Clothes, house or furniture moths are from the order of Lepidoptera. It is also called clothing, fur coat, carpet. Insects belong to the large family of true moths, differing in size, habitat and dietary habits.

The area of ​​interest of the clothes moth is clear from the name. Insects actively destroy home textiles : clothes, upholstery, curtains, carpets, as well as products from natural fur. The main damage is caused by caterpillars, flying individuals are not dangerous.

At home, there are different: wardrobe, fur coat, and others (). Butterflies differ slightly in color and size, caterpillars are practically indistinguishable from each other. An adult clothes moth has a rather expressionless appearance.

What does a mole that eats a fur coat look like? A small insect is colored beige and silver, narrow wings are abundantly fringed, whitish villi are noticeable on the head.

The moth practically does not fly around the room; it can be detected by accidentally disturbing it in its habitat.

Adults females prefer to hide in folds of fabric and piles of things preparing for breeding. In secluded corners, the moth lays eggs, from which caterpillars hatch, causing the main damage to textiles. Fast-growing caterpillars have a developed gnawing type of mouth apparatus, which makes it possible to quickly grind textile fibers.

Under natural conditions, this type of moth feeds on animal hair, plant fibers, and bird feathers. In apartments, the caterpillars' diet is much richer. Any textiles, fur products, various fabric pads in furniture, animal bristles become their prey.

The moth feeds not only on natural, but also on synthetic products. It often damages only the inner layer of the tissue, leaving the outer layer intact. Defects can only be detected while wearing; in damaged areas, the fabric quickly spreads out, forming holes.

You can see what a clothes moth looks like in the photo below:

How to Protect Clothes: Preventive Measures

Moth attracts worn clothes with traces of sweat and greasy secretions... That is why holes and scuffs often appear on cuffs, collars and other places that are in close contact with the skin.

The dressing moth is especially partial to natural wool: cloth, drape, woolen knitwear. It also affects fur: fur coats, hats, collars and other products.

The main preventive measure is frequent washing and cleaning of clothes... Do not store dirty things in the wardrobe. Attracted by the smell of greasy secretion, the moth will ruin not only them, but also the clean clothes hanging in the neighborhood. Items should be washed frequently or periodically dry-cleaned.

Thorough cleaning is also needed for seasonal clothing and accessories sent for long-term storage: fur coats, coats, jackets, hats, felt boots.

Fur mittens, shoe trims, fabric or fur bags should be cleaned periodically.

Some dry cleaners offer an additional service: a non-toxic anti-mole treatment that lasts for several months.

Protecting clothing will help and frequent cleaning inside the cabinet... At least once a season, you need to sort out your wardrobe. Mole loves nooks where it does not go Fresh air and sunlight.

It is important to often shift stacked clothes: sweaters, cardigans, scarves, warm tights. Clothes on hangers should not hang too tightly, between the products you need to leave gaps for ventilation. When going through the wardrobe, it is recommended to shake things, it is better to do this outdoors.

Woolen products are useful hang out in the hot summer sun... The bright rays negatively affect the eggs of the moth and kill the already hatched caterpillars. Frost has a similar effect. Hanging fur coats, coats and suits on the balcony in sub-zero temperature helps prevent clothes moths.

ADVICE! Owners of expensive fur coats, fur coats and stoles at the end of the winter season are better off to give products for storage in special refrigerators... This service is offered by large fur shops or dry cleaners.

Stably low temperatures kill moth larvae, fur remains attractive longer appearance, does not fade and does not become covered with dust.

Covers for moth coats: an effective measure of protection

Covers will help protect your clothes - an excellent moth repellent for a fur coat. They are needed for seasonal clothes made of drape, mixed fabrics and furs, which moth especially loves.

Coats, fur coats, jackets, suits and dresses are removed in the covers, they are suitable for transportation, protect clothes from dust.

Items can be purchased at hardware stores (for example, brand Raptor), best options for storing valuable mink and sable fur coats are offered in specialized fur salons.

The best covers are made from modern synthetic materials that do not interfere with normal air exchange. They are hermetically closed with a zipper or Velcro strap.

