Getting ready for ......

I once had a client who had a moth infestation the likes of which were enough to give me the heeby jeebies about the critters ever since. The whole of the back of his sofa was eaten away, the carpet was threadbare, the curtains were more hole than cloth and the bedroom - urrgh! 😱 I had to strip off outside my back door every day and put my clothes straight into the washing machine.

Anyway - we literally emptied his small flat and threw away the lot, except for the white goods in the kitchen (he used PIP ‘back pay’ money to replace everything) then used ‘foggers’ in the rooms for several days in succession, as well as sprays and powders - and we were successful in defeating the little beggars. That was three or four years ago now and his flat is still like a new pin with not a sign of a moth anywhere.

Before I start I must touch wood !!

I have never had any sign of moths at all and I've lived in 6 different properties over 50 years. In the last 3 I've had a vintage 1930s fur coat (inherited) which is in perfect condition. Nothing has ever taken a bite out of it. I have no idea why but I have never even seen a moth except at night when I've accidentally left a window open and a light on.

Is it something to do with living in the country? Answers on a postcard please from those who keep moths in their homes. Are you a city, suburbs, village or countryside dweller?

karmalady

Franbern

Like Bluebelle, moths have never been a problem for me. I really cannot remember the last time if I ever did) purchase a mothball.

Karmalady does seem to be in a perpetual stage of 'preparation' against something going wrong, somewhere in her home.

Suppose I am much more laid back and live life as it comes.

no need for your typically snide comment franbern. You really do upset a lot of people on GN

Did not think this was a 'snide' comment. Just something about your usual glass half empty. HJow are the preparations going for all the outages this winter???

Nobody has ever stated that were upset by my comments.

So sorry that I, like so many on here, do not worry about moths!!!

Chestnut

Is it something to do with living in the country? Answers on a postcard please from those who keep moths in their homes. Are you a city, suburbs, village or countryside dweller?

Good question Chestnut, apparently they are becoming more common due to a variety of factors. I found this article which identifies reasons
www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/interiors/a21927320/clothes-moths-increase-britain-lower-temperature-washes/

Good heavens, that has freaked me out! I've never done any of those things, but never had moths. Now I'm getting paranoid and will have to check my vintage fur coat for holes. 😳

sodapop

MawtheMerrier

Oh the shame!
Rejected even by the moths 😳😳😳😳🤣

I was shamed too Maw I had some items at an auction house awaiting the next sale. They rang to say they had been burgled but my stuff had not been taken. Even the thieves didn't want it - the shame .

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 both of you …

grannyactivist

I once had a client who had a moth infestation the likes of which were enough to give me the heeby jeebies about the critters ever since. The whole of the back of his sofa was eaten away, the carpet was threadbare, the curtains were more hole than cloth and the bedroom - urrgh! 😱 I had to strip off outside my back door every day and put my clothes straight into the washing machine.

Anyway - we literally emptied his small flat and threw away the lot, except for the white goods in the kitchen (he used PIP ‘back pay’ money to replace everything) then used ‘foggers’ in the rooms for several days in succession, as well as sprays and powders - and we were successful in defeating the little beggars. That was three or four years ago now and his flat is still like a new pin with not a sign of a moth anywhere.

😲😲😲😲😲… touchwood. I have never had a problem with moths, except when they come in the bathroom, trying to commit suicide on the light….😔

Casdon's article .... Better quality clothes contain more natural fibres that are favourable for clothes moths. wool, silk (and fur) apparently! That's me!
I had them eat clothes when in London, and now again on the coast.

MawtheMerrier

Oh the shame!
Rejected even by the moths 😳😳😳😳🤣

I can live with it Maw🤦🏼‍♀️ 😂

Never underestimate those pesky moths - they will seek you out! When DH needed his best suit for a formal wedding recently he was gutted to find a very visible moth hole in the shoulder, despite having been in a suit cover. It resulted in a quick dash to a well known store for a replacement!
He has taken Karmaladys advice and bought moth stoppers from Lakeland.

