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Day 1
- Quick ID. Clothes moths, not pantry moths. Look for small tan moths that avoid light and for webbing or cases on wool. If you are not sure, put a pheromone trap in the closet. Only clothes moth males will stick to it.
- Clean the zone. Empty the closet. Vacuum edges, baseboards, and under anything heavy. UC IPM calls this out for prevention and control. Bag and trash the vacuum contents.
Days 2 to 4
- Treat textiles by method
- Hot wash and dry anything robust enough for 120 F water. 20 to 30 minutes is the target.
- Send delicate wools and suits to the dry cleaner.
- Freeze the truly delicate. 0 F for one week or minus 20 F for 72 hours. Keep items sealed during thaw. (Entomology at UKY)
Days 5 to 7
- Steam seams, cuffs, collars on what is still pending. Move slow. Test a hidden patch first.
- Lint roll knits. Focus on seams and folds.
- As each item is treated, move it into airtight garment bags or lidded bins.
Days 8 to 14
- Place one or two traps inside the closet, away from the door. Check daily. If counts stay high after treatment, you missed a source. Rutgers' distance estimate tells you traps can pull males from several meters, so keep traps near likely sources to avoid misleading captures. (NJAES)
- Do a second pass under furniture and along carpet edges. English Heritage lists those areas as common hideouts. (English Heritage)
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If you are considering chemicals
I avoid mothballs in a small apartment. Paradichlorobenzene is toxic and these products only work in sealed containers anyway. If you use any pesticide, follow the label and keep it out of your living air.
Success looks like this
- Trap counts drop to zero and stay there for multiple weeks.
- No fresh grazing or new holes on periodic checks.
- Clean textiles live in airtight storage, not open shelves.