How to get rid of moths in an apartment using folk remedies. Do-it-yourself pest control guides and product reviews. Folk remedies and recipes

Have you once again opened your winter clothes before the start of the season and discovered several holes in your favorite sweater? This means that the moth, or rather its larvae, is to blame for this unpleasant incident. After all, an adult does not eat organic products. But it can lay larvae in huge quantities. They eat everything around. Don't think that moths are only bad for your wardrobe. This nasty insect can take up residence in your kitchen and pantry, slowly but surely devouring your food supplies. Today we’ll talk about moths in an apartment - how and why they appear, what they are like, how to fight them using professional and home methods, and also learn about ways to protect your home from this insect.

Types of moths

There are several groups of moths, which differ depending on their taste preferences. The largest group is the kitchen moth, which can often be found in food supplies. The fruit type prefers dried fruits and tea, the flour type loves flour and can penetrate even closed containers. The potato moth settles directly in the potato tuber and feeds on its pulp. The grain affects the cereal partially or completely. If you open a container with cereal, the remains of the moth’s vital activity will be immediately visible - holes in the grains, fine dust, insect excrement, discarded skins. There is also a granary moth that loves to eat various nuts. These are the main groups of insects that feed on food.

Except different types Kitchen moths also include clothes moths, which feed on natural wool. This could be sweaters, outerwear lining, upholstery, curtains, carpets. Moths can also eat pet fur. In some cases, moths also spoil simple textiles if they are soaked in urine, sweat, or other organic secretions. Most often, moths lay larvae in the folds of clothing, in the gaps of carpets under the sofa, that is, in secluded places. As noted, the female can lay larvae, which need wool nutrition. The offspring of one individual can eat up to 10 kilograms of wool.

Another moth is the fur moth. The damage from her actions is especially sensitive because natural fur and products made from it cost a lot. In addition to fur, this insect feeds on felt, felt, natural feathers, down, etc. Fur moths can even eat the end of your pet's tail. Moths can also be furniture moths - their preferences are very strange. This moth eats upholstery, both natural and synthetic. Such moths settle in secluded places, gaps in wood, behind the upholstery lining. In some cases, furniture moths even attack the wood itself, creating hollow passages in it. But the carpet moth is considered the most difficult and resistant to remove - it is not sensitive to mothballs, lays eggs deep inside the fibers, and it is almost impossible to find them.

Knowing about the types of moths and their places of residence, it is possible to eliminate these insects more efficiently. What to do if a moth is found in the house?

What to do if moths appear in the apartment

To evict an unexpected guest and prevent his return visit, you need to act comprehensively.

1. If you find some type of moth in your apartment, inspect other parts of the home. The fact is that moths rarely settle in a house alone. If insects appear in the kitchen, carefully inspect all food supplies, cabinets and textiles in the house.
2. If a nest of moth larvae is discovered, it must be eliminated. To do this, vacuum the entire affected area, rinse it with a sponge and water. Apart from soap, you need to add nothing to the water. a large number of detergent with chlorine.
3. If moths are found in the closet, carefully and painstakingly shake all clothes, even synthetic ones. After all, insects do not always lay their offspring in edible wool.
4. Ideally, all clothes should be washed on a high-temperature wash cycle. Large wool sweaters can be cleaned of larvae in another way - just place the clothes in the freezer for a few hours - the larvae will not survive this. Large outerwear You need to clean it with a brush, especially folds, pockets, and hard-to-reach areas of the lining. Ideally, jackets, fur coats and coats can be treated with a steam generator; this will leave no chance for the larvae.
5. Wash everything possible - curtains, carpets, drapes. If the item cannot be washed, it should be left under direct sun rays for several hours - the moth will not survive this.
6. If moths have infested your kitchen, a thorough inspection is also needed here. Affected grains, dried fruits and nuts cannot be saved, and they cannot be eaten. Therefore, we send them to the trash bin without regret. All containers, cabinets and the most inaccessible places should be washed with chlorine or vinegar solution, allow the drawers to be sufficiently ventilated.

These simple measures will help you eliminate visible moth spots and nests. But often this is not enough and just one undetected larva can reproduce the population in large sizes. What to do in these cases?

