Have you ever experienced a situation where you put on your favorite clothes only to notice holes?
Such holes usually appear in irregular shapes and sizes and are primarily due to the feeding activity of insect pests.
In this article, we’ll be discussing all things closet pests.
Read on for more details on these and more.
Closet Bugs: How Problematic Are They?
Although closet pests are pretty standard, not everyone knows what they are.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of for readers about to find out what these pests are about. You probably have experienced or dealt with these pests but have no idea what they’re called.
A more befitting name for these would be fabric-eating moths or bugs. There are several of these pests. Examples include firebrats, roaches, silverfish, termites, crickets, and beetles.
You can find all or some of these pests in your closet.
Although closet pests are responsible for most of the damage caused to fabrics, the real culprits are the larvae of these pests. During the larval stage, these pests feed mainly on cotton, etc.
Having a real shot at stopping such damage will require eliminating both the larvae and adult moths.
How To Get Rid Of Closet Pests
For anyone facing a closet pest problem, the main objective will be to get rid of such as fast as possible. This brings us to the extermination strategies to be deployed.
When it comes to closet pest control, there are multiple options to adopt. While this is true, you only need to apply the most reliable ones.
Speaking of treatment options or strategies, this article provides several.
They include keeping dirty clothes out of your closet, identifying the problem, vacuuming up affected areas, and washing affected fabrics in hot water.
There’s more you can do to solve this problem. Consider applying repellents, and store your clothing correctly. Aside from these treatment methods, multiple preventive actions help you keep closet pests at bay.
Such actions will follow shortly after discussing these treatment strategies.
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The Heat Treatment
When it comes to closet pest control, one of the treatment strategies to consider is the use of heat. You can use heat in many ways.
We recommend washing affected/infested clothing in hot water. Here, the heat from a hot wash cycle should be enough to kill such pests and their larvae.
Asides from washing fabrics in hot water, consider placing affected items in a dryer. These two heat treatments go a long way in killing all closet pests hiding within such garments.
This is just one of several effective ways to resolve the problem.
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Cold Treatment
If heat treatment doesn’t sit well, you might find cold therapy a more suitable option. Closet pests are unable to survive under intense cold.
As such, you’ll need to expose them to intense cold. One of the ways to do this is by placing infested items in a Ziploc bag and freezing them for a sufficient amount of time.
The goal is to kill adult closet pests and their larvae and eggs under freezing temperatures. A minimum of 72 hours is required to achieve the desired objective.
After that, the items are removed and cleaned usually.
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Vacuuming Affected Areas
Closet moths are known to attack carpets, as well as fabric items. This means they can be found both within and outside the closet.
Simple as it may sound, vacuuming does a lot to suck up these pests. For best results, you’ll need to carry out routine vacuuming during an infestation.
Having vacuumed your carpets, also cover other areas that may be affected. This includes your couches and other furniture. This strategy can also be applied as a preventive measure to keep closet moths at bay.
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General Laundry Will Help
Getting rid of closet pests doesn’t have to be complicated.
One way to get the job done includes general laundry. General laundry in this sense requires washing all soiled clothes and those that aren’t fresh enough.
A variety of conditions attracts closet moths.
Such conditions range from soiled clothing, scents, sweats, and clothing with bodily odors. Generally, clothes that aren’t cleaned will attract these pests quickly.
Dedicating a few days or a week for general laundry significantly reduces the chances of closet pests sticking around.
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Some Lighting Could Help
Closets are mostly dark when closed. This provides the perfect condition for closet moths to thrive. These pests prefer dark and cool areas to nest and feed.
By introducing some light, you’re making your closing less inviting and favorable to these moths.
You might want to provide some led lighting or make provisions for natural lighting where possible.
With this in place, you should worry less about closet pest presence and activity as your closet becomes less inviting to them.
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You Might Need to Adjust Your Storage Behavior
When closet pests infest, it’s because of favorable conditions.
Such conditions have a lot to do with where clothing is kept. It’s essential to consider using airtight storage containers to make your closet uninhabitable to these pests.
With proper storage, there are fewer chances of survival for these pests.
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Natural Repellents Could do the Trick
You can apply other treatment strategies, such as using natural repellents to eliminate closet moths.
Natural repellents are recommended due to their non-toxic composition. While helping to exterminate or repel these moths, you and your family aren’t affected by these repellents.
Some good natural repellents include cedar shavings or blocks, dried lavender, vinegar, cinnamon sticks, lilac, bay leaves, moisture elimination, cloves, etc.
These and many other natural repellents will give you the desired results.
Be Mindful of What You Bring Indoors
When visiting a flea market, it’s crucial to have items such as furniture thoroughly treated outdoors before taking them in. This simple action prevents a potential infestation from happening.
Closet pests might be nesting within such furniture.
This is as much as we’d discuss on closet furniture. With the information provided, you have a better idea of managing an infestation if you already have one.
Also, you know what to do to prevent such infestation from happening.