Moth protection for Hats

[Kevin Popejoy]

Hello. Been lurking here for a few months, and enjoying the info and overall banter. Have gotten 20 or so vintage beauties on OFAS, as you say, most recently a Borsalino Allesandria that's great. Could use some advice on moth protection. I currently have the lids in plastic bags in hat boxes. I've seen a few of the little buggers lately, and I'm sweating it. Thanks

Here are the answers:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7435.html

Cedar and the like smell nice and all but are basically ineffective. A cedar chest works well more because it is well constructed and keeps the bugs out than any real effect from the cedar oil. Even moth balls are ineffective if the container isn't air tight. Good housekeeping is your primary defense. k

 

[Bebop]

Thanks for the great link, Kevin.

I have been using cedar shavings that are available as pet bedding and such in my hat boxes. I may just be lucky that my hats are still ok.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Kevin, Thanks for that highly informative link on preventing moth damage. I was especially impressed by this statement:

"Clothes moths may first become established on woolen garments or scraps stored for long periods. If such articles are to be saved, they should be stored properly, or periodically hung in the sun and brushed thoroughly, especially along seams and in folds and pockets. Brushing destroys eggs and exposes larvae. Larvae are strongly repelled by light, and will fall from clothing when they cannot find protection."

I'm going to subscribe to this thread, so I can refer back to that article, often.

 

[woodsie]

Thank you folks. Lots of great info. I'm trying to post pics of my new Borsalino, but when I hit insert I get rejected. Any suggestions for that?

 

[tandmark]

The nocturnal thing is usually correct, however, I actually found the little devils devouring an Akubra that I had hanging on the bed post in plain daylight.

Howdy,

I stand corrected. Sure glad it's still an unusual sight!

The very thought of this is giving me the creepy-crawlies.

Funny how the usual Halloween or movie monsters aren't as terrifying for me as the idea of an Akubra being munched by a brood of moth larvae. [huh]

Cheers (a whistling-past-the-graveyard kind of cheers),
Mark

 

[Andykev]

Use a Flame Thrower..no!

My secret is to keep all my hats in tightly lidded HAT BOXES. I also place the moth balls in the box as a preventative. (Paradichloralbenzine). The spelling may be wrong

Also, you have to worry more about SILVERFISH. We have talked about this topic in the past, please utilize the search feature here in the HATS section.

Housekeeping is a MUST. Periodically INSPECT, BRUSH, STEAM, and USE your hats. If you have your hats stored in your "home office", like I do, and like me you NEVER throw any piece of paper away..then you are asking for some nibbles. I had only ONE hat so far...be attacked by moths. They do surface "DIVOTS" in the felt, and leave a tell tale "tube" of "felt poop". It is a tiny cone of soft felt that has gone to support the moth.

Oh, and it is, really, a never ending battle.

 

[woodsie]

Thanks Andykev,
Good, sound advice, but I'm trying to get the visual of "felt poop" out of sight, out of mind. There are things in life I still wish to see before checking out, and felt poop is not in the top ten.
Thanks Much

 

[punkinhed]

Spit Socks

I've had good luck with spit socks combined with hat boxes. The very same items used by police and healthcare personnel to keep from being spat upon. I've seen them priced as low as $2.00 from healthcare, industrial and police supply companies, but haven't checked the 'Bay. They're tightly-woven (but loose enough to breathe), loose-fitting, and keep out the adult critters, which, as I understand it, are the big threat, since the larvae aren't all that mobile. Another alternative!

 

[ScottF]

Here are the answers:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7435.html

Cedar and the like smell nice and all but are basically ineffective. A cedar chest works well more because it is well constructed and keeps the bugs out than any real effect from the cedar oil. Even moth balls are ineffective if the container isn't air tight. Good housekeeping is your primary defense. k

I am having clothing moth issues - no damage to anything that I can tell (I keep moth crystal packets in all hat boxes), but I have found the moths around my place, and today, after inspecting my wool sweater shelf, found several.

The link posted above seems to cover all the basics, so I thought it would be worth bringing back to life.

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I've been placing small bags of lavender in the hat boxes with the hats, presuming that will repel the unwanteds. Does anyone else use lavender?

I bought some lavender sachet's and hang them on hat hooks. I bought cedar 1X4 planks and attached hat hooks. They hang on a wall near the back door so plenty of daylight comes through the glass in the door. I try to keep them brushed in the Summer as I don't wear them as much. I haven't had a problem yet, so I can't say if the lavender is effective or not.

 

[billysmom]

There are published studies that show that the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) is as effective as low dose DEET for repelling mosquitoes. The CDC recommends it. I keep cotton balls with a couple of drops of E. citriodora in the pockets of woolens and in sweater containers and do not have moth problems. It smells citrus-y, not that cloying floral that L. angustifolia has.

Sue

 

[babs]

So luckily my search was preventive rather than reactive, but searching "moth" in the title and 24 whole threads with it!!!!!

Wow, our poor forefathers and mothers dealt with a nasty little pest back when natural fibers like wool and felt were the majority.

I have one suit and once before two sweaters that moths got a hold of even while brand new, probably tastier to the little buggers. They appetite may be small, but costly.