Here we will talk about household chemical insecticides that are designed to kill flying insects.

1. Aerosols. The largest group is presented in the form of sprays. They must be used strictly according to the instructions. As a rule, the poison is sprayed in closets and hard-to-reach areas of carpets, furniture, etc. After this, you need to close all the windows and doors in the house and leave the apartment for several hours. The treatment must be carried out wearing a respiratory mask. Next, everything is thoroughly washed and the clothes are washed. Aerosols will help get rid of not only adults, but also larvae. Here are some popular insecticides. Dichlorvos can only be sprayed on hard surfaces, for example, in a closet. Antimol is very effective against moths. Armol is suitable for textiles. Raptor gives excellent results - it affects respiratory system larvae and kills them. This product is safe for humans. Many aerosols cannot be used in the kitchen. Sprays such as Clean House, Morimol, Foxide, Maskitol, etc. are also effective.
2. Fumigator. A fumigator is a device that is plugged into an outlet. When heated, the plate or special insecticidal liquid evaporates and releases special components into the air that kill moths. For people, a fumigator is considered safer than an aerosol. Most manufacturers make insecticides in different formats - aerosols, traps, fumigators, you can use what is more convenient for you. The fumigator has a small affected area, but it is very convenient to use for disinfecting a cabinet if you place the device inside using an extension cord. This way you won't have to rewash all your clothes.
3. Pheromone traps. This is one of the safest and effective ways clean your house from moths. The traps are a small piece of cardboard that emits the subtle scent of the female moth's pheramones. The male flies towards an attractive scent and sticks tightly to the cardboard. Life cycle stops, there is no one left to reproduce. But you need to know one rule - you cannot hang several traps in a room at once - excessive smell disorients males.
4. Plates. These are small pieces of cardboard or organic material impregnated with special fragrances and insecticides. You just need to place the plates in the cabinet. This will get rid of existing moths and prevent them from reoccurring. The plates are one of the most durable means of protection against insects - the effect of the device lasts up to several months.

These are the most popular, effective and safe means destruction of moths and their larvae. But is it always worth resorting to chemical insecticides? You can try to get rid of moths using folk remedies, especially if there are old people, children or pregnant women at home.

Here are a few recipes that don't kill moths, but do a great job of repelling them.

1. Herbs. Place aromatic herbs in your closet that will repel moths. Among them are wormwood, tansy, tobacco, geranium, mint, eucalyptus, cloves, and walnut leaves. To prevent the twigs from becoming moldy, they must first be dried and then placed in fabric bags so that they do not fall out or become littered.
2. Toilet soap. Many cosmetic fragrances have a rather pungent odor, which also repels moths and other insects. Place strong-smelling soaps in your coat pockets and wrap them in woolen sweaters.
3. Citrus zest. Previously in New Year there was a lot of tangerine peel left, but experienced housewives didn't throw it in the trash. Fragrant citrus peel can be placed not only in wardrobe, but also on kitchen shelves, unlike soap and herbs.
4. Lavender. Lavender essential oil will not only get rid of moths, but will also give your clothes a pleasant floral aroma.

The moth family includes more than two thousand species of this insect. The phrase "moth-eaten" implies a description of a very old, dilapidated and abandoned thing. Unfortunately, moths can even ruin new thing literally in a few days. Therefore, you should not treat it with disdain. Protect your closets, clothes and food, use only proven moth repellents!

Video: how to get rid of moths using folk remedies

On a note! The clothes moth is a poor flyer, so it is unable to move long distances on its own. Accordingly, you bring it into your home yourself: with new things, pieces of furniture, etc.

Furniture moth and clothes moth: what is the difference?

Clothes moths and furniture moths will have their own separate diets - the first feeds on cotton products, the second on fur and wool. In nature, this is what happens, but in an apartment, each of these species can quite easily move from one food to another. Therefore, today these butterflies are collectively called clothes moths.

In fact, these insects have many similar characteristics:

• body small size and is no more than 9 mm in length;
• the color is straw-yellow, rather inconspicuous, especially with folded wings;
• Only males can fly, but representatives of both the first and second species do it rather ineptly;
• females of both species do not use wings, although they have the ability to fly; their wings are somewhat smaller in size compared to the wings of males.