Products can be impregnated with deterrent agents. Such covers are very effective, but antimolent impregnations are toxic and not suitable for allergy sufferers.

The impregnated products must be protected from children and pets; clothes packed for storage are placed in the closet so that they do not touch other things. It is advisable to set aside a separate section for it. Impregnated antimolent covers remain effective for up to 12 months.

An alternative can be a product made of thick cotton or thin plastic. A convenient cover can be made by hand.

The style is simple: rectangle with sewn bottom and full zip. The size depends on the length of the product; a coat or fur coat should fit into the cover freely, without twisting.

Do-it-yourself covers should be washed every year after the end of the storage season. From the inside, they can be treated with moth-repelling aerosols. At home, it is better to use odorless preparations. They irrigate not only covers, but also the walls of the wardrobe.

Watch a video on how to properly prepare a fur coat for storage:

Wrestling methods: modern and folk

In the closet with your clothes? Moth larvae and adult butterflies about to lay eggs, hate the harsh aromas of citrus and lavender.

In the closet, you should lay out fresh orange or tangerine peels that will have to be changed frequently.

An alternative would be essential oil of orange, tangerine, lemon or grapefruit... The strips of fabric soaked in oil are placed in the covers with clothes and on the shelves of the wardrobe.

It is important to follow to prevent oil from spilling onto clothing and leaving permanent stains on it.

Healthy put in a sachet with dried lavender in the closet... Dried inflorescences retain a recognizable pungent aroma for a long time. To activate the volatile substances, the sachet needs to be crumpled in your hands from time to time.

If natural fragrances are not at hand, fragrant soap will help... Pieces in cardboard packaging or without it are laid out in different places of the wardrobe, periodically replacing them with fresh ones. The only disadvantage of this method is the tangible aroma with which things are saturated.

They effectively scare off adult moths, but they are unable to influence the behavior of already hatched larvae. It is necessary to use fragrances and sachets only after thorough disinfection of the wardrobe..

More modern version – fumigators... Plates will fit into a device plugged into an outlet. When heated, they activate volatile substances that are safe for humans and domestic animals, but kill larvae and adult moths.

How to protect a fur coat from moths?

Fur products are threatened by kozheedy, fur coat moth. But also the usual wardrobe is partial to fur coats, hats and collars.

REFERENCE! The larvae gnaw at the pile, leaving noticeable bald spots on the fur coats. Most often, the sleeves, shelves and back, as well as the area at the collar, are affected.

Insects are especially partial to short-haired fur: astrakhan fur, tsigay, mink. Moth can damage the lining, leaving holes in it... Noticing the slightest signs of the appearance of pests, you urgently need to take measures to save your favorite fur coat.

A mole ate a fur coat, what should I do? The product is removed from the wardrobe and placed on wide shoulders. The best thing hang a fur coat in a cool room: on a glazed loggia or veranda. First the fur is brushed outside and inside... Then you need a fur coat shake well by removing moth larvae and eggs.

Fur coat sprayed generously with repellent designed to kill moth larvae.

For home use odorless or neutral lavender products are suitable. Choose drugs with minimal toxicity.

It is better to work with gloves, protecting the respiratory tract with a gauze bandage. Not only the top of the fur coat is processed, but also the lining and the inside of the sleeves... Carefully spray the area under the collar or hood, cuffs, decorative elements, folds.

ADVICE! It is convenient to process a very wide fur coat in a horizontal position, spreading it out on a table or ironing board.

Do not use expired repellents, they are practically useless. Multiple remedies cannot be used different manufacturers simultaneously, many drugs do not combine with each other, forming harmful vapors.

After processing, the fur coat is left for half an hour, and then placed in a sealed cover with anti-molecular impregnation... It is better to leave the product outdoors for 1-2 days, and then put it in a separate section of the cabinet. Before placing the fur coat in the wardrobe, you need to treat the walls and shelves with repellents and thoroughly ventilate.

