MOTHS
How Do I know I have a Moth Infestation?
The Clothes Moth, Case & Bearing Clothes Moth are mainly a pest on carpets with all or some wool content or clothes with natural fibres. It is the larvae of all species that cause the damage (these are grubs) the adult moths don’t usually feed at all, just mate, lay eggs & then die. It is usually undisturbed areas of carpets and clothes that have not been worn for a long time that are attacked. Often when a piece of standing furniture is moved you may notice damage or when a not often used item of clothing is removed from storage damage is noticed.
Why Should they be Treated?
Moth infestations will cause damage to clothes & carpets and if not controlled will increase in number. The same applies to some beetle species.
Preparation Prior to Treatment
All areas in & around the infested areas should be cleaned, carpets vacuumed & furniture moved. In the case of stored product moths then the infested food should be removed to an outside bin & the containers and cupboards cleaned out & contents removed ready for spraying.
Treatment
I treat carpets, wardrobes, drawers and all soft furnishings in the infested and surrounding areas with an insecticide. All the insecticides I use are biodegradable, almost odourless, non tainting & do not corrode or stain. They are not toxic towards mammals but are extremely so to all forms of moth pests.
What do I do afterwards?
It is important that you do not wash down or vacuum treated areas for at least three weeks. Once this period is over it is important to be very thorough when vacuuming especially the undisturbed areas. This in itself will help prevent re infestation in the future. A common cause of Moth infestation is when people store off cuts of carpets or bags of clothes in loft spaces or cupboards. When cleaning (after the 3 week period), close attention should be given to rugs and carpets, draperies, upholstered furniture, closets (especially those containing natural fibres and furs), radiators and heaters, corners, cracks, scirtings, and other hard-to-reach places. All areas, including carpet areas under standing furniture must be vacuumed on a regular basis. If an infestation is known or suspected, the contents of the vacuum cleaner should be disposed of immediately in such a way as to destroy the insects (or an outside bin), to prevent a transfer of infestation from one part of the house to another. Bedding places of pets should be kept clean. Small numbers of adult and larvae forms may be present for some time after treatment depending on temperature the extent and amount of infestation. Complete eradication may never occur as small numbers may breed under carpets where they will not come into contact with the insecticide. The small numbers left should not cause damage as long as a high standard of hygiene is adhered to. Moths that are in the pupa stage at the time of treatment may still hatch into adults but will only live for 2-7 days (depending on temperature), the moths emerging from the pupa may do so over a period of several weeks depending on temperature & the time of year.
Guarantee
I guarantee to reduce the infestation to a level that further damage stops for one month after the initial treatment. This is providing the advice on vacuuming & general hygiene is adhered to.