Distinctive features can only be noticed upon closer examination - the furniture moth will have a darker color and dark areas at the base of the wings.

Moth larvae as the main pest

The growth and development of house moth larvae directly depends on diet and temperature conditions:

• if the food they eat consists only of natural materials, then the development of the caterpillars will occur quite quickly - in 3 weeks they will have time to molt about 12 times and pupate;
• if the food is rich in synthetic fibers, which are very poorly digested, accordingly, the growth of the larvae will slow down somewhat - this period will take 2 months or even six months;
• As for temperature conditions, when the ambient temperature drops significantly, the rate of growth and development of young animals noticeably decreases, the caterpillars become smaller, and at especially low temperatures they weave cocoons around their body, stop feeding and freeze.

On a note! Compared to the body, the stomach and intestines of the larvae are enormous in size and can hold quite a large amount of food!

Clothes moths and furniture moths are somewhat different from each other.

Absolutely all larvae lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not crawl far from the place where they emerge from the egg. Until they turn into a butterfly, they spend almost all their time in one place. But as soon as the larva becomes adult, she stops feeding and spends the rest of her life, which lasts only a few days, only on reproduction.

Fighting methods

How to destroy moths in an apartment? For this purpose, you can use the following methods and means:

• heat treatment;
• chemicals;
• folk remedies.

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Heat treatment

As is known, these insects are able to exist in a certain temperature range, which is -5°C ... +45°C. And if the thermometer scale crosses one of these marks, the entire “family” of the moth is guaranteed to die. What can be done?

Important! Don't forget that low temperatures can not only kill moths, but also damage the heating system! Therefore, the batteries must be protected first!

On a note! Destroy only flying butterflies mechanically, that is, using a rolled-up newspaper or a slipper, is useless, since the main pest will remain in the clothes and continue to spoil them!

Chemicals

Aerosol

Anti-moth aerosol is the most convenient chemical preparation that is quite effective. With its help you can destroy both butterflies and small larvae. Each aerosol is based on a powerful toxic substance, but does not leave behind any unpleasant odor. Moreover, most of these products contain aromatic fragrances.

Important! It should be remembered that an aerosol cloud consists of tiny particles that can quickly and easily penetrate into Airways. A high concentration of toxic substances often causes severe poisoning. Therefore, before using this or that anti-moth aerosol, you should carefully study the instructions and do not forget about personal protective equipment!

Among the aerosols against moths, the most popular are: “Moskitol”, “Armol”, “Antimol”, “Dezmol”, “Foxide”.

Fumigators

Fumigators are also quite effective in combating moths. There are two types of fumigators on sale: electric and pyrotechnic. The principle of their operation is largely similar - the first ones begin to release toxic substances after heating occurs electrical plates, the latter emit poisonous smoke after igniting the spiral.

The most popular moth fumigators today are: “Moskitol”, “Raid” and “Raptor”. In fact, they are designed to kill mosquitoes, but, as the manufacturer assures and practice shows, they are quite effective against moths. These devices are safe for human and pet health and do not leave any odor after use.

On a note! There are two types available for sale electric fumigators: the first ones work on plates that need to be changed every time they are turned on, the second ones have a reservoir with liquid and such a device lasts for a longer period!

Sections

Sections are the most primitive and at the same time simplest way to get rid of moths. These devices are small plates impregnated with a special substance that repels pests. The sections should simply be hung in a closed cabinet or placed on shelves. After some time the moth will disappear.

On sale today you can find a huge number of sections against moths. They have different shape and aroma, which allows the consumer to choose a model to suit their taste. The sections “Raid”, “Raptor”, “Antimol”, “Gardex” and “Moskitol” are popular today.

Folk remedies

1. Essential oils. For moths, the smells of essential oils such as orange, geranium and lavender are repulsive. They need to soak cotton pads and place them in places where moths accumulate.
2. Repellent plants. Dried grass geraniums or lavender are tied in bunches and hung in the closet.
3. You can use scented toilet soap as a deterrent.
4. Newspaper helps against moths. They wrap or rearrange things in it and leave them in the closet. However, this method is not suitable for light fabrics and fur products.

As you know, taking preventative measures is always easier than fighting moths afterwards. Therefore, do not forget to regularly ventilate your closet, clean fur and woolen items, and shake out items on shelves and hangers from time to time.

