moths??!?

[JHZR2]

We keep all our wool and cashmere stuff in sealed bags during the summer. The bags have multiple cedar blocks put in them and the air removed.

Well, we pulled them out this year and most items have holes in them! Just small ones, but enough that they are visible. Looks like they got to one of my jackets in another closet that had a piece of cedar in it.

Never had this issue before.

Recommendations? Sure would like to nip this in the bud so I can replace the articles and move on.

We keep the sweaters and whatnot in our bedroom, so I dont really want chemicals long-term if I can avoid it.

Thanks!

 

[Rand]

read this
http://www.bugclinic.com/clothes_moths.htm

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah, never seen anything like that, and we are pretty particular with the cleaning of our home, furniture and clothes...

Not keen on introducing chemicals into the bedroom.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Rand
read this
http://www.bugclinic.com/clothes_moths.htm



It's harder to get rid of moths now...as quite a few products no longer have the same affect they used to...

 

[Cogito]

I'm surprised you had a problem if you had cedar chips in each bag. That has always worked for me.

 

[JHZR2]

we were too...

 

[Pop_Rivit]

As you've found out, traditional home remedy repellents such as cedar are often overstated in their effectiveness. And if you're worried about chemicals, mothballs are quite toxic, and when used in quantity can make people living in the same area sick.

The larval moths, as well as carpet beetles feed on natural fibers because they contain salts, vitamins and keratin left over from a lack of cleanliness (you put the items away dirty). Moth larvae will not feed on clean material because it doesn't contain the nutrients they need. The leftover perspiration salts and dead, shed skin are what they need in order to survive-exactly what you're leaving on your items by not putting them away clean.

They can also feed on left over debris; decades of shed human skin build up in the cracks and crevices of older homes, even between the floorboards and baseboards. They also do best in warm, humid environments, the environment at which most people keep their homes.

Your problem is that you have an insect infestation typical of an older home, and by this time they are not only in the clothing, but embedded into old carpets, baseboards, etc. The only way to effectively get rid of them is to have a professional treat the entire home, and then make sure that clothing is put away clean. Otherwise you'll always be chasing the problem and never really fixing it.

 

[JHZR2]

Yeah, good assessment. Problem with wool suits and sweaters is that I was under the impression that cleaning/dry cleaning is VERY hard/damaging to it.

So then what? For daily use stuff, it gets tough.