Moths and Moth problems

[Johnny R]

I have killed several moths in the house this month but have not found any evidence of them getting into the uniform bags etc.

Does anyone know if they can get into clothing bags or ever seen that? So far they have been the very tan-grey small ant size moths.

I am sort of paranoid about them, we have had the house since 1959 and never had any problems but am not sure if they generally only infest garments that are in open air or ?

[Ohlau]

we have had the house since 1959 and never had any problems but am not sure if they generally only infest garments that are in open air or ?

To many old clothes at first

More clothes, old clothes = more moths.... More moths need more food. Yes, they can get into bags...even plastic bag.
My advice is check also kitchen (especially containers with candys, chocolate, cakes, wafers, dried mushrooms, dried food...)

Fight with them is very hard....

[juoneen]

A guy said once , do you know what moth balls smell like? Other guy he was talking to says...yes i know what moth balls smell like , why?....first guy retorts with , how'd you get you nose in between its little legs. ???

Ive never seen moths get in any plastic bags that are zip lock freezer bags, but if in a laundry bag when you get clothes pressed...yes. space bags help. but they never hold the vacuume like on TV, although keep bugs out. You also have silverfish, who get into everything regardless of using moth balls crystals even cedar shavings. Id go with plastic bags for small items, and space bags for larger, and make sure trunks, and storage containers have all cracks, and entry ways taped or sealed inside, and out ...anywhere they can get into where you may have wool flags or uniforms made of materials commonly feasted on by cloth eating bugs. .

[Johnny R]

I killed this guy in the area where the tunics are, there is a chance that he got inside but it looks like a clothes moth or? . I bought some new moth damaged tunics in from another collector that may have had eggs, ugggh I will need to spend the week fixing this. I may buy a small freezer and process new ones in that.

Plastic bags and boxes can also damage clothing and discolor but in the end it is less of a risk then having powder.

[Gene T]

Your dead guy does look a bit like the Clothes moth illustrated here (as opposed to the Indian meal moth above it):

http://www.simplepestcontrol.com/moth-control.htm


Maybe there is still time to quarantine the suspect garment and nip the infestation in the bud? Better be safe than sorry?

Whenever I see pictures of collections where an entire room is filled with exposed mannequins kitted out in priceless woolen, I always wonder if the owner was being absolutely immune to fear, or if he had some sort of secret knowledge on how to keep these hungry bugs at bay.


Gene T

[Gaspare]

That moth you killed is a problem,,,take care of it..

- everyone has their own formula,,,here's mine:


You gotta know someone who has a commercial deep freezer.. Get your jackets in there for at least overnight.. then a stocking over your vacuum nozzle and go over the entire jacket throughly..

Clean out the closet where you keep your jackets completely,,seal up any interior holes and cracks.. New fresh garment bags with some cedar shavings in them,,some moth balls in the closet,,and a good fitting door.

[Johnny R]

Hi, I will go through everything. I do not have anything on display openly and would never do that, everything is in tyvek garment bags etc. I suspect it is from one of the new tunics that have been here only for a couple week. They had moth tracking and may still have problems. My wife said we had a bird seed bag this week in the garage that was full of moths and they have got into the house with her killing several, those are meal moths and apparently do not attack fibers. Hopefully it may be one of them.If I find the nest I will post more pictures. Thanks,

[Paul R.]

All good advice... I would deep freeze any possible moth infested wool item for 72 hours. I have seen firsthand those little pest spring to life in 30 hours of freeze time. Be on the safe side of error also eggs can survive 72 hrs.
Gaspare is correct use with a vacuum but use a window screening made of nylon. You want to pull the left over eggs larva etc into the vacuum bag itself. Place over the vacuum hose a 1/2 inch piece of cardboard taped down to cut the vacuum suction down. Some vacuums are fairly strong.
Never use the plain old moth balls peroid. The unseen health risk are to great. Cedar or lavender is a good safe product to use. Once things are sealed check your area often. You never know if one stray is left behind.

Johnny R... good point I’m am amazed to see a lot carefree displays like that, or tunic stuffed into an open closet. To a moth a feast waiting to be consumed. I get a lot of call from collectors who are carefree about storage until it happens to there tunics.

[HERMSDORF]

The Larvas are the Problem because they love Uniforms and Canteen Covers. I prefere Pheromonic Traps to catch the Male Moth. If they have no Sex, the female Moth can´t set eggs into Clothes. Enclosed a Pic I´ve taken of a Moth Egg shortly before bearing the Moth Baby. I killed the Breed

[Paul R.]

The Larvas are the Problem because they love Uniforms and Canteen Covers. I prefere Pheromonic Traps to catch the Male Moth. If they have no Sex, the female Moth can´t set eggs into Clothes. Enclosed a Pic I´ve taken of a Moth Egg shortly before bearing the Moth Baby. I killed the Breed

Wow! Great close up photo.... Nasty little creatures

[Johnny R]

This is another one I found in the Kitchen, I think fortunately these may be "Meal Moths" that came out of a bird seed bag. Note the darker wing tips, it is similar to the first one which I sort of crushed. The new one has diagnostic features. Still not good news but better than the clothes moths.

[besslein]

yes this one is meal ,the problem is in sommer when you have opened windows ,this sh....t fly inside.

[Mr.Jerry D]

I thought it was AGM that recommended the freezing for a few days, then letting out, then back in, as it "tricks" them to hatch and tehn wham 2nd deep freeze.

We are doing some remodeling so i am storing up my tunics and want them safe when we are done!

[ETN]

Here's a trick a friend of mine hangs a bug zapper in his collection room once and awhile to draw the bugs out in addition to the usual precautions.

[Mr.Jerry D]

Ohh and it doubles as a Black Light