Every housewife is afraid of moths. The appearance of these little moths inevitably foretells that you will soon have to say goodbye to your favorite silk blouse, favorite woolen pullover or precious fur. If such a problem arises, the question arises of how to get rid of moths in the house forever using folk remedies, as well as what means of fighting insects the chemical industry offers us. Let's look at them in more detail; among the wide variety of methods, everyone can choose the one that suits them.

If flying and crawling larvae are noticed in the closet, this does not mean that there is a bad housewife in the house. This insect can appear even in the most well-kept apartment. Where does it come from? It's simple - perhaps the neighbors had the same problem and they fought it, the pests were removed through the window, ventilation shaft and staircase, after which they found shelter in a neighboring apartment. But this is not the only reason for the appearance of these insects.

What do larvae and adult butterflies look like?

Before you start fighting, you need to recognize the enemy by sight. This is what an adult butterfly looks like.

The insect can live up to 300 days. The flying butterflies that are commonly found are the least dangerous to us, although they do lay eggs. Greatest harm It is the larvae that bring in, which often go unnoticed. Therefore, if you destroy a flying insect, this does not mean that the problem is solved. There are probably larvae sitting somewhere and ruining things. In addition, they will soon develop into adults and reproduce even more.

This is what a larva looks like, causing damage to clothing.

It is very important to start fighting as soon as we see at least one butterfly (a beige winged insect about 9 mm long). To expel an insect forever, it is necessary to destroy it at all stages of development - the adult butterfly, the larva and eggs, which are practically invisible. The female lays about 200 eggs, which then become larvae. And it’s the larvae that spoil things. The duration of development of the larva depends on the larval environment and the nutritional properties of the material on which it feeds and can last from 35 days to 2.5 years. In good conditions, 4 generations of insects will breed within a year. If we do not fight the attackers, then during this time our favorite sweater or fur coat will disappear before our eyes.

Folk remedies

Typically, these insects feed on items made of wool, fur, feathers, and leather. However, with the progress of civilization, they also enriched their menu with fabrics made from blends synthetic fibers with natural ones. Today, almost no fabric is protected from this insect. The insect is especially dangerous for fur products, which it can damage very quickly, so they should be stored in thick plastic bags.

Luckily we know effective ways fight these voracious insects!

There are a few simple ways and methods of controlling insects at home. First of all, you need to thoroughly clean all the closets, dry all things and remember to do this regularly.

The aroma of lavender effectively repels this harmful butterfly. Pendants, dried flowers or sprays with the aroma of this essential oil plant are useful not only for prevention, but also in the fight against insects. Lavender sprigs should be where we keep our clothes - usually in closets.

Schisandra, lemon zest, or lemon-scented pendants are effective. Also an effective deterrent will be orange peel, the smell of which is not liked by the voracious pest. These insects cannot tolerate citrus scents. At the bottom of the drawers you can place bags of citrus zest. Therefore, after eating fruit, there is no need to throw away the peel, it must be dried and placed in linen bags. The zest will also keep cats out of cupboards if they have a habit of getting in there. Not everyone likes this behavior in pets, so orange peels will help solve two problems at once.

Not everyone knows that some spices will help in the fight against this insect. For this purpose we will need:

• Bay leaf;
• mint;
• thyme;
• carnation.

Probably many people picked chestnuts in the park when they were children, but not everyone knows that these fruits are effective folk remedies. You just need to put them in the closet.

How to deal with moths in a closet? First, empty your closet. Then boil a glass of vinegar mixed with water in a small saucepan. The steaming liquid should be placed on a stand in the closet in which the pest has infested and the door should be closed tightly. You can add bay leaf and pepper to the pan, which this insect also does not like. After 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and ventilate the cabinet well. To consolidate the effect, the procedure is repeated 2-3 times.

Low and high temperature

Clothing that shows signs of eggs or larvae should be placed in a plastic bag and then placed in freezer for 3-4 hours. If the furniture is not painted, the areas where larvae accumulate after their removal can be treated with hot air from a hairdryer. Washed items should be ironed with a hot iron after drying. Temperatures above 40 °C destroy the eggs.