If the moth has eaten the fur coat not very noticeably, you can paint over the eaten place with thin felt-tip pens in the color of the pile, but this method will be effective only with the slightest damage to the fur. You can also go to a fur shop for repairs, where the bald piece will be cut and sewn up. You can do this yourself, but only if you have ever held a thread with a needle in your hands and know how to handle them. A blade with a thin needle is taken (for embroidery with beads): an incision is made in the form of a slit, the overcasting seam is closer to the cut, it is not necessary to tighten too much, otherwise the surface will be uneven, after overcasting, straighten the seam in a plane.

You can also disguise a spoiled piece of a fur coat, for example, by attaching a brooch, or by embroidering a drawing on this place.

If it is not possible to disguise, and the ateliers refuse to take the thing, then, unfortunately, you will have to part with the fur coat. Throwing it out, of course, is not worth it - it is better, again in the atelier, to sew something else out of it. Also, if a fur coat is eaten near the hem, and if the length permits, you can simply shorten it. Then the thing will be intact, and update at the same time.

But, whatever decision you come to, it is necessary to deal with the moth itself in the house. Although it does not pose a danger to human health, in turn it can cause a lot of unpleasant problems, one of which you have already encountered.

You should also know that moth butterflies are actually not so much dangerous as their caterpillars, which spoil things.

Moths are of several types:

Grain moth. Its larvae develop into kitchen cabinets: in dried fruits, cereals, flour and other products - where it is warm, a little humid and there is no ventilation.

Clothes moth - is located on tissues of animal origin. Moth larvae feed on wool, silk, fur, skin, and can cause significant damage by eating holes in the tissues. They especially love sweaty stains on clothes, folds, gathers, folds under the collar and cuffs.

The fur coat moth spoils things exclusively from May to September, without touching it while being worn by a person.

Furniture and felt.

Carpet moth, more often called kozheed, because in the absence of carpets, it does not disdain leather goods.

Bright sunlight, fresh air and high temperatures (temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius within 30 minutes will kill them) are detrimental to the eggs of moth caterpillars, so use a hot iron to exterminate the caterpillars in woolen clothes.

For prevention, you should do the following:

2-3 times a year, clothes should be carefully examined, knocked out and shaken out, cleaned with brushes and vacuum cleaners, and also dried;

Make sure that cabinets, drawers, etc., intended for storing things, are clean, without cracks and holes, with tightly closed lids and doors;

Before you put your clothes away for storage, you should definitely wash and clean them;

Woolen clothes, fur coats, coats, having previously cleaned and dried in the sun (thereby removing moth eggs from them), should be placed in thick paper or plastic bags for the summer; small items can be wrapped in fresh newspapers or wrapping paper.

Additionally

Such a nuisance can happen to each of us when you take out your favorite fur coat from your wardrobe, and she already has a new mistress - a moth that feeds on the skin of a fur coat and lays its larvae in the pile .. So, what to do if a moth ate a fur coat? Having survived the shock, and having calmed down a little, it is necessary to draw up an action plan, which will depend on the extent of the damage to the fur product.

Methods for restoring a fur product

1. First, it is necessary to get rid of the moth and its larvae; disinfect. To do this, you need to purchase an insect repellent, preferably from moths. Next, you should carefully spray the composition over the entire product, shake it well, clean it and ventilate it. It will take you almost a whole day. Then carefully inspect the matted areas of fur, where moth larvae are most often found. Try to get rid of them completely.

2. Inspect the fur coat that the moth eats and assess the extent of the damage. If the product is slightly damaged, and some damaged areas are hidden from prying eyes, you can touch up the affected areas a little. In this case, you will need pile-colored markers with a thin rod.

3. If you have the simplest sewing skills, and the needle and thread are not difficult tools for you, the damaged areas eaten by the moth and its larvae can be carefully cut out, then sew up these places. To do this, you need to prepare a blade and a thin needle (this is used when working with beads), make an incision in the form of a slit, and then overcast it with an overcast seam closer to the very edge of the cut. Do not tighten the thread too much, otherwise the fur may shrink and the seam will turn out to be uneven. After finishing the overcasting, straighten the seam.

4. In some cases it will help simple disguise damaged place. If a mole has damaged the fur, so to speak, in " good location", For example, in the area of ​​the collar or near it, here the original embroidery or a beautiful brooch will come to the rescue, which will perfectly hide this flaw.

