Asked by: Corrine Zuzzi
hobbies and interests beekeeping

Does Cedar actually repel moths?

31
Tips for Using Moth Deterrents
The dark-colored heartwood of red cedar contains natural oils that help kill clothes-moth larvae, but this alone won't protect clothing. It's not effective against carpet beetles, and, with moths, it kills only young larvae, not older ones or eggs. The effect also fades as the scent does.


Beside this, how long is Cedar effective against moths?

Cedar oils also don't repel adult clothes moths or other fabric pests such as carpet beetles. An old cedar chest like your aunt's will not protect clothes or woolens from clothes moths. One study suggested that a cedar chest more than three years old is practically useless for killing clothes moth larvae.

Also, how do you keep moths away? Place dried rosemary, thyme, cloves, lavender or bay leaves into a small cloth bag and hang them in your wardrobe and place them in your drawers. The oil form of these herbs, sprayed on contaminated areas and clothes, can also repel moths.

In respect to this, what is the best moth repellent?

Cedar is well-known to be an effective moth repellent, and the CedarFresh Value Pack from Household Essentials is our top overall choice. This value set comes with 71 solid cedar pieces that can be placed throughout your home to ward off moths and protect your clothing, rugs and more.

What do cedar balls repel?

While it's common knowledge that cedar chips deter moths from munching on your sweaters and other wool items in summer storage, cedar is also useful in deterring other pests both inside and outside. Cedar's superpower to combat unwanted bugs, snakes and rodents lies in its distinctive and pleasant earthy smell.

Related Question Answers

Argider Turne

Professional

What bugs does Cedar repel?

Cedar has long been used as a natural way to repel and inhibit insects like termites, certain ants, moths, mosquitoes, and cockroaches.

Martxel Mccan

Professional

What do moths hate?

7. You can purchase moth repellent sachets, but it's also easy to make your own. Fill fabric pouches, tea bags, wiffle balls, or just a bowl with moth-repelling herbs or essential oils like lavender, rosemary, mint, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, lemon, eucalyptus, and ginseng.

Cielo Dinnes

Professional

Do moths hate lavender?

Lavender. Fill sachets with dried lavender, or dip cotton balls in lavender essential oil. Then, place them in your closets, drawers, and boxes of off-season clothes. Lavender smells great to us, but it's highly repellent to moths and other insects.

Jill Castarnado

Explainer

Are cedar closets worth it?

Cedar will help prevent the spread of mold and mildew. Cedar's natural smell is very pleasant and aromatic, so it will keep your home and your clothes smelling fresh, even as the scent protects them. While cedar's scent can fade over time, you can easily revive it by sanding the surface of your cedar closets.

Vernice Meinherz

Explainer

Are cedar balls safe?

Cedar balls or cedar-lined chests are another option, although they're not always effective. What “most people don't realize is that the fumes from cedar are toxic to moths only when in very high concentrations,” Professor Farr said.

Rafila Rotondi

Explainer

Does Cedar lose its effectiveness?

Over time, aromatic cedar loses its aroma, but it can be restored by sanding away the top layer of the wood. Depending on the original strength of the scent in the wood (which varies), this may have to be done every three to seven years to refresh the wood's insect-repelling aroma.

Sharleen Skwere

Pundit

Why does my cedar chest stink?

Excessive moisture or humidity can make any piece of wood furniture smell foul after a while. Vacuum inside the chest, and wipe the inside and outside with a lint-free dust cloth. A screened porch is perfect, as it helps keep the chest as clean as possible. The fresh air and daylight will help banish musty odor.

Giovani Marialva

Pundit

How do I keep moths out of my wool?

To keep your wool clothing safe from moths, start by washing your clothes in hot water or having them dry-cleaned, since moths are attracted to sweat and skin cells. You can also keep lavender, cinnamon, or clove sachets in your closet to repel moths and keep them from smelling the wool.

Edier Landia

Pundit

What to use instead of mothballs?

4 Natural Alternatives for Mothballs
  • Cedar Chips. Use cedar chips as a useful alternative for protecting fabrics in your closet from moths. Hang cedar blocks and cedar chip balls in closets from the hangers with string.
  • Airtight Containers or Garment Bags. Seal up clothes in containers as a preventive measure and to free up space in the closet.

Neu Dengjel

Pundit

What can I put in my closet to keep moths away?

Line storage containers, closet shelves, and dresser drawers with mothballs or small drawstring bags full of moth-repellent dried herbs, such as rosemary, lavender, or thyme. Replace wood closet furnishings with cedar equivalents, since the natural oils of cedar are powerful enough to kill moth larvae.

Dahbia Jukhma

Pundit

What is the best moth repellent for clothes?

Using lavender to repel clothes moths is another old homemaker's trick. Sachets filled with lavender (and/or laced with its oil) and suspended in your closet or tucked in your drawers are said to protect woolens.

Isma Laghzaoui

Teacher

What attracts moths in the house?

Indoors, homeowners most likely encounter moths that are either feeding on stored pantry items or on fabrics. Although they are most famous for their ability to ruin wool clothing, webbing clothes moths are also attracted to a variety of other natural materials, including silk, hair, felt, fur and feathers.

Marhta Moscoso

Teacher

What will kill moths in the house?

Moths can be very destructive, but you can get rid of them with items you may have laying around the house already:
  • Use flypaper and fish oil to make a homemade moth trap.
  • Use a vinegar solution to clean your closets and kitchen.
  • Put cedar in your closet to repel moths.

Moacir Schikotanz

Teacher

Can you see moth eggs on clothes?

Casemaking clothes moths are similar in appearance, but have dark specks on the wings. Clothes moth adults do not feed so they cause no injury to fabrics. However, the adults lay about 40-50 pinhead-sized eggs on vulnerable substrates, which in turn, hatch into the fabric-eating larvae.

Miloslav Rolver

Teacher

Do moth balls work?

In an airtight containers, the fumes released by mothballs accumulate and effectively work to kill adult clothes moths and moth larvaes. Mothballs are almost entirely (as in 99.99%) made up of one of two chemicals: naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene (also written as p-dichlorobenzene or PDCB).

Reva Homsky

Reviewer

How do you know if you have a moth problem?

Common infestation signs
The first thing most people notice is the damage caused to clothes, fabrics or carpets but there are other indicators of a moth infestation: Small maggot like larvae (moth caterpillars). Silken tubes or cases in which the moth larvae live. Pupae (silk cocoons) from which larvae emerge as moths.

Cherie Gopferich

Reviewer

How long do cedar balls last?

The cedar ball scent will last up to 6 months and can be sanded lightly to renew the aroma.

Coletta Abbasov

Reviewer

Why do I have so many moths in my house?

There must be some dark corner of your house where there are food crumbs. The eggs, caterpillars and cocoons of pantry moths live in dark corners with lots of food crumbs. They get their water from their food. So wet or dry, a dark place with crumbs can support pantry caterpillars.

Roseanne Madgen

Reviewer

Why do moths fly at me?

In a behavior called transverse orientation, some insects navigate by flying at a constant angle relative to a distant light source, such as the moon. But around man-made lights, such as a campfire or your porch light, the angle to the light source changes as a moth flies by.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

12

28th June, 2020

25

86% of readers found this page helpful.

4.7/5

Click a star to add your vote

Similar Asks
Trending