Newspapers

Another proven method is to line shelves and drawers with newspapers, since insects cannot stand the smell of printing ink.

Soap

In addition, you can place pieces of soap in cabinets and chests of drawers, preferably with the aroma of lavender, but regular soap, even laundry soap, will do. It is better to cut the soap into small pieces and sprinkle it on the shelves.

Another well-known repellent is wild rosemary, also called wild rosemary. It emits a clear, pleasant aroma that insects cannot tolerate. The plant grows in swamps, peat bogs and other wetlands and reaches a height of 1.5 m. Ledum is used in dried form in cupboards.

Needles

A proven way to combat this insect is to place pieces of fresh resin from the forest, fresh pine needles or strong-smelling pine cones in the corners of the closet. Be careful not to stain cabinets or clothing with resin.

Ready-made products (naphthalene, aerosols, baits, essential oils)

You can also buy some for sale ready-made products. It can be:

1. Naphthalene, which is known to our grandmothers as effective remedy. It is often used but is not always effective, and it is toxic to people and pets. The smell of mothballs is difficult to get rid of even when washing clothes. Therefore, if you nevertheless decide to use this product, after removing it from the closet, in the place where it was lying, you need to place bags with baking soda, which neutralizes the smell of naphthalene.
2. Aroma sticks and stripes that hang in the closet or scented balls.
3. Aerosols, which should be used to regularly spray shelves in closets and chests of drawers.
4. Synthetic essential oils that repel insects.
5. Pheromone Tiles and Lures(odorless) are inexpensive and non-toxic means of controlling moths in food products, their function is to attract males with pheromones and trap them, thereby stopping the reproduction of insects. Products of this type are offered by Bros and Raid - they have proven to be extremely effective, do not contain biocides and therefore can be placed near food. The drugs work for 4 - 6 weeks.

What else needs to be done?

1. Finding the nest and thoroughly cleaning. First of all, we need to discover where she made her nest. To do this, it is advisable to thoroughly remove everything; the larvae usually live in warm and dark corners. That's why you need to thoroughly clean and rinse all cabinets. Clean the cabinets first detergent, and then wipe them with water and vinegar.
2. Drying clothes. All clothes, carpets and curtains should also be washed. If it's the middle of summer, then it's best to leave things in the sun; if it's winter, leave them in the cold for a few hours. Both very high and very low temperature is a good way to get rid of larvae and eggs. In addition, there is no need to overfill the cabinets. It is better to hang things as freely as possible.

How to get rid of food moths in the kitchen, in cereals?

Food moths in the kitchen, in cereals are a big problem for every housewife. It often appears in foods, especially cereals, pasta, and flour. These are insects that nest primarily in kitchen cabinets. They are most often found where grain products are stored. When fighting them, the most important thing is to act very efficiently and accurately. Half measures will certainly not work here. If you notice even one insect in the kitchen, you must react immediately. This could be a sign that there is a large nest hiding in your closet drawers.

You can bring an insect into your home with products such as flour or cereals. It is better to sift such products immediately after returning home from the store. As a result, the risk can be eliminated to a large extent. But rarely anyone resorts to such events. It is better to store flour or cereals in an airtight glass container.

It's quite difficult to get it out. First, you will have to throw away all the products in which it appeared, and then wipe the shelves with a solution of water and vinegar (1:1 ratio), with a drop of citrus or clove oil. You can also place a bay leaf or a few cloves in each cabinet. You can also vacuum the cabinets.

For prevention, products should be stored in glass containers For food products with tight-fitting lids. Plastic jars, as often happens, do not provide protection because the larvae eat microscopic holes in them.

Store in glass jars should be cereals, rice, pasta, flour. This solution not only aesthetic value, but also practical, as it makes cleaning the kitchen easier. But, of course, the most important thing is that other pests will not grow in a closed glass container.

Newly purchased grain products, such as rice, flour, can be placed in the freezer for several days - if they contain larvae, they will die from the low temperature.

Insects don't like high temperature. Therefore, to effectively expel them, it is worth using a hairdryer and drying all the cabinets. It is best to set it to the highest possible temperature. Thanks to this, all larvae and eggs can be removed.

