How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths in Storage

Trying to figure out how to get rid of clothes moths in your storage space? Whether it is a storage unit or a closet in your home, dark spaces can be potential breeding grounds for a number of pests if you are not careful about taking preventative measures. If you find yourself dealing with damages caused by clothes moths, do not worry. There are steps you can take to salvage some of items, get rid of, and stay rid of clothes moths. Moose Crossing Self Storage has tips for you to get started!

how to get rid of clothes moths

How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths (in Home Storage & Storage Units)

Identify the Moths

How do you know if you are looking at clothes moths and not another type of moth? If you see a moth around your home, they are more than likely more attracted to your plants than your clothing. The threatening species to keep an eye out for are the casemaking clothes moth and the webbing clothes moth. Both kinds are a yellow or gray color, about 1 cm long.

Other indicators will be on your clothes themselves. Look for holes and webs left behind. Clothes moths are interested in fabrics, particularly wool, fur, cashmere, and other animal materials. They love dark, spaces that hold a lot of humidity. It is not the adult moths, but the baby moths, that cause the damage, so if you find any clues of clothes moths, act quickly.

Clean Everything

Once you find the culprit to the damage, you should sift through what is salvageable. Some pieces, unfortunately, may need to be discarded, but others might be brought back to life with a warm wash or trip to the dry cleaning. Check your clothing tags before washing!

In addition to washing your clothing, you should also clean your storage space. If you have carpeted flooring in your space, vacuum the area well—immediately throwing out the vacuum bag once you are done cleaning. A shampoo or steam clean will also farther aid in killing any remaining bugs.

Prevent Future Clothes Moths with These Tips

In order to avoid this situation in the future, you need to avoid creating clothes moths’ ideal conditions. You can do this by brightening up your space and creating ventilation when possible. In a storage unit, this can look like visiting your storage unit more frequently to give it some time with the door open and allow for some air flow. It would also be beneficial to rearrange items in your storage to keep them from being stationary for too long.

When you are packing up your items for storage, choose sealed bags or bins. A garment bag is also a safe option—just tape up any spaces that could potentially have holes, like seams. Better to be safe than sorry!

Moose Crossing Self Storage in Blakeslee, PA

Do you live or work in the Poconos? Moose Crossing Self Storage has all your self storage needs under control—from sharing advice on how to get rid of clothes moths to helping you find the perfect storage unit in Blakeslee, PA.

We offer indoor and outdoor storage units starting at 25 square feet, but our self storage ranges up to large warehouse sizes. You can browse through our available storage units to find the best fit for you and then rent online for completely contactless storage rentals. Finding storage in Blakeslee has never been easier with Moose Crossing Self Storage! Check out our storage resources to choose the right features and storage unit size for your load.

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Katie Mest Avatar

Katie Mest

About the Author: Katie Mest is a Content Marketing Specialist at Storage Asset Management in York, PA. She specializes in writing about the self storage industry, including storage tips and helpful resources. Outside of work, Katie enjoys camping, hiking, and exploring the outdoors with her newly adopted Greyhound rescue, Titan.