Show S from FLEA e 4 1 sy by M what to do about moths there is probably no housewife in the united states who has not at some time or other brought some garment out of storage only to find it rendered unfit for use by the depredations of the destructive clothes moth at such a time she is likely to exclaim in despair what can I 1 do the place sees seems to be full of these things I 1 thought I 1 had that garment put away safely As a matter of fact the clothes moth is nearly omnipresent it is to be found in nearly all dwellings its abundance being influenced by the temperature and humidity of the house a its furnishings and the thoroughness ough ness of the house cleaning the clothes moths that are most troublesome are very small with a wing spread of perhaps a half inch the webbing clothes moth is uniformly yellowish the case bearing moth is of a similar color with indistinct dark spots on its wings they like darkness and may be found flying about slowly in dark corners or just beyond the range of the lamp rays if clothing or other objects are disturbed the moths will run or fly swiftly to conceal themselves in folds of clothing or cracks or any dark spot where they may hide the parent moths do not eat clothing it is the larvae which do the damage the moths lay their eggs in clothing rugs upholstering arid and similar places but the eggs are not attached to the fabrics the eggs hatch in from four to eight days in summer in from three to four weeks in colder weather MOTH CONTROL if an entire dwelling is found to be overrun with the pest then drastic measures such as fumigation or spraying will be necessary but as a rule local treatments assisted by careful and thorough house cleaning will su suffice if ce for riddance fumigants Fumi gants such as acid gas are dangerous to human life and should be made use of only by persons experienced in handling them that is by licensed pest con arol operators working under health department permits sprays which are advertised for the control of moths and other insect pests are usually made of an odorless stainless kerosene oil combined with pyrethrum or derris extracts these sprays are contact sprays that is they kill only the insects actually hit or made wet in the spraying process they can be used to advantage to kill moths on clothing and upholstered furniture in floor cracks around baseboards etc DRY CLEANING dry cleaning kills kies all forms of moths at the time of treatment washing in a strong solution of neutral soap will also kin kill all moths present in the fabric washed but neither process will prevent after a garment has just been dry cleaned or washed if it is wrapped in paper wide enough so that the ends can be deeply folded back and sealed in place it will remain safe from moth attack since the eggs of the clothes moth are very soft they are easily crushed or dislodged by brushing in brushing particular attention should be given to seams and pockets the larvae can not endure hot sun and will drop to the ground from clothing left hanging in the sun especially if it presents no folds where they may find shelter from the sun rays preventive MEASURES meticulous bulous housekeeping combined with careful attention to all woolen garments upholstery and the like will go far to keep down the clothes moth menace woolen garments w which are not packed away during the summer should be frequently brushed and sunned rugs and upholstery should be kept well vacuumed woolen rags or discarded woolen clothing should be disposed of by storing if necessary in sealed cartons CLOTHING IN CLOSETS brush all clothing clean the closet thoroughly seal all cracks in plaster or about baseboards with crack filler equip door frames with rubber gaskets so that the doors may be shut tight at all points place on the top shelf or hang in muslin bags from hooks one pound of flake naphthalene for each cubic feet of closed space the fumes given off by the slow evaporation of the crystals will stop the larvae from feeding and if continued long enough will eventually kill them for practical sad and authoritative methods of moth control with reference to clothing car pets furniture rugs rues trunks sad and boxes send sead cents to superintendent ol of documents washington D C asking lor for a copy of 01 leaflet no ho US of ft agriculture |