How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths
How can you get rid of clothes moths that have infested your storage space? While clothes moths are a relatively common issue that might arise while you are storing items, there are steps you can take to quickly clear away these pests and clean up damage left behind. The storage professionals at Cache Valley Storage walk you through our top tips on how to get rid of clothes moths—whether you are storing in your home, office storage, or self storage unit. Find answers to your pest problem below!
How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths
Make Sure You Are Dealing With Clothes Moths
How do you know it is clothes moths wreaking havoc in your storage and not another insect? Clothes moths usually go after animal-based fibers, such as a cashmere sweater or fur jacket. As larvae, they will feed on these materials, leaving behind holes and possibly webbing. Because they do their damage as larvae, they are small and hard to spot until they start to ruin your belongings. As adults, though, the casemaking clothes moth and the webbing clothes moth are about a centimeter with a yellow or gray color.
Clean Your Clothes & Storage Space
As soon as you know the culprit, you are free to start cleaning—and we mean everything. Start with your affected bins, and sift through to find pieces with holes with them. Have an honest conversation with yourself about what you can stitch up and what is better to just be discarded. Then wash all your items. If your storage space has carpeting, you will want to take extra steps to ensure the clothes moths do not stick around. Vacuum well before immediately throwing away the vacuum bag, and then steam or shampoo the carpet for further disinfecting measures.
Pack with Airtight Containers for Future Prevention
Now that you got them gone, keep them gone. Pack your clothing and other fabrics in airtight containers for the best results. Other options like garment bags still have some risk, with the potential for holes to develop around seams, etc., but you can rectify this with some tape for a quick fix.
Why do clothes moths choose storage spaces anyway? They look for dark, humid places, so if you can prevent your space from staying in that condition, you are already a step ahead. When you visit your storage unit or access your closet space, leave the space open for a bit to air out. You can also move around your items periodically and reorganize so pests do not have the time to make themselves comfortable.
Find more self storage tips on the Cache Valley Storage Facebook page!
Cache Valley Storage in Logan, UT
How else can we help you? Cache Valley Storage has five locations around Logan, UT, to serve you. From a few months of residential storage for seasonal items to long-term equipment and inventory storage for local businesses, we can handle any storage situation. Our outdoor storage units can manage large and small loads alike, and our drive-up entry to each storage unit makes unloading a breeze. To find a storage unit near you in Logan or Providence, browse our available storage units on our website and compare to find the best fit for you. Our online storage calculator and other online resources can help you make your decision and determine the correct size storage unit to rent. Rent or reserve your storage unit online today!
Rent Storage Units Today!
Cache Valley Storage – Providence | Cache Valley Storage – N. Logan
Cache Valley Storage – Main | Cache Valley Storage – S. Logan | Cache Valley Storage – Valley View
Tim Glasow
About the Author: Tim is an SEO Strategist at Storage Asset Management in York, PA. He is a self-storage industry specialist who has written about everything from storage advice and helpful resources to industry trends. In his free time, Tim enjoys sampling craft beer and exploring the local music scene.