Moths in your closet can be handled.

One example is flies. Flies breed on organic matter, such as animal feces, garbage or decaying matter. So if you are seeing houseflies, they may simply be coming in (or already be inside) from those sources. You can remove dog poop from the backyard, move compost bins further away from the house, or just make sure before you leave for a vacation that you take out all the garbage. We’ve had a few customers call us about finding flies in their kitchen when they return home from a trip. Keeping outdoor garbage cans, or garbage cans in the garage, securely covered will also help reduce a fly population.

Another example of home pests that are typically DIY scenarios is moths. These are usually more troubling than flies due to the destruction they can cause. But like flies, whether they are pantry moths or clothes moths, they too are “hiding” in a nearby source. Pantry moths of course are in a grain or processed food product and that must be removed, or it’s very likely they will continue to return even if you kill all the moths you can see.

Moths can be in clothing but also potentially carpet, rugs, furniture or home goods brought back from consignment shops. It’s not the moths that are the source of destruction but the larvae that will chew holes in your belongings.

So carpet or rugs should be vacuumed thoroughly with a strong HEPA vacuum, and the contents disposed outside the home in a trash can. Clothing that is worn frequently is rarely infested with moths because they thrive on undisturbed items. So if you plan to not wear a wool garment, have it cleaned properly and then stored in an airtight container.

If you have identified clothes moths or seen evidence of moth damage, vacuum out drawers and closets. Vacuum all furniture and areas to remove lint, pet and human hair. Lint and hair that are left for a long time can be breeding grounds for moths.

You can use boric acid dust around cracks and crevices once the moth articles are removed and cleaned.

For clothing you don’t plan to store, place them in the dryer or in a plastic bag in the sun once or twice a month to kill the larvae. Wash or just shake/brush the clothes before putting them back in the drawer or on the hanger. This will help remove all remaining eggs and larvae.

As a note, mothballs can be effective but remember that these are chemicals. Do not place mothball products in an open closet or let them seep into your spaces. Once the odors are there they can persist and can cause reactions to many people.