You can also buy special patches for moths in stores. They are not very aggressive and relatively cheap, while still demonstrating high efficiency. The patches will help lure all the insects into one place and effectively get rid of them. Although they do not look very aesthetically pleasing, they help well.

Additional protection will be mesh in the ventilation holes and Mosquito nets on the windows. Preventive measure This includes keeping the kitchen clean, vacuuming regularly, and cleaning cupboards.

Irina Z.
How to get rid of moths in a house where there are a lot of moths from nowhere?

The appearance of moths in the house is a common occurrence, so it is important for housewives to be able to deal with them. These harmful insects are found in food, clothing, carpets, etc. As a result, the inhabitants of the house may lose a sweater or fur coat, a piece of furniture or a supply of flour. To avoid losses, you need to know how to get rid of moths as quickly and efficiently as possible.

How moths appear in the house

There are more than 30 species of moths, among which the most common are furniture moths, fur moths, clothes moths, carpet moths, fruit moths, cereal moths, etc. These insects, up to 1.5 cm in size, have an inconspicuous gray color. The greatest harm is caused not by adults, but by caterpillars and larvae, which eat huge amounts of food.

Moths often enter a home in several ways:

• flies through a door or window;
• enters the apartment along with purchased items or products;
• enters the house from neighbors through cracks, ventilation ducts or entrance.

It is quite difficult to detect the eggs of these insects, but adults that begin to fly are easy to spot. If residents see a small gray butterfly, it means there is a pest in the house that needs to be removed without delay.

Moth habitats

If there are a lot of moths flying around the house, but no one knows where they came from, then you need to urgently start searching:

1. Inspect the closets where wool, fur and other wardrobe items are stored. The presence of pests will be indicated by oblong cocoons, holes and fur bald spots in the products.
2. Consider the furniture, upholstered natural fabrics. If there are insects there, then their tunnels will be visible.
3. Examine all carpet products made from natural materials, where bald spots, ducts and cocoons may also be found.
4. Conduct an audit of products stored in kitchen cabinets. You need to inspect flour, cereals, dried fruits and look for lumps, glued grains, small worms and cobwebs. After determining the insects' habitat, all contaminated products should be thrown away. Then you need to thoroughly wash and dry the kitchen set.

Pest Control Methods

Heat treatment. The moth feels comfortable at temperatures environment from -5°C to +45°C. Therefore, with a small degree of infestation, the following methods will help to remove insects:

Moths cannot tolerate high temperatures

• Steam or wash clothes at maximum temperatures. To rid carpets and furniture of pests, you can use a steam generator or a special household hair dryer.
• Freezing the room for several hours.

Attention! Necessary precautions should be taken to avoid damaging the heating system.

• Placing fur products in the refrigerator.

Chemicals. WITH clothes moth Insecticidal preparations successfully fight:

• Fumigators are not harmful to humans, but are destructive to insects. The most popular products include “Raid”, “DiK-3”, “Mosquitall”.
• Aerosols have a strong poisonous effect and can completely destroy pests. Usually such products as “Protection against moths” (“Mosquitall”), “Armol”, “Raptor” “Extramit”, etc. are used.
• Moth sections - often used only to prevent infection. The most popular are Mosquitall and Raptor.

Attention! If small children or people with allergic diseases live in the house, then it is better to fight pests using natural remedies.

Folk remedies for pest control

Natural products that have a strong odor will help get rid of moths:

• geranium,
• dried with flowers,

• laundry soap,
• sagebrush,
• citrus peels,
• tobacco,
• walnut leaves.

The listed products should be laid out on shelves, which will repel insects and serve as good prevention for the future.

Thus, they will help get rid of moths different methods, the effectiveness of which has already been proven in practice. But it is best not to fight the problem that has arisen, but to try to avoid it: regularly clean the apartment, ventilate cabinets, clean furniture and carpets, store cereals in carefully closed jars.

How to kill moths: video

How to fight moths? This question arises when an unpleasant-looking gray butterfly is found in kitchen supplies or traces of its activity on clothing.

Simply catching an insect and destroying it is an ineffective method, because the victim will be a completely harmless male.

