How To Get Rid Of Moths Outside
One of the most common insects to often invade our homes are those darn annoying moths! You know those little insects with their dusty wings that sneak into our cupboards and wardrobes to destroy everything they find inside? The worst thing is that not only do they destroy our clothing and eat our food, but they can also end up attacking books, wooden doors, and furniture. Moths can just become a really big headache, really quickly.
But what about when the problem is outside? How to get rid of moths outside? Well to be honest you will never completely get rid of moths outside. It’s going to be tough. However, there are lots of things you can do and steps that can be taken, that will really deter many of those nuisance moths and will allow you to enjoy your outdoor areas.
Fortunately for you, we have had some great success with keeping moths at bay whilst relaxing outside. In this article, we will discuss a little bit about these insects and hopefully will give you some useful advice that will show you how to get rid of moths outside, as well as in your home.
Why Do These Moths Show Up In The First Place?
Generally, these fuzzy insects love to settle in all kinds of cracks. You know the kind of cracks that the outside of your house and garden is literally littered with. So, if like many your house is full of them, there is a chance that they have decided to nest in there. A quick and obvious solution to this problem is to seal all the cracks; otherwise, the moths will expand and become a real plague.
Another factor that is going to greatly increase the frequency at which those annoying little pests are showing up is lighting. Any rooms or outdoor areas that have a source of low light, but also have lots of cracks everywhere are going to be the perfect place for moths to thrive. These moths prefer to grow and develop in darker conditions.
Likewise, having plants with flowers that produce nectar near to or inside the home could be another method of encouraging moths into your space. Out of the moths that actually eat as adults, they will often choose to feed on the nectar of flowers during the adult stage of their life. An example of these is the so-called Miller moths.
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Occasionally, moths will invade our homes or garden sheds because we have brought products into these spaces that have been previously infected. Any fabrics or food items could easily be hiding moth eggs or larvae. Especially if they are purchased from secondhand stores or from stores that may not have a good means of storage themselves. In this case, we are actually the ones who are encouraging them into our spaces and are helping them to thrive. Even after you have filled all the cracks in your walls, there are no suitable light conditions (possibly impossible) and you have literally sucked the life out of your patio and removed any flowering plants (Bit extreme we know), even then these irritating little flappers can still make an appearance to ruin your day, your night or maybe even your year.
Are Moths Dangerous?
Are moths dangerous to humans physically? No. Of course not they’re moths have you seen the size of them, you can literally crush them. Not to mention if you just touch their wings it’s pretty much game over for them. Until Mothra comes a knocking I would imagine moths pose no real physical threat to us humans.
However, in relation to our businesses, our homes and our food supplies Moths can be quite dangerous. Moths are considered especially dangerous at crop level since they consume everything, decimating crops. E.g. the cabbage moth or the Indian meal moth. These little guys are known for absolutely destroying food stores and crops. Then you’ve got all sorts of clothes moths that will just come and devour any fabrics that contain keratin, the animal-based protein. Imagine a few thousand of those in a carpet warehouse. Next time you get burned by a furniture company you’ll know how to get your revenge. Or a library. Book moths are an absolute nightmare. Who knew bookworms were even a real thing?
Whilst let’s face it unless some blood-sucking moth, with the ability to carry bacteria or parasites shows up, some sort of biologically weaponized freak moth, there isn’t going to be too many human casualties at the hands or should I say at the wings of moths. However, there are some species whose scales on their wings can cause allergic reactions in some sensitive people, you know the kind that can’t clean a cupboard without sneezing or weeping profusely. Although it is not an imminent risk or an extremely serious problem, I don’t think it’s had anyone reaching for their epi pen. Although saying that there is one particular type of moth, known as the flannel moth or cat’s moth, who as a caterpillar has these poisonous hairs that can cause pain and rashes on the skin. In some more serious cases they can cause swelling, nausea, and general skin problems. We should point out that you would likely get more serious issues from accidentally touching the fiberglass insulation in your loft.
How To Get Rid Of Moths Outside From My Garden Or Patio?
When it comes to exterminating these annoying critters, there are different alternatives to which we can resort, but the most common forms of disinfection are simply base either on physics or chemistry.
The first is usually the best of the two options, although its execution is not as easy as some people may think.
