out where it comes from.
If we are talking about furniture, or as it is also called carpet moth, then it gets into the apartment with new furniture or things. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy used furniture. When making such a purchase, carefully inspect the product for various bugs or larvae. If any, it is better to refuse the purchase.
The shops sell various sections of moths, which are advisable to use as a preventative measure. They can be laid out both in wardrobes and in kitchen cabinets.
Outhouse Pest
Often a harmful insect appears in gardens. Most commonly found are apple, rowan and onion moths. Tomato and bird cherry moths are less common. You can find the parasite on the radish.
To destroy garden moth it is necessary to use insecticides. Other methods are ineffective. Branches with affected kidneys need to be cut and destroyed. Mono for spraying plants use infusions prepared independently.
So, to destroy onion moths use an infusion made from 100 grams of chopped garlic and 4 cups of calendula seeds, filled with 10 liters of boiling water. Insist the composition must be at least 3 hours.
Sometimes an insect damages vegetable stocks stored in a cellar or basement. Processing insecticides in vegetables is undesirable. Therefore, they are treated with products prepared at home.
Most often, lepidocide and planrisa are used to prepare such preparations. These are drugs that kill the parasite and prevent the appearance of fungal diseases.
For animals, the insect is not dangerous. Some mistakenly fleas and lice found on chickens are called chicken moths. However, these are completely different parasites.
If a malicious butterfly is found in the house, you need to start a fight with it. The stores offer a large number of insecticides, the choice of which should take into account a number of features. As for the fight against moths with folk remedies, this is not the most effective group of methods. It is more suitable for prevention than for the destruction of a harmful parasite.
To destroy garden moths, pesticides can be used, and plants can be treated with solutions prepared at home.
How to remove moth at home?
Moth - an insect of the order of butterflies, which has more than a dozen varieties. The ability of an insect to adapt to external conditions is so great that representatives of this family feel quite comfortable both in natural conditions and in rooms.
Homemade food moths usually settle in kitchen cabinets where groceries are stored. Cans, bags and other containers with cereals, flour, pasta and dried fruits - all these are very attractive places for the pest, where it eats and lays offspring.
It is the moth larvae that cause the greatest harm to the household. An adult is dangerous only from the point of view of reproduction, since it can lay up to 150 eggs at a time.
If you find a cluster of larvae or an adult butterfly in your home, you must immediately take a series of actions to prevent its further spread.
There are different types of poisons on sale:
- Tablets on mothballs mixed with camphor. They have a specific smell and can negatively affect the health of people with respiratory problems.
- Sprays, aerosols, which include artificial and natural preparations that repel moths. You can use any remedy for flying insects - mosquitoes, flies. The main disadvantage is that in order to achieve a better result, it is necessary to directly affect the larvae, eggs and adults, which is not always possible.
- Fumigators against mosquitoes. The effect is not achieved faster than on the third day of constant use. The method is effective if it were not for one “but” - the use of an electrofumigant in a closed wardrobe for a long time may be unacceptable both from the point of view of a high concentration of harmful substances and from the side of fire safety.
- Section from the moth. Such antimole agents are by far the most delicate in relation to humans. They emit a pleasant smell of lavender, mandarin or chamomile.
However, their use can only be considered as preventive measures. Destroy pests that have already appeared, they will not help.
Varieties
In order to find the most effective remedy for domestic moths, you need to figure out exactly what kind of this uninvited guest you got. How effective the method of dealing with it will depend on this.
Biologists have counted more than 40 varieties of domestic moths. In our apartments and kitchens, the greatest danger is:
- Furniture (indoor) - a butterfly of a light yellow hue, the strong jaws of the larvae of which easily crack wood and natural fabric upholstery, leaving ugly marks on them.
- Wardrobe - it feeds on woolen products, has a plain, inconspicuous appearance, straw color and small size. Not only makes clothes worthless, but it can also ruin the appearance of a woolen blanket or carpet.
- Fur coat - a nightmare of owners of products from natural fur. Moving along the fur coat, the larvae of this parasite leave behind a path of cut hairs, sometimes reaching the very edge.
- Food (grain or cereal). It is she who flies out of the kitchen cabinets and destroys food supplies.
Grain moth propagation occurs under conditions of elevated ambient temperature (more than + 20 ° C) and humidity not less than 50%. The elimination of these factors can effectively help in the fight against insects.
All of these species got their names from the species of plants that they feed on. Moth is a dangerous agricultural pest, causing significant harm to garden and field crops, and can ruin the entire crop.
