PestXpert Total Moth Control

PestXpert Total Moth Control kills all moths that attack clothes and spoil food. However, before placement of the Total Moth Control cartridge it is important to inspect all food and clothes to check for moth larvae and dispose of any infested food and wash any infested clothes.

Pantry Moths

Pantry moths don’t actually eat food, it’s their larvae (or maggots) that hatch from moth eggs that do all the damage. Therefore to prevent a pantry moth problem you need to kill the adult moths and prevent them from laying eggs.

If you spot pantry moths flying around your kitchen, it means there must be an infested food source somewhere.

• Check all dried food, nuts, flour, powders, pet food, etc, for larvae, even unopened containers.
• You are looking for larvae (maggots). Sometimes they can be difficult to spot but look for tunnels in the flour or “webbing” over areas of the food.
• All infested food needs to be thrown out.
• Place any infested food in a plastic bag and seal before disposing.

Once the pantry is clear of infested food, place a PestXpert Total Moth Control cartridge toward the front of a shelf in the middle of the cupboard or pantry.

In large cupboards or pantries place two cartridges, one on an upper shelf and one on a lower shelf. Place the cartridge in a location where it will get airflow (ie. don’t place in the back corner of the cupboard hidden by containers).

For ongoing protection, replace every 3 months. Sign up for the automated reminder by scanning the QR code on the packaging.

More information on pantry moths…

Clothes Moths

Clothes moths don’t actually damage clothes, it’s the clothes moth larvae (or caterpillars) that hatch from the moth eggs that do all the damage. Therefore, to prevent an clothes moth problem you need to kill the adult moths and prevent them from laying eggs.

Clothes moths are not strong flyers and will only often become visible if you move clothes. If you spot moths flying around your bedrooms or see holes in your clothes, it could mean you have a clothes moth infestation.

To check for clothes moths:

• Take all clothes out of cupboards and drawers and inspect individually.
• You are looking for larvae (caterpillars). There are two different species:
  • Webbing clothes moths, which as their name suggests can be spotted by the webbing that protects the larva
  • Case-making clothes moths, which can be more difficult to spot as they make a protective case from silk and the fabric they are eating.
• Any infested clothes (and clothes from the same drawer / wardrobe), should be placed in black plastic bag, sealed and placed in the sun for 2 hours to kill any larvae and egg.
• Then wash any infested clothes.

Once the wardrobe is free of clothes moths, hang a PestXpert Total Moth Control cartridge in the wardrobe or place on a shelf about half-way up the wardrobe. Place in a location where you will get some airflow (ie. don’t hide the cartridge between clothes).

In large wardrobes place two cartridges, one at each end of the wardrobe.

For ongoing protection replace the cartridge every 3 months. Sign up for the automated reminder by scanning the QR code on the packaging.

More information on clothes moths…

If you’ve found holes in your clothes, fabrics or other materials but can’t find any clothes moths, it could also one of the other pests that attack fabrics and other materials – carpet beetles, silverfish or booklice (psocids). Check out our blog – What’s eating my clothes? – to help with your detective work.

The performance of all pest control products is always improved if their use is part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program, where other actions are taken to make conditions less conducive to pests. For pantry moths, ensuring spills are cleaned up immediately and open products are stored in tightly sealed containers is essential. For clothes moths, storing out of season clothes in sealed bags is desirable.