About using chemical methods. They are generally considered quite dangerous for human health, so they must be used with great care, especially if it is pentachlorophenol, whose toxicity can affect both people and the environment, so it is essential to wear masks. These chemical methods tend to be better to be used for internal pest control. You do not have any control over the exposure of these chemicals to the general environment or other animals or pets that you do not want to go near this stuff. It is poison and is highly carcinogenic and you really don’t want anything you care about going anywhere near the stuff. If you really want to go down the chemical route there are liquid insecticides on the market. We would only suggest that you look to getting someone who is qualified to deal with this sort of thing as you can create a real situation for yourself if you do not know what you are doing.
Home Remedies To Deter Moths From Your Garden Party?
If fumigation with chemical products and physical treatment is not the most appealing solution for you, you may be interested in trying some home remedies that we consider quite effective at eliminating or deterring these annoying moths.
Bay Oil
Plant a Laurel plant in your garden, apparently moths hate them. They are also pretty hardy hedging. If you want to boost the deterring nature of your laurel. You could apply a mixture of bay oil and water and spray it onto any garden plants that will be in close proximity to the area you are trying to keep moths away from. Obviously, the water will separate from the oil so make sure you keep shaking the bottle to keep the two sufficiently mixed to be delivered through the misting process.
The truth is that it is an easy product to obtain, but if you do not have it at home, you can do it with bay leaves and olive oi. To do this, you must put the crushed leaves in a glass container and then fill it with enough oil so that they are barely covered. You need to leave that mixture to rest for at least a month. After which you should have a relatively decent moth deterrent. You can put it on most things and as it is oil-based it will take a while for water to wash it away.
Cloves
Without having to resort to the well-known naphthalene, one of the most effective remedies to eliminate and deter moths is to put cloves in the corners of the patio or place it anywhere you want to chase away moths.
Taking advantage of the cloves, we can get a very good moth repellent by mixing rosemary leaves with thyme, mint or eucalyptus and some cloves. We grind everything together and place it in a container or bag. Then we place them wherever we are trying to deter the moths.
Ground pepper
Ground pepper is another ingredient that helps to scare away moths. Putting pepper in bags, next to cinnamon sticks and/or cloves is another effective method to deter moths from your BBQ or garden party
Prevention of moths
It should be noted that the best way to avoid having moths at home is to prevent them from appearing, both in clothing and in food. For this, it will be fundamental to:
- Keep the cabinets and pantries clean and disinfected.
- Keep clothes clean.
- Get rid of clothes that have been attacked by moths.
- Avoid excess moisture at home.
- Check that you are not storing infested food.
Lemon or orange peel
Another home remedy for moths can be obtained by cutting the skin of an orange or lemon into pieces and allowing them to dry completely. Once dry, they can be distributed either loose or else in some type of cloth bag. Just leave it anywhere you don’t want to see moths hanging around.
Speaking of lemon, another trick that is very easy to do is to cut the skin of the lemon in a spiral and hangs it from a lamp or bottle. This could certainly help at deterring moths from your garden party or BBQ. Anti-moth effect with a fragrant aroma all at the same time! Beats the smell of insecticide in the morning.
Garlic
Garlic is a powerful moth repellent. As well as many other insects. Turns out it’s not just good for vampires. To prepare this spray we would usually use a blender. Blend together a garlic head with some cloves; Mix in two glasses of water until a smooth mixture is created. Let this mixture stand for an entire day and then add 3 more liters of water. It can be applied directly as a mist onto just about anything. Including living plant leaves. So, your BBQ should hopefully have an additional layer of protection.
Another option that you can use: In a jar fill it half with water and half with alcohol; Peel and cut 1 medium garlic bulb and place it inside the jar. Label the bottle with the date and name of the extract; let it stand for at least 3 weeks in a cool place and without direct sunlight.
To use the extract, place it in a spray bottle with water (the ideal ratio is 1:10, 1 part of the extract for 9 parts water).
These remedies will help to prevent any moths from ruining your BBQ or your garden party.
Are My Clothes & Books In Danger?
Fortunately, out of all the species of moths that exist in the world, only a few feed on fabrics and wood. Unfortunately, these are the exact types of moth that you are likely to encounter in any home or garden setting. So yes. Yes, your clothes and books are in more danger than a cake at a kid’s party.
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