What is everyone doin to keep moths at bay?

**Dale Seago** · 12th June 13, 12:33 PM

I wouldn't think it would be likely to damage fabric, any more than the cold of your freezer would. But just in case, one might want to put something like a cotton towel on top of the kilt or other clothing, and the dry ice on top of that. In normal room temperatures it would vaporize completely pretty quickly, and the idea here is not actually to freeze the bugs and buglets but to gas them. In a totally "green" way that won't harm family members or pets should the seal fail on the bag.

**Phil** · 12th June 13, 01:54 PM

This kind of thing - https://www.spacebag.com/ - protects the kilt and stops any "escapees". As for protection, try searching for clothes moths and suitable moth killers should come up. The one thing to remember is that the moths need a little extra than just wool - that extra flavouring and moisture that comes from those bodily secretions that we don't like to talk about but are the result of "going commando". You know the kind of thing, sweat, urine do I need to go on? They also do not like light so storing kilts in a dark place is ideal for them, particularly if they are undisturbed.

**Carlo** · 12th June 13, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Phil

This kind of thing - https://www.spacebag.com/ - protects the kilt and stops any "escapees"...

Just remember that water that was in the kilt stays there. If you store that package at considerably lower temperatures you might get a moldy kilt. (There is a reason why we don't have archive documents in such bags.)
To get an idea how little a temperature difference might be considerable check the graphic in this link and remember, that with it being a vaccumed bag, there is nearly now air in it so that any drop of water will be a threat (it might be a mild one but it is a threat).

**sydnie7** · 12th June 13, 03:05 PM

I have a teak linens chest lined in sandalwood (brought back from Asia circa 1950, when my father was in Pacific naval service).

I always assumed the sandalwood had anti-moth characteristics of cedar, but just did some surfing and can't find anything to support that idea. Any chemist/bug-doctors around to chime in?

Even if it doesn't offer that protection, it does impart the most wonderful and long-lasting fragrance that brings back childhood memories. . . protection would be icing on the cake.

**Geoff Withnell** · 17th July 13, 05:46 PM

According to my sources, while moths are attracted to the "extra flavoring" that is primarily because it makes the wool (which is hair) easier to find. Moth lavae eat mammal hair. It's basically protein. Think about it, if SOMETHING didn't eat hair, with the number of mammals running around on the planet, we would all be up to our - errr- fells, in shed mammal hair.

Originally Posted by Phil

This kind of thing - https://www.spacebag.com/ - protects the kilt and stops any "escapees". As for protection, try searching for clothes moths and suitable moth killers should come up. The one thing to remember is that the moths need a little extra than just wool - that extra flavouring and moisture that comes from those bodily secretions that we don't like to talk about but are the result of "going commando". You know the kind of thing, sweat, urine do I need to go on? They also do not like light so storing kilts in a dark place is ideal for them, particularly if they are undisturbed.

**Father Bill** · 17th July 13, 05:50 PM

Hair hair now!

**skruse** · 12th August 13, 09:34 AM

Amazon.com carries light weight garment bags that zip up very nice. I also hang cedar blocks in the closet. My kilts are happy.

**Tartan Tess** · 12th August 13, 10:32 AM

Mothballs... and an electric tennis racket. ZAP!

**BBNC** · 3rd September 13, 05:37 AM

I have been keeping natural fly tying materials successfully (these get eaten too) for over 25 years, so I thought I would apply this knowledge to keeping my kilt. I'm not really bothered by the smell of moth preparations, so I use a cake of Paradichlorobenzine in my kilt bag. As opposed to the Naptha-based preparations, this stuff kills all life stages of the bug. Other solutions, with the possible exception of freezing, only repel bugs not already in residence. It is the larva stage which eats wool, hair, fur, feathers, etc.