It should be noted that combining fur with different kinds fabrics, and especially with lace, are now in vogue.

Preventive measures

Inspect the items in the closet regularly and with particular care. Do not forget to periodically shake them out, dry, clean with a brush or vacuum cleaner.

Be careful not to get moths in the closet. To protect the fur coat from moths, it is necessary to keep the cabinet clean, it must be sufficiently tight (no holes and cracks), the doors must be tightly closed.

Only hang and put clean clothes in the closet. It is recommended to pre-dry woolen things in the sun, wrap them in several newspaper layers with the addition of pieces of citrus peel, the smell of which the moth does not tolerate.

I bought at the seasonal spring sale a wonderful mink coat... And I didn't know anything about the fact that even in the most expensive boutiques there is a moth infection! Calmly packed it in a cover until winter, hung it in the closet. And in November, when I took out a fur coat to prepare it for winter, I was horrified to find that the precious fur was spoiled! All over the fur coat there are disgusting bald spots, it is impossible to restore, as they said in the studio. Money wasted, nothing to wear. Such a story might not have happened if, before buying, the girl had learned in advance how to protect a mink coat from moths.

Modern methods of complete protection against moths

The first step is to forget about folk methods. Covering winter clothes in a closet with dry grass (lavender, etc.), firstly, is not fashionable, and secondly, it is not effective: it may scare off adult butterflies, but the larvae of essential oils are not at all afraid. Better to turn to modern means. Here's how to properly protect a mink coat from moths:

• Store your fur coat in a case. It is best to buy a special protective one, but in extreme cases, the one in which the fur coat was sold will do.
• Be sure to isolate it from other woolen items - moths are attracted to food accumulations.
• If there was a move to new apartment, be sure to process the premises - for this, special teams are called. The moth is good at hiding, and it may not be a pleasant surprise at all.
• Spray the closet and fur coat. Modern remedy from moths for a mink coat does not smell of anything (perhaps lavender - but not everything), does not spoil the fur, and repels insects perfectly. If the pests have already started, insecticides will help: they will kill the moth if the treated fur coat is hidden in an airtight cover for several days.
• Before attaching another, especially a cheaper one, to a mink coat, arrange a quarantine: hold new thing in severe frost (below -10) or expose to the hot sun for several days. If the thing was infected with at least one larva, the moth will die from quarantine.

We keep a mink fur coat at home: important rules

How to store a mink coat at home so that it does not lose its beauty? Several conditions must be observed, quite simple ones. In winter - just walk in dry frosty weather. On rainy days, it is better for a fur coat to be at home - unless you intend to travel by car all day. If it is not possible to walk in a fur coat regularly, put it on the balcony at night - fresh air is useful for mink fur.

Did an unexpected weather change happen and your fur coat got wet? Dry it away from heat sources - even the proximity of the battery can damage it, the fur will fade. Competent drying looks like this: straighten the fur coat on wide shoulders, shake it, blot it with a soft cloth, then smooth the pile with a special brush and do not touch it until it dries.

Summer storage features

How to store a mink fur coat in the summer is a separate question. For fur products, the warm season is not the best, high temperatures they are harmful. It is best, of course, to buy a special refrigerator for fur coats made of valuable fur, but this is not available to everyone. Therefore, so that the fur coat does not deteriorate by the next season, you need to make efforts.

First, it is worth preparing a fur coat for the summer in advance. A clean fur coat must be properly ventilated, then straightened on a hanger, straighten the pile with a brush. Fasten with all buttons, put in a cover, which must be permeable to air.

Secondly, you need a special storage room: cool, spacious, clean, dark. There are no heating devices nearby, plus it should be far from the bathroom and kitchen in order to maintain the required humidity (no more than 60%).

We clean the mink coat at home

It is difficult to clean mink fur products at home, but it is possible. This usually happens like this:

• The simplest way is soap solution. Baby soap or baby shampoo is diluted with water, the fur coat is washed with a sponge or soft cloth. So the mink fur is cleaned of dust before long-term storage.
• If the dirt is more serious, use gasoline: either moisten a brush with it and walk over the nap, or, to remove stains, mix gasoline with starch and rub the stain with this gruel. Then wash it off gently.
• If the fur coat turns yellow, treat it with hydrogen peroxide (with a weak solution - a tablespoon per liter of water). Try not to get on the base so as not to ruin the product.
• Make-up stains are removed with medical alcohol: washed off with a cotton swab.

