Moth Prevention

Tineola Bisselliela, a tiny little insect with a very long name, is public enemy number one for wool lovers. Nothing is more disheartening than finding that your hand-knitted items or wool yarns have succumbed to this tiny menace.

As upsetting as it is to discover a sweater or skein of yarn has become a victim, imagine the risk moths pose to a yarn shop. An infestation would be catastrophic and isn’t covered by insurance. Therefore, we take moth prevention quite seriously and go to great lengths to keep these nibbling critters away.

Most of the moths you see fluttering around, especially near light sources at night, pose no threat. The real concern is the common clothes moth (Tineola Bisselliella), which is quite small. If you spot these in your home, it’s time to take action.

It's not the adult moths that cause the damage; rather, it's when the females lay eggs on your woolen items. Everything seems fine until the larvae hatch and start munching on the wool. These minuscule larvae are the real problem; by the time they emerge as adult moths, significant damage has already occurred.

So what can you do? We have developed a comprehensive moth remediation plan: Prevent - Alert - Mitigate.

Prevent

Good storage habits are key to prevention. Always wash your woolens before tucking them away for the season, as moths are drawn to perspiration and odors. SoakWash is an excellent tool for moth prevention. It is a gentle, no-rinse laundry soap that we highly recommend! Our Laundry Day blog post will provide you with the best practices to care for your handmade items. Additionally, explore our fantastic selection of products designed for garment care.

While storing items in sealed plastic bags can help deter moths, it may also harm natural fibers. Therefore, we advise against this practice. Mothballs can be quite effective, but the smell is quite unbearable. Lavender and cedar can dissuade moths from nesting because they prefer the scent of stinky humans. While these fragrant deterrents can encourage moths to find a different home, they won't stop a direct infestation.

Alert

Now that we've established that lavender and cedar might provide a false sense of security, let’s discuss how to identify potential problems. Inspecting every woolen item with a magnifying glass for eggs and larvae is nearly impossible, as the larvae are smaller than a millimeter, and the eggs are even smaller.

We position these little moth traps in locations throughout the store to alert us to a potential situation. They contain pheromones that attract moths and are sticky like a mousetrap. The best placement for the traps is near the return air unit. If you see tiny clothes moths stuck in the trap, it is time to spring into action before they can multiply and cause serious damage. We recommend using a professional-grade trap, such as the Storgard Insect Monitoring System.

Mitigate

Suspected infestations can be mitigated by freezing potentially invaded items. While a refrigerator or a standard box freezer can be used, it typically takes one to two weeks to eliminate the eggs, as most home freezers don't reach the optimal cold temperature. We utilize a small box freezer that operates at sub-zero temperatures, allowing us to achieve this in just 72 hours. Periodically, we will target yarns and samples, freezing them just as a precaution. When freezing, be sure to seal the item in an airtight ziplock bag. Yarn donations received at our store are particularly concerning, so we place those directly in the freezer upon arrival. If you obtain older yarns from estate sales or similar venues, consider deep freezing them immediately to avoid larger problems.

High temperatures and steam can also kill eggs, but this approach is impractical.

As an additional precaution, we have the premises professionally treated with a chemical that disrupts the moths' reproductive cycle, ensuring that any that manage to enter are rendered unable to lay eggs and cause damage.

Unfortunately, you often don’t realize there's a moth problem until it's too late. Prevention is essential! If you lack freezer space and live nearby, we’re happy to offer freezing services—just reach out to inquire about costs and availability.

Fun Fact!

Did you know that a group of moths is called an eclipse? I’m not sure if that applies to clothes moths. I have a rather colorful name for them that I’ll keep to myself!

We hope this information helps you protect your woolens from disaster.