I’ve only recently acquired some cashmere sweaters but I’m paranoid about moths and have the cedar wood rings and keep the jumpers in plastic bags.

Last week I heard for the first time about larder moths! Now I’m also paranoid about those. 👀👀👀

Hate the thought of those pesky moths... have found evidence in odd places but never seem to get the better of them. I have pulled furniture back from walls, out of corners to no avail. Found some large munched bits right under armchair I use and on newest carpet. They say it can be a hormone thing and attracted to female scent. Other half has different sitting room with better older carpet and not the same problem. I would have hoped that moth repellent could be included in new carpets?

I have a lot of lavender about the house - in bowls and in drawers, and I think this is a good moth deterrent and also smells nice!

The moths which flit around outside are entirely different to the carpet and clothes moths inside housing.

We don't appear to have a problem with moths, but we do keep the few cashmere items we have in a camphorwood chest my parents brought back from Singapore in 1965. I do remember my parents using mothballs in the UK when I was a child in the 50's, but can't remember the last time I saw a moth in the house. So many of our clothes are synthetic fabrics now, so that may have something to do with it.

I too am preparing for the moth season!

Living as I do near the Danish-German border I buy my "moth-traps" in Rossmann. Last week they had sold out of the cheaper ones, so I perforce bought the slightly more expensive ones.

They turned out to be coated all the way down the back with adhesive - presumably so you could stick them inside the wardrobe. Only problem is - they stick well and truly to your fingers, but not to the surface of the wardrobe!

Yesterday evening, I thought the cats were making even more noise than usual during their evening romp.

No wonder, my poor little (well, all right, bidding fair to be my poor large) Trubel was running distractedly round with an entire cardboard Mottenfälle sticking to her left side!

Fortunately, even although a great deal of her fur came off with it, it must all have been loose hairs as she neither complained, nor has bare patches. She even allowed me to wipe her well with a damp cloth, once we got rid of the cardboard.

She has taken it upon herself to catch anything flying around in the house, or creeping along the skirting boards.

She and Tigger have already decimated the Daddy-long-legs and spider population, so I have hopes of the moths going the same way.

Touch wood moths not a problem, but at our previous house we had an attack of carpet beetles. Horrendous creatures, marching along like little machines, eating everything and impossible to get rid of. I wonder if the new people still have them?!

We went through a number of years trying to get rid of carpet beetles who munched through my lovely cotton bedding and wool
carpets. We also discovered that I am extremely allergic to the skins which they shed ( woolly bears). I think we are largely beetle free now although vigilant but there’s no wool carpet or 100% bedding in the house sadly.

Hate the smell of mothballs so I use hanging moth killers from Waitrose that smell of lavender. I hang them in wardrobes and place then in drawers and cupboards, seem to work very well.

.......a country dweller ....., for the first 50 years of our stay in this cottage, using initially mothballs, then a camphor wood chest and late cedar balls and cloves stuck in oranges we suffered from NO moth infestation at all
Strangely it all started in 2022, when most of my jumpers were destroyed by moth I have a very odd skin condition and find cashmere does not cause any reaction so bought it when I could

The 2 Cashmere sweaters I had bought in a Harrod's sale in 1959 were unaffected They had not been labelled as mothproofed . Most of the rest had to be thrown away.

No moths for me. What I would like is sonethibg to stop spiders getting into my summerhouse. Someone suggested horse chestnuts but very difficult to collect.

I read somewhere that they are attracted to clothes that have been worn and put away. I think they are also deterred by fragrances so I always keep bars of scented soap in all m drawers

nanaDana we have a camphorwood chest too and I keep my clothes that may be attractive to moths in that.
I’m always seeing them at auctions and they are fairly cheap, I don’t think many people know of their effectiveness.

Scary, I’m knitting a wool jumper, an expensive treat for me, it’s in an open carrier bag. I will have to hide it from the little beggars and use the cedar balls I got ages ago, some are used by my cats as toys so will rescue them. I’m glad I read this post