Gulp, Gasp, Horrors!!!!

There is nothing like a moth to strike fear in the heart of a fiber nut. And there is no way to prevent moths completely – just constant vigilance to keep any problems small. I admit to growing somewhat complacent because I had escaped anything major for quite a while. I have learned my lesson (again).

banished baskets

My mother would have said even moths have a right to live. I agree, of course. Just not in my stash! But my house is crammed full of wool (and silk, and angora, and…) from top to bottom and we walk in and out every day. So the moths will come in and my stash is where they will want to stay. Here are the important facts*:

The larvae of the webbing or case-making clothes moth do the damage. If you see the moth, it is just laying eggs. It doesn’t even have a mouth.
The eggs are extremely resilient. Freezing and thawing in cycles can do them in eventually but it isn’t the best solution. Dry ice suffocation works – and is really the only thing that does.
The larvae are a bit more fragile. They are the ones chomping away and they can be baked, frozen, or fumigated to death.
Pheromone traps work great for trapping the adults and keeping them from laying eggs but they don’t prevent damage.
Anything woolen is at risk. Really anything with animal protein.
Plastic slows them down but doesn’t stop them.
Baskets are such lovely hiding places so, pretty as they are, they aren’t for storing your fiber.
Wool moths like dark cozy corners – not light. And we store most of our stuff in drawers, under beds, and in closets (dark and cozy). You might re-think that.

replacement bins

Killing the eggs is hard – and they are really tiny. It is possible. Take a 5 gallon pail or garbage can. Put dry ice (don’t touch it! – wrap it in a rag to separate it from the fiber) and fiber in the pail and cover. Once the dry ice has fully evaporated, seal tightly. In a few days, the bugs are dead from asphyxiation (the CO2 replaces the O). For more precise instructions, look on the web.

I found two possible culprits – both pretty roving of merino and angora wrapped in plastic and with visible moths, larvae damage, cases, and moth eggs. They are both out of the house in the garbage. Really it isn’t worth it to me that an egg might survive. All the baskets are gone and replaced by hard plastic see-through containers. It isn’t as pretty but wow, I feel better. I already had all my yarn in zip lock bags. I have vacuumed every inch of the studio and next I will touch every bag of yarn and shake it all out in the sun. It might take a while, but it will be worth it. An ounce of prevention…..