Off topic: Clothes moths Inițiatorul discuției: Cilian O'Tuama
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Cilian O'Tuama 
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
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Anyone got a story to tell, or a solution to share?
Very off-topic! But people visit this site for entertainment/conversation too.
I moved flat recently and due to various hiccups, I was unable to unpack several boxes of clothes for almost 8 weeks. The clothes moths came and obviously felt at home. I'd never had a problem with moths before.
Anyway, I knew something was wrong. And one day 2-3 weeks ago, within one hour, I counted 18 'new' moths in my bedro... See more Anyone got a story to tell, or a solution to share?
Very off-topic! But people visit this site for entertainment/conversation too.
I moved flat recently and due to various hiccups, I was unable to unpack several boxes of clothes for almost 8 weeks. The clothes moths came and obviously felt at home. I'd never had a problem with moths before.
Anyway, I knew something was wrong. And one day 2-3 weeks ago, within one hour, I counted 18 'new' moths in my bedroom, on the walls and ceiling alone.
I reacted and things improved. They more or less stopped appearing in the bedroom, but started appearing in my hall, later in my kitchen. I hope it's under control now. Apparently they're coming from my vacuum cleaner.
Anyway, I've ordered a bug bomb (a.k.a. fogger) - it arrives tomorrow - but am a bit reluctant to use it.
Have any of you had a similar problem, and how did you resolve it?
(Comments in English or German please, if anyone could be mothered  ) ▲ Collapse
| | | | Arne Krueger
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
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You have new pets now - congratulations!
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italia
Local time: 07:52
Membru (2009)
din engleză în germană
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Clothes moths are gourmets and love most of all high quality wool, so the more endangered clothes are those made of wool. That's why I store all winter clothes and wool blankets in vacuum bags, which helped to reduce their appearance dramatically.
As for your current problem, you'd need to find where they come from in order to stop their proliferation. This means inspecting each wool garment and blanket for moth eggs or rests of their pupas. Then shake them all out and wash them, or bring ... See more Clothes moths are gourmets and love most of all high quality wool, so the more endangered clothes are those made of wool. That's why I store all winter clothes and wool blankets in vacuum bags, which helped to reduce their appearance dramatically.
As for your current problem, you'd need to find where they come from in order to stop their proliferation. This means inspecting each wool garment and blanket for moth eggs or rests of their pupas. Then shake them all out and wash them, or bring them to the dry cleaning store. Not to forget: wool carpets.
Are they actually clothes mothes, or rather food moths? The latter are a bit larger, slower and dumber than clothes moths. They love flour, noodles, rice and other starch rich food, so the kitchen (and pantry) is their main hunting ground.
You say you think they come from the vacuum cleaner, did you find some there?
Anyhow, I would use chemicals only as the very ultima ratio. It seems ozone generators are also effective, but you'll need to eliminate all living things from the room(s) as well as all things made of gold, silver and other precious metals as ozone causes high oxidation. Of course, like chemicals this is a solution to use in an emergency situation.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-04-30 07:16 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Cilian O'Tuama
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
They are clothes moths and only started appearing in the hall and kitchen after I thoroughly hoovered the affected bedroom and left the vacuum cleaner in the hall. I've now wrapped it in a plastic bag and keep it outside on the balcony. They seem to have mostly disappeared - touch wood!
I'm wondering if I should use the bug bomb to make sure.
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Zea_Mays
Italia
Local time: 07:52
Membru (2009)
din engleză în germană
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| moth ghost in the vacuum cleaner | Apr 30 |
Cilian O'Tuama wrote:
They are clothes moths and only started appearing in the hall and kitchen after I thoroughly hoovered the affected bedroom and left the vacuum cleaner in the hall. I've now wrapped it in a plastic bag and keep it outside on the balcony. They seem to have mostly disappeared - touch wood!
Have you checked the vacuum cleaner?  If they are there, just clean it. But I wonder how they should come out of it - getting into it is way easier... And where have they (or rather their eggs in case) been vacuumed up?
You need to know where they come from in order to eliminate the remaining eggs and pupas. Have you checked your wool clothes, blankets, carpets etc.?
They could also just come from outside, so the nest would be somewhere else, perhaps in the neighbourhood.
I'm wondering if I should use the bug bomb to make sure.
I wouldn't. It hurts the environment and ultimately you, and most of the times eliminating eggs and pupas is enough.
As you can imagine, I've had some close encounters with moths...
| | | | Martina Klett
Germania
Local time: 07:52
Utilizator
din italiană în germană
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| Lavendelsäckchen und Zedernholz | Apr 30 |
Nachdem die Motten alle eingesaugt wurden , kann man vorbeugend Lavendelsäckchen oder Zedernholzringe großzügig in Schränken, Kommoden und Schubladen verteilen. Den Geruch können Kleidermotten wohl nicht leiden. Zur Chemiekeule würde ich – vor allem im Schlafzimmer – nur im äußersten Notfall greifen, sprich bei großem Befall.
Zusätzlich wird empfohlen, die Schränke/Kommoden/Schubladen mit Essigwasser auszuwis... See more Nachdem die Motten alle eingesaugt wurden , kann man vorbeugend Lavendelsäckchen oder Zedernholzringe großzügig in Schränken, Kommoden und Schubladen verteilen. Den Geruch können Kleidermotten wohl nicht leiden. Zur Chemiekeule würde ich – vor allem im Schlafzimmer – nur im äußersten Notfall greifen, sprich bei großem Befall.
