What is everyone doin to keep moths at bay?

[TheOfficialBren]

What if it's one of these?


I believe that this is called a "sphynx moth."

I encountered this sonuvagun at my sister's home the other night. HUGE bugger (pardon the pun)!!! He was highly aggressive and territorial. It took a few gentle and humane nudges with a stick to get him off of that doorknob.

[Dale Seago]

What if it's one of these?

I believe that this is called a "sphynx moth."

I encountered this sonuvagun at my sister's home the other night. HUGE bugger (pardon the pun)!!! He was highly aggressive and territorial. It took a few gentle and humane nudges with a stick to get him off of that doorknob.

Those are known mainly for damaging agricultural crops. The big ones are for our puroses nothing to be concerned about, unless perhaps it's this guy here:

[TheOfficialBren]

I was wondering when Mothra was going to be referenced!



I was intrigued by how hairy this moth was and how large his eyes were! He had an unusual amount of focus and presence for an insect, a bit more of that spark of life than most bugs have.
I humanely removed him from the door but his determination (and grip) were instantly evident.
I am derailing a bit, I know, but this particular animal earned my respect quickly. He will be a worthy adversary in the wild.

[chemist93]

To add a note on cedar blocks, when there's no smell, take sandpaper to it. Remove the dried surface. Some shops use a cedar oil spray, and of course the paradichlorobenzene cakes.

[Pipersson]

Does it help if the fabric is teflon coated?
Gives it any protection against moths?

[unixken]

What if it's one of these?


I believe that this is called a "sphynx moth."

Ironically, I think that would make one hell of a KILT PIN!

[Farquhar]

I don't have my kilt just yet (hoping to have it by the end of July at the latest), but I plan to use the same method I use for storing my wool jacket; a cedar "ring" that slips onto the hanger ( I have one both on the outside and on the inside of the garment bag), a cedar block placed at the bottom of the bag as well as a few randomly palced cedar blocks and satchels in the closet. It may be a bit excessive, but I figured it's better to be safe.

[Dale Seago]

While freezing one's kilts has been mentioned, what if you don't have enough space in your freezer?

Well, I just ran across a related alternative I'd never heard of before: cryofumigation. Seal your kilts or other items in plastic bags containing dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) for 3-5 days. The garments are thus bathed in carbon dioxide gas, denied oxygen, and it kills moths at all stages from egg to adult.

[artificer]

While freezing one's kilts has been mentioned, what if you don't have enough space in your freezer?

Well, I just ran across a related alternative I'd never heard of before: cryofumigation. Seal your kilts or other items in plastic bags containing dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) for 3-5 days. The garments are thus bathed in carbon dioxide gas, denied oxygen, and it kills moths at all stages from egg to adult.

Cool idea, but presumably you need to keep the dry ice from coming in contact with your kilt, right? I'd worry about the extreme cold of DIRECT contact with the dry ice damaging the material.

[Dale Seago]

I wouldn't think it would be likely to damage fabric, any more than the cold of your freezer would. But just in case, one might want to put something like a cotton towel on top of the kilt or other clothing, and the dry ice on top of that. In normal room temperatures it would vaporize completely pretty quickly, and the idea here is not actually to freeze the bugs and buglets but to gas them. In a totally "green" way that won't harm family members or pets should the seal fail on the bag.