Moths,....any advice?

[Maj.Nick Danger]

As we all are aware, moths are probably the public enemy number 1 of all fine vintage clothing and accessories. Many a fine hat or suit is ruined in mere seconds by just one little snack of a hungry moth! :rage: :cry:

I know this subject has probably been adressed before, but for the benefit of this newbie, please advise as to your best prescription for the prevention of the atrocities these evil vermin commit. I of course know about moth balls,and don't care for the fact that they are extremely poisonous and smell awful. Also cedar, but cedar I think loses it's potency over time,....no?
What, if any, alternatives are there? And if there are none,what is the proper recommended use for the 2 aforementioned tried and true remedies?

Thanks in advance, P.S. I had a terrible nightmare last night about moths,....

 

[EricH]

You can Google up a lot of good advice on moths. There is no easy way to get rid of them. I have become a fan of these little devices as a way to control them and alert me to an attack. As always, its the males that are the suckers for a dame, or at least the smell of one.

http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/spec/pick-clothmothtrap.htm

Eric
(Reliving a trip to the inlaws that brought some unwelcome guests back)

 

[Paisley]

What I've heard is that moths are attracted to food spilled on clothes, not the clothes themselves.

 

[Sergei]

I store a small pouch of fresh lavendar inside a hat box. Also I put them around my closet. It beats using moth balls. You can get fresh lavendar online or there are plenty of stores that sell dried lavendar flowers. Trader-Joes carries them.

 

[Vanessa]

Kill them. Kill them all.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Brush, brush, and brush again.

Get a high quality clothes brush for your clothes. And a high quality hat brush for your hats. Brush each item regularly.

One of the best ways to prevent moth damage is to wear your stuff regularly. Moths like dark, still places. If your clothing is often in the light and being moved around, the moths will depart and go someplace else.

I've found that moth problems are very rare. If you buy something vintage, have it cleaned immediately. Never let it get in contact with any other clothing you care about until it's been cleaned. If it's something you're going to use as a model piece and don't necessarily want to pay to have cleaned, stick it in a sealed bag and throw it in the freezer for a couple of weeks. This will kill any moth eggs or larvae living in the garment. After that i'd seal it in one of those vacuum space-saver bags and never open it until i planned to use the garment.

I also keep alot of cedar blocks and canvas bags of cedar shavings sitting around my wardrobes.

I had a fit about 2 months ago when we found a whole pile of moths in our moth traps (commercially available - see earlier post: get rid of the males and there can be no babies!!!) in our wardrobes. It turns out they were parlour moths - similar in size and pigmentation to clothes moths - that were living in our flour. I almost died when i saw them. turns out it's only about $15 of flour down the drain. Better than hundreds of dollars worth of vintage!

As you can see, i think about this A LOT!

bk

 

[jamespowers]

Say what you want about mothballs. They work. If you don't like the regular smell then get the cedar scented or citrus scented moth balls. There are a few other scents out there as well. Regular moth balls smell fine to me though. Every time I wear a hat, I check the box to make sure there are still viable moth balls present. I wear them all fairly regularly so the boxes stay protected. The same goes for my closets.
Mmmmm mmmmm! Smells like protection.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Bebop]

Cedar does loose it's potency but can be renewed by a light sanding. I sand my cedar blocks once in a while and I put cedar shavings in my hat boxes. No moths yet.

 

[jamespowers]

Cedar does loose it's potency but can be renewed by a light sanding. I sand my cedar blocks once in a while and I put cedar shavings in my hat boxes. No moths yet.

You are quite right in doing so. I think the most important thing is a tightly closing hat box. Even without cedar or mothballs, a box keeps out moths and their damage. Make sure you do not neglect inspecting the boxes for tears or holes that allow such destructive creatures access to your hard won prizes.
I know I get hat boxes in that look terrible sometimes. They get glued and taped to make sure they close as tightly as possible and all holes are attended to. Titebond and Gorilla glue swell up when they dry and make the box hold together well.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Indeed, you do think a lot about this,.....

As you can see, i think about this A LOT!

bk

......and I'm mighty glad you do. Thanks for the great advice Baron. The part about freezing the little blighters was an insight that hadn't occurred to me.:cheers1:

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Actually, I just tried those.

Say what you want about mothballs. They work. If you don't like the regular smell then get the cedar scented or citrus scented moth balls. There are a few other scents out there as well. Regular moth balls smell fine to me though. Every time I wear a hat, I check the box to make sure there are still viable moth balls present. I wear them all fairly regularly so the boxes stay protected. The same goes for my closets.
Mmmmm mmmmm! Smells like protection.

Regards to all,

J

The new cedar- flavored moth balls that is, and boy, are they ever yummy compared to the standard issue type! :cool2: At first they just smelled like moth balls to me. Then I compared them to the old fashioned kind and they are more tolerable,...almost smell good by comparison! So I think I'll use those in cojunction with cedar chips, and of course all the other good tips I learned here. The thought also occurred to me today that if I could get some oil of cedar at a shop that sells aromatherapy stuff, I could maybe use it to recharge chips that are getting stale. Worth a shot maybe.
Thanks very much to everyone for your excellant advice. :cheers1:
Armed to the teeth in the war against moths,........