Moth Infestations | What Attracts Moths to Your House? | Orkin (2024)

FAQs

Moth Infestations | What Attracts Moths to Your House? | Orkin? ›

Many people wonder what brings these pests indoors. Common knowledge holds that light attracts moths, and this is true in many cases. Moths often gather around outdoor lighting or windows at nighttime, where they may move inside through small cracks or when doors and windows are opened.

They Are Looking For Food Sources. Moths are also attracted to food sources. If you have any plants in your home that are attracting bugs, moths will be drawn to them. Additionally, if you have any pet food or bird feeders outside your home, moths will be drawn to those as well.

"If your home is infested with clothes moths, for example, regularly and thoroughly clean the home, including vacuuming inside drawers and closets, on and around upholstered furniture, and even along baseboards," said Tucker.

To prevent a moth infestation, carefully seal any clothes that will not be regularly worn in airtight bags, such as vacuum-seal storage bags. Also, try to keep the closet cool, dry, and well-ventilated to deter moths from laying their eggs there.

For large scale commercial accounts, fumigation is an effective option. At times, low-volume chemical treatments can also be effective. For the fabric moth pests, non-chemical methods e.g. vacuuming/sanitation, proper storage, and conventional materials e.g. liquid sprays and dusts are commonly used.

Clean and wash down affected furniture - wardrobes, cupboards and drawers, especially cracks & crevices where moth eggs can be hidden out of sight. Clean suitcases - bags, storage boxes & containers as these might be hiding more eggs or larvae.

Stored Food Moths

Pantry goods attract moth species that lay their eggs in stored grains and processed products. These pests often come into homes inside infested food packages. Once inside, their eggs hatch into larvae that eat grains, dried nuts, cereals, and a variety of processed products.

In the United States, Moth Season usually starts in the spring and ends two to four weeks after you first begin seeing the moths emerge. During this 2-4 week period, the moths will mate and females will lay their eggs to make room for a new generation.

Moths, like many insects, simply can't stand the smell of some of the most aromatic herbs, like mint, lavender, bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, and thyme. Use this to your advantage to create natural moth repellents in your home.

Why do moths suddenly appear? ›

The most common way to contract a moth infestation is by carrying infected items into the home. Food and clothing items that have larvae or eggs hiding within them can introduce a moth problem when you least expect it. Unsealed containers in our pantries are perfect targets for pantry months.

Sachets filled with lavender (and/or laced with its oil), when suspended in your closet or tucked into your drawers, are said to protect wool. They will also leave a pleasant scent behind. Lavender will not, however, kill moth eggs or larvae, so be sure the space is free of them first.

Air, heat, or freeze items you don't dry-clean or wash. A combination of sunlight and vigorously brushing the infested items can kill moth eggs and larvae. But this can be dirty work; expect to get grimy, and take care not to track eggs or larvae back into your home.

The Chrysanthemum Moth Spray can be used at any time of year to treat individual items of furniture, your carpets, the inside of wardrobes, or entire rooms. It is an excellent product to use as a first response to a heavy clothes moth infestation.

Heat treatment for moths is our most effective solution, giving instant results on the same day. The heat kills moths at all stages of the lifecycle, including eggs, meaning all traces are eradicated. A newer method of eradication, steam treatment is best used for moths that have infested clothing or other fabrics.

As such, the goal here is to systematically turn off the lights in your home to lure a moth back outside. You will turn all of the lights off in your house leaving only one light on near your patio. As the moth seeks new light sources to chase, it will usually fly back outside where it belongs.

For an instant kill, cleaning containers using a solution of hot soapy water will instantly kill Pantry Moth Eggs. Additionally, freezing items will kill eggs and larvae, although you must wait 72 hours for this method to be effective.

You can use vacuum cleaning, chemical treatment, and temperature against moths. These methods work best when combined together. You can kill moths with extreme cold or with heat using space heaters or a powerful steamer.