Dealing With Moths in Your House? Here’s Exactly How To Get Rid of Them
Are you dealing with a moth problem in your house? If so, you’re not alone. Moths are amongst some of the most common household pests, including termites, cockroaches and rats. There are different variations of moths that infest homes. Some love to feast on cotton, wool, fur and other silk fabrics. Others choose grains and processed food products as their breeding ground, instead. No matter what type of unwelcome moth has made itself at home, there are many different steps you can take—here's exactly how to get rid of moths.
If you sense that you have an in-house moth infestation, don’t hesitate to take action. There are few things more stressful and frightening than coming home to a closet or pantry full of moths and wondering how to get rid of them. Undoubtedly, those busy, winged creatures can consume everything in no time, turn your most coveted outfits into their breeding ground and make your home life a pesty struggle faster than you can spell “moth.”
Between home remedies, popular moth repellents and calling in the big-league professionals to help with your problem as a last resort, we’ve listed out several things you can do to get rid of moths in your house.
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How To Get Rid of Moths: 7 Steps
1. Find the Trouble Areas
Before you can begin taking action to clear the moths from your house, it's essential to find the trouble areas. You've noticed moths, but where are they coming from? This can give you a good idea of what type of moth has infested your home, thus helping guide your course of action. Look for larval casings and dead moths nearby to unveil the source. These clues will lead you to the trouble areas.
2. Deep Clean the Areas and Items
Get out your cleaning gloves and disinfectants! Once you've uncovered the source(s) of your moth infestation, it's time to deep clean. If it's a case of pantry moths, start by removing and tossing all infested items. Then, you'll need to clean the pantry with a deep scrub and vacuum.
If the moths are in your closet, it's a bit more tedious. Assess your clothing to see what's been infested. If anything is damaged beyond repair, throw it out. We have further steps below for what to do with your clothing. Once your clothing items have been removed from the closet, you will similarly need to vacuum, scrub and steam clean the surfaces.
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3. Wash or Dry Clean Clothes
For anyone fighting closet moths, it's imperative that you wash or dry clean your clothes that have not been damaged. If you have any particularly expensive items, it's worth it to get them dry-cleaned. You can wash other clothes on a hot cycle.
If you have anything that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned, there is also the freezing method. With the freezing method, put your items in sealed, air-free plastic bags and freeze them for 72 hours. Take them out, allow them to return to room temperature and repeat the method until the issue has been resolved.
4. Seal Seasonal and Formal Clothing
Once someone goes through a situation like a moth infestation, it’s not something they ever want to deal with again. The good news is that you can take preventable measures to better preserve and care for your clothes.
To protect items made of wool or fur, seal them in a plastic storage bin or a compression storage bag. Formal dresses or suits should be sealed in closed garment bags as well.
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5. Use Moth Repellents and Traps
Tons of people every year face in-home moth infestations and have to figure out how to get rid of moths. Fortunately, that means there are a lot of moth-repellent products and at-home remedies out there. For more natural deterrents, fill your home with scents of cedar and lavender. There are various products on the market to utilize depending on your problem: sticky traps, mothballs and sprays, to name a few.
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Enoz Para Moth Balls, Kills Clothes Moths and Carpet Beetles, No Clinging Odor, 4 Oz (Pack of 6)
Enoz Moth Crystals 1 Lb.
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6. Call Pest Control
If the problem seems to persist beyond your doing, consider calling a pest control service to come out and help. It can be an investment, but it's well worth it if you're having trouble getting rid of the moths. You may even consider calling a pest control service to come check out your trouble areas once you've cleared them out, to fully ensure you haven't missed anything.
7. Vacuum and Clean Regularly
In order to prevent future moth infestations, be mindful to deep clean around your home regularly. It may seem obvious, but doing so will go a long way. Vacuum around the entire house once or twice a month. Scrub surfaces and walls to rid them of dust, crumbs and other materials that may attract pesky moths.
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