Fighting folk remedies
All methods of killing moths at home are based on scaring away adults with sharp, pronounced odors. Often, folk remedies are the only method of struggle.
The composition of insecticides often includes poisons, which, falling on food, can cause poisoning of the human body.
The use of naphthalene, a traditional moth repellent, can also have dangerous consequences due to its carcinogenic properties. Accumulating in clothes, naphthalene particles cause an allergic reaction, especially on children's skin.
What is the parasite afraid of? Tobacco smell - if you have a living, flowering plant, the best way would be to just put the pot in a cupboard.
- If there are dry tobacco leaves, grind them, place them in bags of thin tissue and put them in shelves. For the same purpose, you can use citrus peels, dried lavender, geranium or fir.
- The smell of garlic - crush two heads of garlic, preferably young, pour a small amount of warm water. Let it brew. With this solution, you can spray or wipe the furniture in the kitchen and in the room. Do not flush.
- The cold. Leaving the windows open in the frost for at least 12 hours, you will destroy both larvae and flying insects. Do not forget to open all the cabinets where you noticed the nests. After that, remove dead parasites and wash the furniture walls with a mildly soapy solution.
- High temperature - boil clothes or wash in the machine at the maximum permissible temperature. This will kill eggs and moth larvae not visible to the eye.
Foods infected with moths are best discarded. If this is not possible and the number of larvae noticed is minimal, you need to carefully sort through the cereals, pour a thin layer on a baking sheet and calcine in the oven.
Prevention
This is the best insect control measure. Everyone knows that it is better to prevent the occurrence of a problem than to hardly find ways to solve it later.
Remember some simple rules (Type of moth - Prevention method):
- Damaging crops - Spraying soil with insecticides before planting and using uninfected seed.
- Food - Proper storage of products - sealed containers, tightly closed jars.
- Wardrobe - Ventilation of cabinets, disinfection with a UV lamp and the use of smelling substances inside the cabinet.
- Fur coat - Storage of natural fur products in special refrigerators with a temperature of minus 5 ° C.
- Furniture - Regularly clean the room with a vacuum cleaner. Thoroughly clean all the cracks and folds of upholstered furniture - this is where the larvae most often settle.
If you can’t get rid of the problem at home on your own, the best way is to call the specialists of the service involved in the destruction of harmful insects.
This will save you from the problem not only with domestic moths, but also with such unpleasant "neighbors" as bed bugs, cockroaches and spiders.
Methods of our grandmothers
Ugly butterflies fluttering around the room signal that it is time to decide how to deal with moths in the apartment. Flying insects are not dangerous for things and products. They will die themselves in a few days.
Moth dies from the smell of naphthalene. But it is dangerous to use it in an apartment, since it is a carcinogenic substance that provokes the formation of cancerous tumors. From odors safe for humans:
- vinegar
- tobacco
- orange peels;
- geraniums;
- lavender;
- thyme;
- room nettles;
- lemon balm;
- cedar.
Vinegar usually process furniture. Fur coats are hung on the shoulders of cedar. The remaining sources of smell are laid out in cabinets and on shelves in the kitchen.
Place soap with a pronounced aroma in the cupboard. Holds a smell for a long time and repels moth toilet soap with a strong aroma:
- Strawberry
- Lilac;
- Lavender;
- The Rose.
It can be laid out among linen, put in pockets of outerwear.
Folk traditions of fighting moths for several centuries. After harvesting the grain, it was dried in the sun and screened. Light empty grains, eaten by the larvae of a moth, the wind carried away. Sunlight killed the caterpillars. Vegetables were scattered on the ground, dried and sorted before being sent to the basement.
Since ancient times, after harvesting grain, it was dried in the sun to get rid of moths.
Our grandmothers had a tradition. At Trinity, remove all things from the chests and dry in the yard. Why on this holiday, there are 2 explanations. They didn’t go to Trinity to work in the field, there was time to do the house. At least one day was 3 of them sunny.
The second reason is the beginning of June, the period of active development of moths, egg laying. At this time, control methods were most effective.
First, the clothes were hung on the wrong side, then the sun was exposed to the front. They carried pillows, feather-beds and other bedding into the courtyard. Filmed carpets, paths. Shoes were not left in place, especially boots.
Later they began to use newspapers. Moths don't like the smell of ink. It contains lead. Newspapers shifted shoes, covered shelves in pantries and in the kitchen.
Tobacco was stored in pouches. They were hung on a cord in the pantries and stacked in chests. To get rid of moths and other insects, the hut was fumigated with smoke from a smoldering beam of non-healing.
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