Moth: a real disaster for things and products

The biggest problem is the voracious caterpillars, which actively destroy household products and mercilessly spoil things in closets. Just a day is enough for such a larva to gnaw a through hole in a woolen sweater. There are about 30 types of moths in everyday life, and all of them are harmful to humans. How to deal with moths in an apartment?

The moths that live in closets don't like Fresh air and bright light, so it does not affect things that are worn frequently. But when it comes to winter clothes, she is not picky; she eats felt, wool, natural velvet, and fur. In an effort to get to food, it easily gnaws through those it encounters along the way. plastic bags And synthetic fabrics. Caterpillars of the fur moth can withstand temperatures as low as 0°C and can go without food for a whole month.

How to fight moths at home

You can fight moths different ways: effective as traditional methods, time-tested and modern drugs. At one time, naphthalene was considered the most famous anti-moth agent. However, the large-scale use of such a product has led to the development of resistance to it in some moth populations. In addition, it was discovered that the drug causes enormous harm to human health because it is a carcinogen - a factor that causes the occurrence of malignant tumors. How to deal with moths in other ways that do not pose a threat to health?

Folk remedies against moths

How to fight moths with folk remedies? From folk remedies Tobacco is effective, the pungent odor of which is absolutely not tolerated by insects. In a living flowering form, this plant should be kept on the windowsill, periodically placed in a closet with moths.

Or use dry leaves, which are placed in fabric bags and hung (or spread) in places where moths are present. An analogue of tobacco in the fight against moths is dried lavender. Additionally, in order to enhance the result, it is recommended to place pieces of laundry soap in your clothing pockets. For guard kitchen furniture and products, fresh orange peels are used.

Living geraniums growing indoors will also repel unpleasant butterflies with their smell. It is recommended to place fresh leaves of the plant on the shelves of cabinets.

However, such natural remedies are just repellents - deterrent substances. In case of mass presence of moths, chemical preparations should be used, the range of which is consumer market presented in various forms.

Anti-moth aerosols

How to fight moths with chemicals? Aerosols and sprays ("Antimol", "Clean House", "Armol", "Raptor", "Extramit") are solutions of powerful insecticides contained in a container under high pressure. Sprayed in a room or wardrobe, they have a poisonous effect on larvae and adult moths. Easy to use, such drugs are characterized by rapid action and low cost. True, insecticides will have to be inhaled not only by moths, but also by humans during and after treatment. In this case, it is especially difficult for allergy sufferers.

The use of aerosols is perhaps the most labor-intensive compared to other anti-moth agents. When destroying moths, except for the surfaces of cabinets, it is necessary to treat all clothing, furniture upholstery, carpets. Often one bottle of the drug is not enough for such a volume. After several hours, the room needs to be cleaned, and things need to be thoroughly washed and ventilated. Treatment carried out in full accordance with the instructions will completely get rid of clothes, furniture and fur moths.

In the kitchen, the use of aerosols is very limited. They can be used to treat cabinets and bedside tables that have been previously cleared of food. The very places where larvae are concentrated in food supplies cannot be treated with such insecticides.

Simple and durable fumigators

Fumigators (DiK-3, Raid, Mosquitall) are quite easy to use: you just need to plug the drug into the outlet and forget about it. You can run an extension cord into the closet. The action is somewhat extended over time: the effect occurs over a period of 3 days to 2 weeks. But the accumulation of insecticides in the air will be several times lower than when treated with aerosols. The principle of operation is to heat the aromatic insecticidal plate and evaporate the toxic substance when the fumigator is plugged into a power outlet. Sometimes the plates are replaced with special liquids that act similarly. The dimensions of the fumigators are relatively small, approximately 95*60*50 mm; coverage area up to 30 m2.

The advantage of this method is its low cost and long service life. In dining rooms and kitchens, the fumigator should be used carefully, avoiding the accumulation of chemical vapors in cabinets where food is stored.

Anti-moth sections

How to deal with moths in an apartment? In addition to aerosols and fumigators, there are special sections against moths (Mosquitall, "Raptor"). They are characterized by a preventive effect and are intended to repel adult insects rather than destroy their larvae. Therefore, the use of such devices is recommended before a winged pest appears in the house. They are produced in the form of suspended and attached plates with various scents that repel insects: chamomile, tangerine, lavender. The anti-moth effect of 2 sections extends to ½ m2 of cabinet area. Replacement with new ones is carried out after about 4 months. Chemical agent It is recommended to store it out of the reach of children, away from food products.

