Dealing with Moths as a Pest

Moths are viewed by most as a harmless creature you see at night, fluttering around almost like a butterfly. They are not harmful to the human body in any way and at most, seem to be just a tiny nuisance. However, once inside your home they can do some serious damage to your wardrobe.

You will see moths outside in the summer flapping around near a light source. This is because for thousand of years these insects used the moon to navigate. The process of locating a light source and using it to navigate is called transverse orientation. Man-made light totally disorients the moth and leads it to fly around the light source in an almost maniacal way. One way to prevent moths from being around your house is extinguishing external light sources when you are not using them. Another is to cover windows that allow the indoor light to escape outdoors.

Once you have moths in your house you face two issues. The first is simply the annoyance caused by them while they flutter around your lights or TV. But, the second can be expensive. If you have nice expensive clothing made from natural animal hair or, you are vulnerable to damage caused by moths. Silk, wool, cashmere, Angora, or fur, and any materials that contain keratin are the target. They lay their eggs and the larvae feeds on your clothing, leaving behind holes and frayed edges.

In the past people have fought this problem using something called a mothball. The ball is smaller than a golf-ball and is made from either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as active ingredients. The noxious scent drives moths away and they cannot operate in an environment containing these fumes. The problem is humans find the scent annoying as well. Nobody wants to deal with clothing or rooms that smell like mothballs. So, instead you can pack your favorite garments into cotton sheets. Moths do not eat cotton. You can also pack your nice sweater, shirt or jacket into one of those plastic storage bags or bins that you can buy at the local Wal-Mart. These measures will ensure you do not get victimized by the moth and its hungry offspring.