Attention! Heavy pollution, especially from road chemicals, require dry cleaning! Take good care of your fur coat, and it will serve you for many years.

Fur coat moth - a small moth of shiny clay yellow color... The wingspan is only 15 mm. The color is inconspicuous, the wings are fringed, on the front wings are visible dark spots... Larvae are smooth caterpillars white with a dark head. They live in a portable case, gnaw on wool, regardless of whether they eat it or not. The fur coat moth is also called home moth. This is the most unwanted pest, the damage from which is calculated in the thousands. The caterpillar attacks mainly furs.

Life cycle features

A moth in a fur coat starts up in the summer, when the product is hidden in a storage cabinet. In winter, the insect can also be in the house, but due to the fact that the fur product is often worn, periodically "walk" in the frost, the larvae die from the low temperature. In summer, all conditions are created for the normal existence of an insect.

On a note!

It takes a little for a fur moth - no straight lines sun rays, the temperature is not lower than +10 degrees Celsius, moderate humidity, the presence of a fur coat in the closet.

On sale there are special covers for storing fur coats, coats. They are impregnated with insecticides from the inside, they smell like lavender, lime to scare away butterflies. In such a case, the product will definitely remain safe and sound. The Raptor offers a protective cover so that the moth does not start eating a fur coat. Price RUB 389 The shelf life is 36 months.

If the cost of a special cover does not suit, and the question of how to treat a moth coat remains open, you can use: aerosol Raptor, Armol, Clean house, any spray with a wide spectrum of action, pleasant smell. The same remedy is used if a mole has started up in the fur coat. The product is taken out into fresh air, suspended, treated with an aerosol, and left to dry. Placed in a plastic bag for storage. Aerosol price within 250 rubles.

Moth remedies for a fur coat are available in the form of sections, tablets in a plastic base, pendants, stickers. All of them have a deterrent property, create unfavorable conditions for laying eggs.

On a note!

Most of all, the moth is afraid of the smell of lavender, citrus, which is why fumigators smell like that. Essential oils are added to the composition, the action lasts from 1 month to 6. The funds are laid out in a closet, glued in a convenient place.

Folk remedies

If the moth eats a fur coat, insecticidal preparations are used to protect the product and exterminate the pest. For prevention can be used folk remedies... It should be noted right away that chestnuts, peels of orange, tangerines, and lemon are ineffective. It is more useful if you place fragrant toilet soap in the closet.

Effective folk remedies for fur moths are lavender and lemon essential oils. Lime, orange, grapefruit, peppermint, rosemary. Soak cotton wool, put it in the corner of the cabinet. When the smell disappears, put cotton wool again, but impregnate it with another essential oil to avoid addiction.

On a note!

In the room where the closet with clothes is located, it is recommended to grow indoor plant geranium. The persistent scent repels not only moths, but also other pests.

Another effective folk method how to protect a fur coat from moths, spray the product with perfume, toilet water and then put into a plastic bag. Strong smell will remain for a long time, the larvae will not be able to settle in the pile. You can save yourself from financial damage, headaches, and a nervous breakdown with your favorite perfume.

If all else fails

The situation when a moth ate a mink coat is common. But you can prevent an unpleasant phenomenon if you respond to the problem in a timely manner. One fluttering moth in the room should act as an SOS signal. You need to act immediately.

If, after processing the product with insecticidal preparations, the caterpillars continue to sharpen the pile, you need to dry-clean the fur coat. There it will be treated with a professional preparation, the pests will be completely destroyed.

In developed countries, expensive fur coats are deposited in special chambers, where the most Better conditions for fur products. At home, you need to take care of the safety of the fur yourself. The main condition is to comply preventive measures, do not leave the product without a sealed bag, periodically look through the cabinets, assess the condition of the fur coat.