How to deal with house moths to get rid of them forever? In combination with natural and chemical methods you need to get rid of moths physically. Fly traps are used to catch butterflies. If insects are infested in the cereal, and their number is not terrifying, then the grains can be sorted and heated in the oven at 60 degrees for 40 minutes. A nest found in a closet should be eliminated, its location should be thoroughly vacuumed, all items from the closet should be shaken and placed in a cool place (for example, on a balcony) for a day.

Food moth: how to get rid of it

Food (grain) moths settle in cereals, flour, dried fruits; its larvae in the caterpillar stage are capable of spoiling almost all food supplies. Adults do not have a mouth, so they do not feed at all. Despite short term Life (no more than a week) butterflies manage to lay up to 100-150 eggs. At favorable conditions(high humidity, warm temperature and lack of ventilation), insect reproduction occurs in a continuous cycle. How to deal with food moths in the kitchen?

Get rid of food moth should be done very carefully, in several stages. It is necessary to check all stocks of cereals, flour, sugar. If you find an insect with damaged food, you will have to say goodbye or bake it in a frying pan and sift it.

1. Treat food storage areas with fumigators and anti-moth aerosols, and place repellent preparations on the shelves: garlic, lavender, orange peels.
2. Hang sticky fly tapes and destroy flying moths manually.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent the appearance of moths in household recommended:

• Store all grocery products in tightly closed containers.
• Regularly ventilate and clean the room. Once a month and carpets using disinfectants.
• Before storage, winter clothes must be washed and cleaned. Moths prefer to live on things with sweaty and dirty stains. After cleaning, it is recommended to place wool and fur items in plastic bags, and fur coats in thick paper covers, having previously sprayed them with anti-moth preparations. Some things intended for storage can be wrapped in newspaper: moths cannot stand the smell of printing ink.

How to deal with cabbage moth

Outdoors, on summer cottages operates Inconspicuous in appearance, it causes significant damage to garden crops, in particular cabbage. After hatching from the egg, the caterpillars feed only inside heads of cabbage and other cruciferous crops. Gnawing through tangled tunnels, they infect the plant and are able to completely destroy it.

How to fight cabbage moth? It needs to be combated comprehensively, because the pest is characterized by the ability to develop resistance to drugs that were effective in the previous season. Processing is required chemically. By the best means are considered:

• "Aktellik". Available in 2 ml ampoules, it is toxic and has a hazard class of 2. Spraying is carried out with a solution of 30 ml of the product diluted in 10 liters of water.
• "Bitoxycilide" and "Lepidocide". The result is visible within 2 days from the moment of treatment garden crops, the protective effect lasts about 2 weeks.

In parallel with chemical treatment caterpillars must be collected manually. This method will protect against the mass appearance of adults laying eggs. It is imperative to remove weeds and dig up the soil well where the cabbage grows. This is necessary in order to prevent overwintered individuals from reaching the soil surface.

Fighting leafminer moths

There is also a type of moth called mining moth. The small insect got its name from old word“mine”, implying the creation of hidden passages. It is in this way that leaf miner caterpillars damage plant leaves from the inside. Moreover, it is very difficult to identify the pest externally: its presence is indicated only by the death of the plant.

Miner moth caterpillars feed on almost all types of fruit and berry plantings, flowers, weeds, ornamental and medicinal plants. If a leafminer moth is found on a site, how to deal with this pest? What techniques should be used?

In the fight against "miners" it is effective to use chemicals, namely: “Bi-58”, “Karate”, “Dimilin”, “Confidor maxi”, “Aktara”, “Aktofit”. If there are several generations of leafminer moths, spraying should be carried out repeatedly.

How to deal with moths during the summer? For this purpose, in greenhouses and open ground it is necessary to hang plates, boards, pieces of plastic coated with glue yellow color, placing them at the level of the main leaf mass along the rows of plants. Before flying, attach adhesive belts to tree trunks. It is also important to remove affected parts of plants and then destroy them manually. In autumn, it is necessary to clean under the tree and compost fallen leaves, and tree trunk circles dig thoroughly.