Do you have moths in your kitchen or closet? We show you how to recognize food moths and clothes moths, get rid of them and prevent moth infestations with household remedies.
The most important facts about moths in a nutshell
- The Lifetime of clothes and food moths is only one to two weeks. After several molts, the larvae spin a cocoon for pupation.
- The adult moths then hatch from this cocoon and reproduce.
- The main problem is the moth larvae (caterpillars), which eat food or clothing and between 40 days and several months for development.
- Moths are a problem in the Kitchen or closet. Their eggs often enter the home unnoticed via food or textiles. Find out here how you can Recognize and get rid of moths.
Clothes moth: This is what it looks like
Clothes moths are six to nine millimeters in size. Their wings are light yellow to dark brown and shine in the light.
Unlike other moths, the wings do not have any patterns or decorations. This makes it easy to distinguish clothes moths from other moths.
Clothes moths: Recognizing signs and hiding places
- Clothes moths have a useful function in nature: As scavengers they utilize dead fur. Because: Moth larvae like keratinand this is found in animal hair. The moths need keratin to grow, but also to build their cocoons.
- Clothes made from Wool, down, silk, fur or leather and Carpets made from natural fibers are therefore a perfect place for moths to lay their tiny eggs . If necessary, the moth also eats cotton, although it cannot digest it. Sweat residues and human hair on the clothes attract textile clothes.
- Recognize moths is not that easy: The first signs of a moth are Clothes moth infestation are many small holes in clothing or in the carpet. On clothing that has not been worn for a long time, so-called moth webs. These are delicate, white threads or cocoon remains that the larvae leave behind. Another clear indication of the pestsMoths fly at the Opening the closet out.
Fighting moths: Get rid of clothes moths effectively with these tips
Search for the clothes moth nestWhich rooms are affected? Moth infestations often start in the bedroom or children’s room – in most households, these are the closets where clothes moths really feel at home. Search thoroughly for holes in the clothes and the small webs.
Once you have discovered the nest, you should Keep all doors closed. This way you don’t give the textile moth a chance to spread. Only ventilate briefly with a draught. From now on, don’t leave any more clothes lying around – not even for one night.
Everything must go! Clothes moth eggs, larvae and webs are mainly found on textiles and clothing made from animal fibers. Remove the affected clothing in a airtight plastic bag. By the way: It is difficult to recognize moth eggs as they are white and tiny.
Now it’s time to kill moths – with heat and cold: everything you can still save belongs in the Washing machine (wash as hot as possible). Then the freezer compartment (or the balcony in winter) for the remaining eggs and larvae. Leave the clothes in the cold for at least three days.
Empty all closets and suck them dryespecially the cracks. Then pack the vacuum cleaner bag airtight and dispose of it. Clean the cupboards if possible with Vinegar cleaner.
If you store clothes in the cellar or attic, clothes moths have an easy time of it. Wrap the clothes in newspaperto combat clothes moths – the moths don’t like printing ink at all!
There are many effective products on the market chemical anti-moth agents. But be careful: they often contain substances that harmful to health can have a harmful effect – and not only on the moth!
Food moths: Moths in the kitchen
- Drifting in the kitchen Food moths (flour moths and fruit moths) as well as bread beetles, for example. The problem here is not the adult moths, but the larvae.
- The moth larvae love Muesli, flour, pasta, other cereal products, trail mix, nuts, chocolate, cocoa and pulses. The larvae simply eat their way through thin plastic or cardboard.
- It’s not so easy in the kitchen either, to recognize mothsSigns of a moth infestation are Holes in packaging and Lumps and threads in the flour and breadcrumbs in nuts and muesli.
- The larvae are in flour and muesli like this well hiddenthat one often only notices the infestation when they become Butterfly become. Then they fly around looking for the perfect place to Egg deposition: dry foods such as flour or pasta. The adult moths are often found from early to late summer, with summer temperatures and high humidity providing the perfect conditions for growth.
- Food moths prefer slightly warmer temperatures and feel at home in heated rooms are most comfortable at 24 to 30 degrees. Reason for the infestation are mostly eggs or larvae on food or packaging. Moths rarely fly in through open windows.
Are food moths dangerous?
According to the Federal Environment Agency, food moths are are not disease vectorsbut they are not completely harmless to humans.
The excretions of food moths promote the growth of mold or bacteria in the affected food. As a result, the consumption of food contaminated by excrement, skin residues and spider threads can lead to Allergies, skin or gastrointestinal diseases can lead to allergies. Especially for people with a weak immune systemchildren, the elderly or people with previous illnesses, but also for allergy sufferers or asthmatics, the dangerous become dangerous.