Zusätzlich wird empfohlen, die Schränke/Kommoden/Schubladen mit Essigwasser auszuwischen und die Ecken und Ritzen zu fönen, um versteckte Motten/Eier abzutöten, und alle Textilien zu waschen (oder 1 Woche in einer Tüte bei -18 °C einzufrieren).
Viel Erfolg,
Martina ▲ Collapse
| | | | Cilian O'Tuama
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
I hoovered a small carpet/rug before binning it. I reckon that's how the eggs and/or larvae got in.
They seem to have stopped appearing since I wrapped the vacuum cleaner in a plastic bag and put it on my balcony.
Hope I got them all. Time will tell. I won't use the fogger just yet.
| | | | Matthias Brombach
Germania
Local time: 07:52
Membru (2007)
din olandeză în germană
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(sorry, I couldn't resist)
I was affected as well by that problem, with all my wollen pullovers laying more or less openly on shelves ("mothsboards") in my vestibule. One day in last years summer I saw a big moth staring at me with its cold eyes hanging on the wall, and in autumn the results were very clear when cycling outside in the first cold days of the year. I also consider to store my future new wollen pullovers in bags when not using them during summer.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-0... See more (sorry, I couldn't resist)
I was affected as well by that problem, with all my wollen pullovers laying more or less openly on shelves ("mothsboards") in my vestibule. One day in last years summer I saw a big moth staring at me with its cold eyes hanging on the wall, and in autumn the results were very clear when cycling outside in the first cold days of the year. I also consider to store my future new wollen pullovers in bags when not using them during summer.
[Bearbeitet am 2024-05-01 18:47 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Cilian O'Tuama
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
The vacuum cleaner seems to have indeed been the issue, or at least one of them. Again, time will tell.
I opened it today (outdoors of course) in order to replace the bag, and 20 or so moths were flitting about the compartment. I immediately put the old bag in a plastic bag and knotted it. I brushed out the hoover but thought it best to leave it open and outside for a while.
Now I'm wondering if I should perhaps use a hairdryer (>50°C) or wipe the inside of the hoover... See more The vacuum cleaner seems to have indeed been the issue, or at least one of them. Again, time will tell.
I opened it today (outdoors of course) in order to replace the bag, and 20 or so moths were flitting about the compartment. I immediately put the old bag in a plastic bag and knotted it. I brushed out the hoover but thought it best to leave it open and outside for a while.
Now I'm wondering if I should perhaps use a hairdryer (>50°C) or wipe the inside of the hoover out, e.g. with vinegar essence. Or how do I make absolutely sure nothing survives (apart from the hoover itself, of course)?
There's so much contradictory info on the internet.
I could always buy a new hoover, I suppose. Just seems a bit drastic.
It's a Siemens Z 2.0, if that's relevant.
Anyone?
And thanks for the tips thus far. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italia
Local time: 07:52
Membru (2009)
din engleză în germană
+ ...
| clean the vacuum cleaner and what has been cleaned with it | May 2 |
From the pictures on the web, the cleaner parts (tube and brush/es) can be washed, using hot water.
Bags and (to be on the safe side) filter/s should be replaced. You surely don't need to replace the cleaner as a whole. As an additional measure, you could keep it with all parts in a _vacuum_ bag for a month or so, as if there are still some eggs, the larvae will not survive without air/oxygen (the issue just beeing you need a second vacuum cleaner for this).
You'd also need to thorou... See more From the pictures on the web, the cleaner parts (tube and brush/es) can be washed, using hot water.
Bags and (to be on the safe side) filter/s should be replaced. You surely don't need to replace the cleaner as a whole. As an additional measure, you could keep it with all parts in a _vacuum_ bag for a month or so, as if there are still some eggs, the larvae will not survive without air/oxygen (the issue just beeing you need a second vacuum cleaner for this).
You'd also need to thoroughly clean what you've vacuumed. If it was a carpet, just check it.
I don't think the moths have been vacuumed up - you'd have noticed them -, rather their eggs, so it could have been some time ago. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Ţările de Jos
Local time: 07:52
Membru (2012)
din engleză în olandeză
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| Cilian O'Tuama
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI
for suggesting I replace the filter too. Seems obvious but I hadn't got that far yet.
The living moths were indeed vacuumed up. I sucked them off the walls and ceiling before proceeding to the dead ones and then tackling the suspicious rug, which I then threw out.
I'd say there were at least a hundred clothes moths, living or otherwise, in total, plus whatever eggs etc. I happened to catch.
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Cilian O'Tuama
Germania
Local time: 07:52
din germană în engleză
+ ...
INIŢIATORUL SUBIECTULUI | Problem seemingly resolved, w/o fogger. | 00:52 |
Am just posting this for anyone else who may later have a similar prob and look for a solution on this site - pretty unlikely, I admit.
Nexa Lotte vermin spray (Ungeziefer-Spray - the red one, not green!) seems to have solved the problem in my case. Intensively spray all corners of the inside of the empty hoover, close it and leave it in a sealed plastic bag for a week. And just before you finish hoovering for the first time afterwards, spray into the nozzle again for 5 or more seco... See more Am just posting this for anyone else who may later have a similar prob and look for a solution on this site - pretty unlikely, I admit.
Nexa Lotte vermin spray (Ungeziefer-Spray - the red one, not green!) seems to have solved the problem in my case. Intensively spray all corners of the inside of the empty hoover, close it and leave it in a sealed plastic bag for a week. And just before you finish hoovering for the first time afterwards, spray into the nozzle again for 5 or more seconds before turning the hoover off.
To be on the safe side, I did replace both filters (and I still keep the hoover outside).
Thanks to everyone who contributed. You know who you are
[Edited at 2024-05-16 00:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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