Moths love wool

**rollerboy_1979** · 22nd July 08, 05:09 PM

Now that my kilt collection is growing, it just dawned on me that I might need to think about storage. I currently have my two wool kilts hanging in the closet and now live in dreaded fear of moth damage.

Has anyone experienced this problem? I know that besides moths, silverfish also like to eat wool. I have a cedar chest and wondered if it wouldn't be a wise idea to store my kilts in it. If I do go that route, do I roll the kilt?

Your thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

RB

**Pleater** · 22nd July 08, 05:21 PM

Do you have a large freezer? Place kilt in thick plastic bag, roll to fit and freeze.

The insect that can survive minus 18 celsius has yet to hatch.

Anne the Pleater

**Bugbear** · 23rd July 08, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

Do you have a large freezer? Place kilt in thick plastic bag, roll to fit and freeze.

The insect that can survive minus 18 celsius has yet to hatch.

Anne the Pleater

I keep my rice and grains in my freezer for that reason.

You would think a close steaming over the whole kilt would kill them too. Same for pressing... Bake those little grubs!!

**Pleater** · 23rd July 08, 03:40 AM

Hmmm -refridgerator - maybe 2 to 5 degrees - it will certainly slow them down.

I have battled wool eating beasties for a long time and lost some of my best knitted and unknitted wool to them.

A batch of yarn for charity knitting, received a couple of decades ago, also brought me the varigated carpet beetle, which has devastated the good carpets in the house and drilled holes down into cones of some really expensive knitting yarns.

If the eggs or grubs are inside several layers of cloth it would take a very severe steaming to reach them, but the cold of a freezer penetrates deep, eventually, and they DIE!!!

Anne the wool beastie murderer - even the babies are not safe!!!!!

**JerseyLawyer** · 23rd July 08, 03:49 AM

I have some of the cedar hanging things in my closet, too. They seem to work (or, at least, I haven't found any of my clothes motheaten?). You should sand them every now and again to refresh the scent.

**Bugbear** · 23rd July 08, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

... Anne the wool beastie murderer - even the babies are not safe!!!!!

Mommy, Pleater has that look in her eyes again.

It's true, the freezer does kill the beasties of all sorts. * Riverkilt begins looking into a meat locker addition to his house. *

**turpin** · 22nd July 08, 06:33 PM

I have 15 +/-in my closet. I got a pack of cedar closet liners at Home Depot and set then under and adjacent to where they hang. Also, frequent wearing will help keep moths from nesting.

**Standard** · 22nd July 08, 07:51 PM

I've hung a couple of cedar pieces in my closet that I purchased at WalMart. They are blocks about 3"x1/2"x6" and have a hook in the top like a coathanger. Smells much better than mothballs. I agree with the comment about wearing your wool often also.

**sharpdressedscot** · 22nd July 08, 08:23 PM

Do moths like fire?

Get a flamethrower, I think they'll stay away from that.

**Fox** · 22nd July 08, 08:29 PM

On the same note, do some spiders also like to eat clothing? I do not ever recall seeing much in the way of moths, but we have many spiders at different times of the year, like right now. I would almost swear that I have had holes appear in clothes from spiders. Can anybody confirm or refute this? If some spiders are also a menace, does cedar also work the same way on them as on moths? If not, what might repel them?