Moths!!!

[Vladimir Berkov]

My parents house had a moth outbreak in one of the rooms, and several of my hats are possibly also "infected" although there is no visible sign of them yet.

How do I clean, or otherwise de-moth these hats so any potential destruction is stopped before it begins?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

As a very quick stopper, put the hats in a plastic bag and chuck them in the freezer ... This'll kill any of the blighters that are in/on the hat already.

This treatment does not seem to have damaged my hats in the past.

bk

 

[BigSleep]

Get them in a box with cedar or moth balls.
I believe the fumes kill the eggs.

Maybe others can elaborate.

 

[MattC]

The best thing you can do

Get plastic garment bags, the things the cleaners use. Put a hat in each one. Put mothballs in a small open box or wrapped in cheesecloth in with the hat. Tie off the end. Wait 2 weeks. You should be ok.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

One thing Vladimir: Are ye certain they're clothes moths?

I almost had a heart attack a couple of months ago. Turns out they were parlour moths living in my flour cache.

No need to overreact until you've ascretained what kind of moth they are ...

bk

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Whatever variety they are, they made a feast out of an antique chair which was apparently stuffed with some sort of bristles or similar animal-based material. So they are the kind of insects which like to eat wool, fur and such.

Will the mothball odor cling to the hats after two weeks in the bag? Will the hat perpetually smell like mothballs?

As for the freezer idea, how long should they stay in the freezer?

 

[jamespowers]

Whatever variety they are, they made a feast out of an antique chair which was apparently stuffed with some sort of bristles or similar animal-based material. So they are the kind of insects which like to eat wool, fur and such.

Will the mothball odor cling to the hats after two weeks in the bag? Will the hat perpetually smell like mothballs?

As for the freezer idea, how long should they stay in the freezer?

Get ahold of the cedar scented mothballs. OSH has them in cakes. They don't smell all that bad and they do a bang up job of offing the moths. If they smell like cedar I don't think you'll mind right?

Regards,

J

 

[MattC]

No real odor

If you put them in the bag, they wont really smell (the bag will)

Whatever variety they are, they made a feast out of an antique chair which was apparently stuffed with some sort of bristles or similar animal-based material. So they are the kind of insects which like to eat wool, fur and such.

Will the mothball odor cling to the hats after two weeks in the bag? Will the hat perpetually smell like mothballs?

As for the freezer idea, how long should they stay in the freezer?

 

[thefedorastore]

Whatever variety they are, they made a feast out of an antique chair which was apparently stuffed with some sort of bristles or similar animal-based material. So they are the kind of insects which like to eat wool, fur and such.

Will the mothball odor cling to the hats after two weeks in the bag? Will the hat perpetually smell like mothballs?

As for the freezer idea, how long should they stay in the freezer?

Actually, you should pre-heat your oven to 350 degress, bake your hat for 15 minutes. Then remove the hat, steam it, and place it again in the oven (in the opposite direction) and bake an additional 15 minutes. If your hat is a vintage hat, you should have a good serving for four.

Disclaimer: Don't really do this.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Keep one of these in your closet:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/p...6909&aid=335972&aparam=hot_shot_no_pest_strip

 

[tonyb]

They still sell those things, eh? I have some recollection of them coming on the market, and being advertised heavily, in, oh, the mid to late '60s, it must have been. Worked great. And then they kinda disappeared, for what reason I couldn't say, although it's not much of a stretch to imagine it had something to do with consumer safety. After all, anything that works as well as those things did just has to be dangerous. Perhaps the modern version is of a different formulation?
Now, time to tuck the bug-free, six-fingered children to bed.

 

[Magus]

READ THE DISCLAIMER....

READ THE DISCLAIMER....

Actually, you should pre-heat your oven to 350 degress, bake your hat for 15 minutes. Then remove the hat, steam it, and place it again in the oven (in the opposite direction) and bake an additional 15 minutes. If your hat is a vintage hat, you should have a good serving for four.

Disclaimer: Don't really do this.

Thought he was serious...gald I read the disclaimer! lol


M

 

[Absinthe_1900]

They still sell those things, eh? I have some recollection of them coming on the market, and being advertised heavily, in, oh, the mid to late '60s, it must have been. Worked great. And then they kinda disappeared, for what reason I couldn't say, although it's not much of a stretch to imagine it had something to do with consumer safety. After all, anything that works as well as those things did just has to be dangerous. Perhaps the modern version is of a different formulation?
Now, time to tuck the bug-free, six-fingered children to bed.

It was supposedly invented by the real life character with the captive flies & the bottle of poison, in Midnight In The Garden of Good & Evil.

 

[tonyb]

Now don't be gettin' literary on my a**. If it ain't in Archie and Jughead, I want nuttin' to do with it.

 

[tonyb]

I also recall cocktail waitresses referring to wedding rings as "No Pest Strips." Whenever some obnoxious "stud" got to hitting on 'em, they'd deliver the drinks in such a way as to make obvious that ring on the left ring finger. Even the unmarried waitresses wore them, when conditions called for it.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Moths are one of theose creatures that serve no real purpose on this planet.. if there is a devil, he is the creator of the moth!

Kill them... kill them all!

 

[Zemke Fan]

Put them in the freezer in a plastic garbage bag...

How do I clean, or otherwise de-moth these hats so any potential destruction is stopped before it begins?

Leave them for 72 hours... take them out for 24... back in again for another 72... Much better than the oven! (No disclaimer needed.) The freezing cycle kills the eggs.

 

[Zemke Fan]

There is indeed a devil...

Moths are one of theose creatures that serve no real purpose on this planet.. if there is a devil, he is the creator of the moth! Kill them... kill them all!

... I worked for him. He didn't wear Prada, but he DID lie, cheat, steal, and sexually harass the interns. When I quit I gave him a list of reasons focusing on just the illegal things that he'd been doing. Oh, and to keep this on topic... I hope his closet is FILLED with moths!

 

[jamespowers]

OH YEA? HOW ABOUT THOSE WORSE CRITTERS: SILVERFISH

They are worse because they can squeeze into the box no matter how tightly it closes. I think moth balls work against them too though---don't they?

Regards,

J

 

[SHARPETOYS]

... I worked for him. He didn't wear Prada, but he DID lie, cheat, steal, and sexually harass the interns. When I quit I gave him a list of reasons focusing on just the illegal things that he'd been doing. Oh, and to keep this on topic... I hope his closet is FILLED with moths!

I know a hatter just like him... PM, me anyone and I'll give you pages of facts...I know his closet is filled with victims...