Little bitty moths in my closet

Now that the weather demands that we open our windows in our house we have noticed little moths flying around everytime we go in the closet. So we closed the door thinking that would keep them out but everytime we open the door and turn on the light we see one fluttering around and we promptly kill it.

What are the alternatives? Do they even sell mothballs here? I don't know if I want my whole apartment stinking like mothballs, but I don't want to have to replace our entire wardrobe by October due to moth larvae eating it.

I guess cedar chips would work as well.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
-prof

I had a problem with what they call Lebensmittel moths a while back. The get into a package of nuts or oatmeal or something at the back of the cupboard and they're damn hard to get rid of. I had to toss everything out and they still kept coming back with the next bit of fruit brought into the house. Most large grocery stores carry moth traps that are sticky pieces of cardboard and a rubber piece impregnated with something that draws them. These help a bit, but won't kill them all. If it gets bad, you may have to use an insecticide bomb which you can get at the DIY stores generally.

I've seen moth killing things that you put in your wardrobe. I think Raid make them. I saw it in Hit at Pep

You will probably have to wash everything you have in that closet and anywhere else you have seen these moths and while the closet is empty nuke it with some moth annihilation chemical.

Cedar wood will help keep the moths away but don't help much if you've already got an infestation (I got my my blocks at Tchibo but they don't sell them at the moment).
The more natural products (sprays etc) work ok against moths but not against the lavae, unfrotunately it is the larvae that scoff your clothes.

Detia Spray is excellent and kills moths and larvae but it is pretty chemical-ly so use it to kill them off once then use other more natural methods to keep the moths at bay.
You should machine-wash or dry-clean all garments, and then to prevent them coming back, always leave things to air or shake/bang them out before storing them (if you wear something then put it away without airing this attracts the moths as the scent says "food for my babies" to a moth), clean the cupboards out regularly if you're prone to moths and also use cedarwood blocks/hangers (to reactivate the scent just rub the blocks with some rough sandpaper).

I had an infestation years ago in my kitchen. It took several goes to get rid of them all. Throwing out food, checking little holes where the larvae like to pupate. Normally I'm quite "live and let live", but when they got into my tea, I took great pleasure in using match/hairspray flame throwers and vinegar baths (to the cupboards, not me) to get rid of them.

I haven't seen mothballs here, but you can buy moth traps or strips of (odourless) paper to hang in your cupboards from most drugstores like Mueller, Schlecker or dm.

Nexa Lotte is one brand that has traps (Mottenfalle) or strips of paper (Mottenschutz). They also have bags of lavender and insecticide if you prefer some fragrance.

My problem could have been caused by the ingenious creation I made of taking boxes and creating a shoe cabinet out of them. My nifty shoe rack holds about 20 pair and keeps them organized... but I got the boxes from the paper recycle bin downstairs where there probably were some fruit boxes and other insects living. I didn't even think of it.

Now the bugs are hatching and infesting my clothes. Crap. Time to do some laundry and visit the store for more extreme methods.



ps. How do I launder shoes?

I had a sealed packet of cereal in a drawer which I wanted to use, but my boyfie noticed that there were wriggling larvae inside! YUK!! Have no bloody idea how they got in!! :}
Guess they were the same Lebensmittel moths that someone mentioned...

I once lived in some dirt poor student household full of the little buggers. Got up one afternoon to have brekky, had eaten one or two spoonfuls of cereal when I saw wriggling things float to the surface of the milk.

Tupperware next time.

The Lebensmittel moths are callled dustmites in English. They thrive in warm places sucg as heated or poorly aerated kitchens/larders.

I think the moth/wiggly larvae could well be Indian Meal Moths.

They are gross - I remember reading a newspaper article once about someone who'd bought a box of chocolates and found larvae crawling all over them. "Protection inspectors found the larvae had bored its way through cellophane, cardboard and foil wrappers into the confectionary."