Defending The Wool Kilt Against A Moth Invasion

[Riverkilt]

So this week my area of the planet has been invaded by moths. Bazillions of them. They are everywhere. It happened back in 2003 too. Apparently something to do with spring rains.

Bottom line, I can't get in and out of my home without a few big moths slipping through the door.

Now I still have a bunch of wool kilts I treasure, And have wool blankets, shirts, caps...a moth in the house is not a good thing. A bunch of moths in the house is frightening.

Yes, I have the wool pretty well physically protected...but this version of moth seems to find its way into the most unusual places.

So, I got out my Bug-A-Salt to hunt them down and kill them before they drop any eggs on my wool kilts.

Works great.

https://www.bugasalt.com/

[Tarheel]

I have a client that trains horses. He got one of these for horse flies around the barn. The laser attachment wasn't available when he got his, but a cool thing to have.

Do the moths provide a small dust poof when salted?

[Riverkilt]

No poof...the salt that doesn't get their body shreds their wings and they sort of fall to the ground where they are easier targets. No laser on mine.

[Tobus]

A good cedar chest or cedar lined drawer is the place to store hose, garter ties, wool spats, and other small or foldable items. We have several in the house that are also used for sweaters and such.

Kits and tweed jackets/waistcoats are kept in zippered hanging clothes bags with cedar rings hung around the tops where the hangars come out, and cedar balls in the bottoms of the bags.

Adult moths aren't the problem. It's their larvae that eat wool. The adults will lay eggs in dark places like closets so the larvae can emerge and feed.

[Riverkilt]

Aye, know all that and do most of that... just IF an adult moth makes it indoors at my place figure its best to put it out of action BEFORE it can lay eggs.

Blasted another one this morning...think plague of locusts only with moths...

[Steve Ashton]

Remember that not all moths are clothes moths.

The clothes moth is nocturnal and spends most of its time on the ground.

If you see a moth flying, in the daytime, you are most likely not seeing a clothes moth.

The clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) is small, tan in color, with a tuft of fuzz on its head.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks for that heads up. Ones here spend a lot of time on the ground...who knew there was only one kind that ate clothes....know they're around since I had a pair of tartan wool trousers - kept on a rack out in the daylight...that got eaten up...

May not be fair to some types of moths....but....MY KILTS!!

[Hirsty]

I had the trauma of the wee niaffs destroying my MacAlister kilt, semi dress sporran, barathea Argyle jacket, and hose. Knocking on the door of a couple of grand worth of damage.

So I purchased the below (well the same product under a different brand name). I taped up any holes and it works a treat. All of my tweed and highland wear live in there now.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Richards-...caAsmTEALw_wcB

[Riverkilt]

Aye, ALL my wool kilts and jacket live in individual bags like that...STILL, I don't trust the moths to be kept out. The moths seem to manage to get into the tightest crevasse....

[Tobus]

Aye, ALL my wool kilts and jacket live in individual bags like that...STILL, I don't trust the moths to be kept out. The moths seem to manage to get into the tightest crevasse....

Agreed, and that's why bags should only be a first line of defence. Cedar balls, planks, etc., should still be employed inside the bag and around the top opening to deter them.

One of these days I'm going to find the time and wherewithal to follow through with my plans to convert one of my hall closets to a cedar-lined closet. It should be as simple as lining the walls with thin cedar planks, and then just lightly sanding them every couple of years to renew the effect.