Moth Control Products

Look at where the damage is. Holes in wool, cashmere, silk or carpet, with fine webbing or gritty droppings in wardrobes and under furniture, points to clothes moths. Webbing or small larvae in flour, cereal, rice, nuts or dried fruit points to pantry moths. It matters before you buy, because pheromone lures are species-specific - clothes moth traps and pantry moth traps are not interchangeable.

A pheromone trap releases a scent that imitates the female moth, drawing in adult males and holding them on a sticky board. Taking those males out reduces the number available to mate, which disrupts breeding and brings the moth population down over the following weeks. It also shows you whether moths are active, where they are and roughly how many. What a trap cannot do is reach the larvae already in fabric or dry goods, so pair it with treating the source. Read our honest answer on whether moth traps work.

It depends which you use. Traps may begin catching within a few hours of going up, with numbers building over the first week or two. Fast knockdown sprays act fast on the moths they are applied to, though they do nothing for the ones that are not there at the time. For longer-term prevention, keep traps or repellents in place after the initial problem is dealt with rather than taking everything down at once.

No - the adults do not feed on fabric or food at all. The damage is done by the larvae, which is why swatting the ones flying around changes so little. Adults in the room mean eggs or larvae somewhere nearby, so the job is to find and treat the source: the garment, the carpet edge under heavy furniture, or the packet of dry goods. Read our guide to getting rid of moths yourself.

It depends which you choose, because this range runs from non-toxic pheromone traps to sprays that do contain an insecticide. The traps hold their catch on an adhesive board with nothing to swallow, though they are still best placed out of reach. If you are considering a spray, we recommend trying a pesticide-free one first, checking the label covers moths. With any spray, follow the label directions, keep children and pets out of the room while you treat and until treated surfaces are dry, and ventilate afterwards.

The trap is working on the adults while the larvae eating the fabric carry on untouched, so find the source. Check wardrobe corners, under-bed storage, the edges of carpets beneath heavy furniture, and any wool packed away unwashed. Wash affected items hot, or seal them in a bag and freeze at -18C for two weeks, then treat the empty storage area with a moth killer spray before anything goes back in.

Keep a trap running after you have treated. Catches falling away and staying low for two to three weeks, with no new holes or webbing appearing, is the signal. Because the lure only draws males, judge it on the fabric and the dry goods as well as on the board - check stored items again before you call it done.

Wash or dry clean wool, cashmere and silk before storing it, since larvae feed on the keratin in sweat and food stains rather than clean fibre. Store it in sealed containers or garment bags rather than open shelving. Keep dry goods in airtight jars instead of the original packaging, vacuum carpet edges and skirtings regularly, and leave a trap in place to catch the next wave early. Our guide has ten ways to stop moths eating clothes.