I get the impression a VERY important preventive measure is to do a clean-sweep an eliminate hairs, dust and fibers that though we may not see it, look like a buffet to "the nibblers". Though it's marginally clean, I'll be doing a fall-closet/upstairs strip-down and deep-clean ASAP. I'm sure the closet is slam full of fibers and dust in small crevices unseen but there.

Cedar blocks are coming.. if I can find them also.

 

[ScottF]

...

I get the impression a VERY important preventive measure is to do a clean-sweep an eliminate hairs, dust and fibers that though we may not see it, look like a buffet to "the nibblers". Though it's marginally clean, I'll be doing a fall-closet/upstairs strip-down and deep-clean ASAP. I'm sure the closet is slam full of fibers and dust in small crevices unseen but there.

Cedar blocks are coming.. if I can find them also.

Babs, I think you are right. Luckily I only have 420 sq-ft to cover, but all sweaters are going to the dry cleaners, then I plan to hang the cedar rings on hangers with wool items (vintage baseball uniforms), and place the lavendar sachets or oil-based products Billysmom mentioned, in the sweater shelf. I think my hats are safe - I placed moth crystal packets in all boxes containing hats, and I'm hoping that the ones on the hat racks are safe.

I crushed another one of the little devils last night - he fluttered out of who knows where and landed on my coffee table

 

[babs]

Get 'em!!!! Kill the little @#$%@#$^@#^!!!

Cedar and lavender! You're gonna smell top-notch. hehehe
My wife has issues with the smell of cedar as she has a bionic sniffer, but it's a done deal anyway. Forgiveness rather than permission.. We'll see if she even notices.

 

[Woodfluter]

Not just moths...

Don't read further if you are squeamish...

So, I have a stereo microscope which I use in my work occasionally, and a few days back I figured I'd take a closer look at newer and vintage felts. To see if there are visible differences. (There are, but I'll post more on that later and elsewhere).

Much to my horror, tiny translucent mites running around on the front brim of my Knox fedora. By tiny I mean not at all visible to the naked eye - 300 microns long. For reference, a tight vintage felt looks like a mangrove forest at 20-40x.

Normal brushing would not remove them. They can squirrel themselves into that forest of hairs.

I went back later and studied what they're up to. Apparently not eating fur. Wherever you touch a hat, if you look at a high enough magnification, you'll find tiny particles of shed skin. You lose about 1.5 grams of that per day (not all on your hat thank goodness). The little critters appeared to be methodically searching for those bits of skin amongst the felt.



Dust mites. Ubiquitous. So many things you don't want to know...like leaving 200x their body weight of excrement in a lifetime, mattresses and pillows doubling their weight in 10 years due to...enough already. Here's a brief synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite

Suffice it to say brushing does help remove some of the shed skin, but won't get all of it. I can't even remove it thoroughly from nylon packcloth with a toothbrush...some remains in the crevices of the weave. You can even see some of it at 10x with a hand lens, and at higher power there's more.

I don't think we have much to fear about hat damage...they don't have a stomach per se and can only feed on decaying matter. They are an allergen for many (including me) but hats pale in comparison to bedding. If this creeps you out, store hats in a dry place with sunlight and maybe fumigate occasionally...and as any dentist will tell you, brush often!

- Bugsy Bill

 

[Mario]

Well, as far as I know, you can't really dodge them in the long run, can you?

 

[jonbuilder]

After reading this post Sunday morning I went through my18 felt hats & 16 hatboxes. I vacuumed the hatboxes and hats than brushed the hats and oiled the sweats as required. I then placed clippings of lavender, rosemary, and mint in the hatboxes. I never noticed moths of moth damage occurring in any hats or clothing stored in my California Bay Area closet but I want to put my fears to rest. All but one of my hats are vintage 50s or older. I was considering giving some of the hats a natha bath and after reading about the mites I just got more motivated.

 

[ScottF]

After reading this post Sunday morning I went through my18 felt hats & 16 hatboxes. I vacuumed the hatboxes and hats than brushed the hats and oiled the sweats as required. I then placed clippings of lavender, rosemary, and mint in the hatboxes. I never noticed moths of moth damage occurring in any hats or clothing stored in my California Bay Area closet but I want to put my fears to rest. All but one of my hats are vintage 50s or older. I was considering giving some of the hats a natha bath and after reading about the mints I just got more motivated.

Jon, it's a war...a war that we 'mite' win.

I haven't noticed damage either, but there are clothes moths in my place, so I know they all were once feeding off something as larvae. Unfortunately, I think it's my sweaters

 

[babs]

Not surprising.. Saw some tv show on the subject that showed that people have little critters not that different looking that those in their eye-lashes even.

 

[Boodles]

Lemon eucalyptus?

There are published studies that show that the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) is as effective as low dose DEET for repelling mosquitoes. The CDC recommends it. I keep cotton balls with a couple of drops of E. citriodora in the pockets of woolens and in sweater containers and do not have moth problems. It smells citrus-y, not that cloying floral that L. angustifolia has.

Sue

Ma'am,
Where can I buy a product containing this? Does it have a brand name? Thanks