How to get rid of moths naturally

These pests are attracted to a variety of household items, which they may use as a food source or a place to lay eggs. Pantry moths, such as the Indian meal moth, eat dry goods, including grains, nuts, flours, spices, and chocolate. Clothes moths infest items like clothing and upholstery made of animal-based materials.

Fill sachets with dried lavender, or dip cotton balls in lavender essential oil. Then, place them in your closets, drawers, and boxes of off-season clothes. Lavender smells great to us, but it’s highly repellent to moths and other insects.

DIY Moth Repellant Spray

Fill it with water, then add a few drops of liquid soap. Shake well, and spray your solution directly on the moths. Another simple solution is to mix white vinegar with equal amounts of water to create a pesticide spray that is effective against moths.

Best Overall: Household Essentials Cedar Closet Variety Pack

Cedar is well-known to be an effective moth repellent, and the CedarFresh Value Pack from Household Essentials is our top overall choice.

Pantry goods attract moth species that lay their eggs in stored grains and processed products. These pests often come into homes inside infested food packages. Once inside, their eggs hatch into larvae that eat grains, dried nuts, cereals, and a variety of processed products.

Line storage containers, closet shelves, and dresser drawers with mothballs or small drawstring bags full of moth–repellent dried herbs, such as rosemary, lavender, or thyme. Replace wood closet furnishings with cedar equivalents, since the natural oils of cedar are powerful enough to eliminate moth larvae.

Protect yourself from future infestations

Place suits, dresses, or other hanging clothes in garment bags, sealed and without holes (tape over any seams or joints). Avoid fabric containers, which moths can eat through. Airtight storage isn’t the only solution, though.

Female moths lay eggs on fabric. They particularly like clothing with stains, sweat or urine that larvae can use to get the vitamins they need. Outdoors, female moths lay eggs on fruit trees, and the larvae make a meal out of your trees’ leaves and fruit.

The first thing most people notice is the damage caused to clothes, fabrics or carpets but there are other indicators of a moth infestation: Small maggot like larvae (moth caterpillars) Silken tubes or ‘cases’ in which the moth larvae live. Pupae (silk cocoons) from which larvae eventually emerge as adult moths.

Some adult moths live only for a week. Others can live for up to 10 months or up to a whole year. Female moths die after laying their fertilized eggs, while males tend to perish soon after mating.

In most cases, clothes moths are introduced into bedrooms by people who bring in contaminated items. It’s also possible that the clothes moths simply flying in from the surrounding area.

Identifying Clothes Moths & Carpet Moths With Images

Look for 1/2-inch long buff-colored moths with narrow wings that have hairs along the edges. These are adult clothes moths. The adults do not eat fabric, but their presence means that eggs will be laid that will produce fabric-eating larvae.

Where do moths come from? Most flying insects tend to be drawn towards light, but clothes moths actually prefer to hide away in dark, undisturbed areas – such as wardrobes, cupboards and boxes.

Pantry Moths

These moths include several different species like the Indian meal moth and brown house moth. You’ll find them mostly in your kitchen pantry where you store grains and dry goods, like cereals, crackers and rice. They are also known to eat nuts, spices, and even chocolate.

Always clean clothes before putting them back in your wardrobe. Clean and wash down affected furniture – wardrobes, cupboards and drawers, especially breaks & crevices where moth eggs can be hidden out of sight. Clean suitcases – bags, storage boxes & containers as these might be hiding more eggs or larvae.

Adult moths may be eaten by birds or captured by harvestmen spiders, while moth caterpillars are also a common target of insect-eating bird and spider species. Moth pupae are often eaten by beetles and shrews, and parasitic wasps (parasitoids) attack moths at all stages of their life cycle.

Use bay leaves as a deterrent.

Pantry moths and some other household pests do not like the scent of bay leaves. Scatter fresh or dry leaves on your shelves to deter them. You can also add a few drops of bay leaf essential oil (Laurel Nobilis) to homemade cleaners.

Phantom Aerosol, Microcare Aerosol or Alpine PT Aerosol may be used as a break and crevice treatment in the corners, and breaks and crevices of the pantry and cupboards to kill the adult moths and prevent further infestations.