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Common Spiders In Calgary & Spider Pest Control

Posted on October 21, 2020
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In Calgary, we’re no strangers to early winters. As October creeps to an end, it’s time to start bundling up for winter. Colder mornings are an initial signal that it’s time to pull your fall and winter wardrobe out of storage.

You might shockingly discover your sweaters have been chewed through and are full of little holes. These holes are a result of clothes moths, a common household pest. There are two types of common clothes moths in Alberta that enjoy feasting on your clothing: the webbing clothes moth and the casemaking clothes moth.

While you might think that getting rid of the flying moths in your home is enough to get rid of your problem, it’s simply not. The culprits eating through your wool, cashmere, fur and silks are not the adult moths but rather their larvae. Learning how to identify moths in their egg and larvae states will help you handle any future infestations.

Clothes moths like to eat natural fibres, so they’ll typically avoid any synthetic clothing. These little moths not only eat through clothing but also carpets, bedding, and upholstered furniture. If the infestation gets severe enough, your entire home could be compromised.

How To Prevent Clothes Moths

If you want to take precautionary steps, so you never have to deal with clothes moths, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure your home is less appealing to them. Firstly, you need to understand what clothes moths like in order to avoid creating an environment they enjoy.

Clothing moths don’t enjoy bright lights, so they typically hide away in closets or dressers. Make it a habit to regularly clean out your home and keep it organized. Get in the back of your closet, clean out the top closet shelf, and make sure to pay attention to areas you don’t disturb often.

Keeping your closet organized and without clutter can help prevent clothes moths. When you don’t wear an outfit regularly and leave it undisturbed in your closet, it becomes the perfect home for clothes moths. You should also make an effort to empty your closet every couple of months. Make sure to shake every piece of clothing outside.

Another option is to put mothballs around your home or keep your clothing in airtight storage containers. Here are some natural alternatives, including hanging dried lavender or cedar sachets in your wardrobe if you want to avoid using mothballs. The bonus to using lavender is you can also get a pleasant smell to permeate your room. Just keep in mind that whether this works to ward against clothing moths has never been proven.

Wolf spiders very rarely bite humans, but their bites are mildly venomous. Common side effects of a wolf spider bite are minor swelling, itching and discomfort.

Avoiding Bringing Moths To Your Home

If you bring an infested piece of clothing or furniture into your home, you’re carrying a clothing moth problem into your life. Make it a habit to thoroughly clean any used clothing before you store it in your closet. Try not to bring used furniture home unless you can be sure it doesn’t host any pests. Clothes moths are not the only pest you have to worry about when you bring home furniture. You could also potentially be bringing in bedbugs or other common pests.

Washing clothes in hot temperatures can help kill off any clothes moth larvae or eggs, avoiding bringing any into your closet. You should make it a habit to wash all used and secondhand clothes.

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Getting Rid Of Clothes Moths

So what if you already have a clothes moth infestation? There are many ways to approach a clothes moth infestation, including home remedies and professional pest control services. Mostly it depends on the severity of the infestation itself.

You should first try and locate the source of the infestation. The infestation is often situated in an area you don’t typically disturb. For example, an attic space or a high closet shelf. Removing the infestation source is essential, so you aren’t just putting a bandaid on a bigger problem.

Cleaning everything in your closet is the next step. Making sure there are no remaining eggs or larvae is essential. Empty your closet and clean out the dark corners and crevices. Also, make sure to clean all of your clothes and toss the ones beyond saving and repair. The best way to deal with this is to dry clean the clothes. You can also wash them in high-temperature water if that’s not an option.

If you’ve already tried the tips above and it has not helped ease your infestation, it might be time to seek a professional pest control company. Spraying pesticides yourself is not recommended, and an exterminator can better help you handle your clothes moth problem. Long time exposure to pesticides is bad for your health, especially when using them within your home.

Finding a qualified and experienced pest control company in Alberta is important when dealing with a severe clothes moth infestation. Contact your local pest control company and get a quote. Having the professionals handle your clothes moths control and extermination will help you quickly get control and save your expensive clothes!

Are you currently dealing with a clothes moth infestation in Alberta? Contact our qualified and professional pest control company today to handle and control your infestation in the Calgary and Airdrie areas.