Fighting food moths: You can get rid of moths with these tips
Effectively combat moths with natural repellents: Bay leaves, dried lavender, cloves, cedar wood, peppermint and thuja oil have a deterrent effect and protect clothing and food from moth infestation in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
Searching for the moth’s nest: You will find the hiding place of the food moths near their food source in the pantry or in the kitchen cupboards – and more where it is warmer. You can recognize an infestation by Holes in packaging and Lumps and crumbs in food.
Remove the nestSearch mainly in storage containers, Cracksholes, in dark corners, behind drawers and cupboards – food moths love these places. The best way to combat food moths is to remove the larvae and moths with the vacuum cleaner and dispose of the bag in an airtight container.
You should throw away all contaminated food. Also throw away badly sealed, opened packages and check sealed packages for holes, as the larvae can eat through thin plastic. It is best to repackage all uncontaminated supplies. Suitable are airtight storage containers made of glass, ceramic, stainless steel or hard plastic.
Now it’s time Cleaning: You should clean the cupboards with a vinegar cleaner thoroughly – ideally also wipe out areas behind and under the kitchen cupboards.
Hot air destroys moth eggs and larvae. Point a hairdryer or a red light lamp into all the cracks. However, this procedure is is a small and lengthy one.
The same applies to food moths: Chemical moth repellents can be harmful to health. However, there are also biological alternatives.
Moth larvae: How to recognize them
Moth larvae start under one millimeter in size after hatching from eggs that measure a barely visible 0.6 millimeters (textile moths). Over time they grow significantlyfeed on materials such as clothing or food, which leads to damage.
The Clothes moth larva can, under favorable conditions, develop in only about two to three months almost one centimeter long become one centimeter long.
The larvae of Food moths can grow even larger, depending on the species. The flour moth larva can up to 25 millimeters long which Flour moth larva up to 14 millimeters and the widespread dried fruit moth larva reaches a length of up to 17 millimeters.
These larvae have a beige-yellowish color with hairs on the sides and one brown end on one side.
Home remedies against moths
While humans use the scent of lavender are very pleasant, clothes moths do not like it. If you hang the oil on a cloth bag in your wardrobe, it will keep the moths away.
Cedar wood and Cloves repel moths with their special odor. You can buy slices of cedar wood in drugstores and hang them around coat hanger hooks, for example. You can buy cloves in the supermarket or in the organic food store in the spice section.
DIY trap against food moths Mix four parts baking soda (or baking powder) in a bowl with one part flour and place it in your cupboard. The moths lay their eggs here – the newly hatched larvae do not survive in the baking soda. Baking soda also helps against ants. Find out more here.
Sticky moth traps
You can use sticky traps with sexual scents (pheromones) from or drugstores to check how bad the moth infestation already is. The moth males are attracted by the scent and stick to the moth trap.
Prevent moths: You can avoid them with these methods
Check your pantry regularlyclean them out and clean them thoroughly. The same applies to your closet.
Don’t store too much food at home, but only buy as needed.
Keep your Food in airtight storage containers made of glass, ceramic, stainless steel or hard plastic. Clothes are also best stored in the attic or cellar in sealed plastic boxes or impermeable plastic bags – or you can wrap them in newspaper one.
When buying clothes, pay particular attention to the following, especially with used goods Gossamer and small holes.
Slopes Scent elements with lavender, cedarwood, laurel or cloves in the closet. Such moth protection is also available to buy ready-made.
Bringe Fly screen in front of the windows, they also prevent moths from flying in.
Suck in your rooms regularly and thoroughly.
Untreated or older carpets should lie freely in the room and regularly vacuumed or knocked out should be cleaned. Also vacuum out cracks under the carpet regularly. Avoid dark areas under cupboards, as this is where moths like to nest.
Wash curtains, cushions and small rugs regularly at 60 degrees in the washing machine. Don’t forget to clean your washing machine to protect curtains & co. from bad odors.
By the way: Stink bugs don’t like the smell of cloves either. You can find more tips on how to combat stink bugs here.
So that throwing away favorite clothes and food is not so difficult: The shamans saw the moth as a power animal. Its spiritual message: let go of the old and be ready for the new.
The Atlas moth is the largest moth in the world. It has a wingspan of up to 30 centimeters and lives in the primeval forests of Asia.
The three-fingered sloth has an unusual relationship with moths and algae. It cultivates algae in its fur as an energy snack alongside its leaf diet and uses the moths as helpers, whose excrement is perfect fertilizer for the algae. By doing its weekly business on the ground, it creates optimal conditions for the moths to lay their eggs. The cycle starts all over again when the new moths return to the sloth.
Further proof that moths perform heroic deeds: Researchers discovered that the larvae of the large wax moth can eat and break down plastic thanks to a specific enzyme. In future, this could help combat environmental problems.
