2. Wash your woolens regularly. Washing in water above 50C will destroy eggs and larvae. Moths love sweat and food stains so clean woolens will be less attractive to begin with.
3. Clean regularly. Good vacuuming, especially of corners and edges, is an excellent way to eliminate moths, specifically eggs, before they became a problem. Vacuum out shelves, drawers, cupboards and the corners of rooms where wool items are stored. Remember to empty your vacuum canister afterwards.
4. Store wool wisely. Moths are attracted to dark corners. Storing woollens in a dark box in the basement or in the back of a closet is creating a home for them. I have started storing wool blankets on wire mesh shelves and leaving the closet door open. I regularly rustle blankets throughout the summer (when they are not in use) to make a less-desirable habitat. Rather than packing them away for the off season I keep wool sweaters upstairs in my closet with my summer clothes on top (so they regularly get shaken up). I hang whatever clothing I can in the closet where it’s easy to rustle through. I regularly hang woollens on the clothesline outside for airing.
5. Use moth-prevention sachets. Sachets of strong-smelling herbs like pennyroyal, mint, tansy, artemesia and lavender will repel moths. On Big Oak Farm we produce sachets from our home-grown herbs (meaning they have the strongest scent). Contact us through bigoakfarm.ca if you are interested.
6. Use plastic tubs or cedar chests. If you have special wool items like locally-spun yarn or roving or handmade sweaters, store them in sealed plastic bags or in plastic tubs that seal well. If you’re lucky enough to have a cedar chest, use it.
7. Don’t store raw wool in the house. Raw wool is highly desirable to moths because it contains lots of vegetable matter that they feed on. Raw wool should be stored outside. If you can, put it in an unheated shed or other place that gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
8. Use a decoy. Fashion revolution founder and author of Loved Clothes Last Orsola de Castro, for whom moths are a matter of course in her European home, recommends this approach. She’s found it effective at keeping moths away from the clothes that she really loves. She keeps a sweater for that purpose in a drawer with her other woolens. You can create a decoy by putting a small amount of raw or minimally processed wool in an open bag in a dark place where it will not be disturbed. If a moth enters your space chances are it will go there and not bother the rest of your stash. Check the decoy regularly and with minimal disturbance. If you notice a problem, you will be able to contain it quickly.
9. Ask questions. If you are selling or displaying your wool in a shop or gallery, ask what their moth policy is. If they don’t have one encourage them to develop one. This protects them and you.
10. Use heat or cold to destroy moths and eggs if you see moth damage.
