Pests in the home: Moths

By this time of year, most of us in the Northern hemisphere will have unpacked our winter blankets, scarves, hats and thick jumpers. Unfortunately that also happens to be the time you might discover your favourite jumper has partially been eaten by moths. I dread finding holes in my clothing or blankets. So what can we do to keep our clothing free of moths whithout resorting to the horrid smelling and potentially toxic moth balls?

It helps to know what attracts moths, and more importantly what deters moths because it is difficult to prevent moths from entering your home. So firstly, moths are attracted to natural fibres. By natural I mean wool, cotton, linen, silk etc. It's because they eat the food proteins within these, and especially love eating the food proteins in the form of hair and skin particles that we leave behind on fabric items. For that reason in order to prevent moths, never store worn or unwashed fabric items away in a dark dusty wardrobe, loft or basement. .

Luckily there are things you can do to deter moths from your wardrobes, and without resorting to pesticides. But anti-moth repellents will need to be replaced seasonally to ensure the smell is strong enough to deter the moths. Try the following natural products to protect your garments and home.

• Cedar chips or cedar oil on in and absorbent cloth will deter moths. But it needs to be 'fragrant cedar' or also known as Juniper in some areas.
  
  
  
  
• Lavender, Rosemary, vetiver and rose petals are all moth repellents (basically potpourri)






• Dried lemon peels scat erred in a chest or tied a muslin cloth can be used.
  
  

But using deterrents alone will not suffice to completely protect your clothing.
If you discover moth holes in your garments (bless your soul, I grieve with you), you have to face the fact that you have moths in your wardrobe/storage area. All fabrics or garments withing that wardrobe/area will need to be washed and upholstery and carpeting will need vacuuming thoroughly (and the vacuum bag emptied immediately). Hard areas can be washed with warm soapy water and dried. Once the storage area has been thoroughly cleaned, only put back freshly washed/dry-cleaned items and then also add a moth repellent such as lemon peels. Larger items such as rugs and curtains can also be steam cleaned if you have a steam cleaner.

Regularly used clothes are not at a high risk of moth infestation because moths hate light and being disturbed. Their life cycle is about 21 days, so clothing used regularly should not be at risk. Therefor an alternative treatment for moth infested items is to hang your rugs or clothing outdoors for a day in the sun. Larvae are strongly repelled by light, and will fall from clothing when they cannot find protection. Freezing also kills moths. For items that cannot be hot washed, wrap in plastic and place in the freezer for a day.

It is tempting to store clothing within plastic bags to prevent moths from getting to items, but clothes and fabric items need to breathe, and storing them in plastic bags can cause mildew damage. However, you may wish to store items in a vacuumed bag where air has been removed. In this case make sure that all items are clean and dry, and expect them to be creased when you remove them from the pack.

If you decide to store clothing in a chest, make sure the chest shuts properly and has no holes where moths might get into.
I do hope none of you have to find those dreaded holes in your favourite jumpers. Remember that cashmere is particularly attractive to moths, so it's worth storing that expensive cashmere item or your favourite wool coat properly and safely... and remember to clean them before you do!

Hope you are having a great (and moth-free) day!
x

References:
http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Homes_and_Gardens/Article/How_to_Get_Rid_of_Moths.html
http://www.eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm
http://www.totalwardrobecare.co.uk/acatalog/Handy_Hints_and_Links.html

Pests in the home: fleas

Hello again, I'm sorry for only posting again today, but all your other bloggers will understand how long it takes to put some posts together - especially when there are not-to-miss programmes on the TV like 'The Restaurant' and 'Lost in Austen' :)

As promised here is my second monthly post about PESTS - this one dealing with fleas!

Fleas can be a problem for people with and without pets. If you have a mouse, squirrel, bat, or for those folks across the pond, raccoon problem, fleas can infest your house via them, or you could even inherit fleas from previous home owners. However you are most likely to encounter then if you have pets since fleas will jump onto your pets coat outside and travel with them into your home. The scary part is that fleas spend the majority of their lives away from the host animal - meaning, they will live in your home, and occasionally jump onto your beloved pet to feed not to mention jump onto you too!

There are plenty of products on the market that can help you get rid of fleas, but you don't have to resort to chemical warfare. The effects of using pesticides in your house, can cause health issues for you, your family and your pets. So below is a list of natural ingredients you can use to fight of fleas. At the very end of the post are some steps you can follow immediately if ever you realise you have a flea problem in your home. However, if you find fleas on your pet or in your home don't panic - it is much easier to control a flea problem than you think. With the right natural ingredients, and a bit of regular vacuuming around the house, you'll be sorted in no time. You DO NOT need to spend a fortune on pesticides and poisonous powders since realistically most people will only ever have to deal with about a dozen fleas at any given time. So please please don't resort to hazardous flea bombs and powders!

The flea life cycle

This is crucial to know if you want to go to war with fleas.

Click on the picture to enlarge it, and read all about the life cycle of a fleas.

For your home
Vacuum
Fleas live deep within the fibres of carpets and fabric (yes, even your mattress). Fleas react to vibrations, which is why when you or your pet walks across the carpet area where the live, they jump up and feed. Therefor they come out of the fibres when you vacuum, and get sucked into the vacuum bag. Do however remember to empty the vacuum bag as soon as you have finished. If not the fleas might continue breeding and escape straight back into your home. You can add some cornflour to the vacuum bag to help suffocate the fleas.

Steam cleaning
Heat also kills fleas, but warm humid conditions is perfect environment for flea eggs to hatch, so make sure to follow steam cleaning with a once a day vacuum
If you don't have a steam cleaner, check with friends and family if you could borrow one, or invest in one. They are very handy - especially great for cleaning ovens and getting rid of bed bugs in your mattress.

Salt
I'm no scientist, so I don't know how true this is, but apparently sprinkling salt onto carpets and furnishings can help kill fleas or make them immobile. Something to do with it drying them out? And since salt is harmless, I reckon it's worth a try.

Cornflour
The use of cornflour is similar to that of salt, it clings to the fleas and makes them move slower. I use a teaspoon or so of cornflour in the vacuum bag to prevent the fleas from escaping straight back into the house

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade only)
DE is a mineral powder that kills fleas by causing them to dehydrate. DE is not toxic to humans, but it can be dangerous if inhaled. Both eye protection and a dust mask need to be worn when applying it. If you decide to use DE, make sure your child isn't around when you first apply it, and be sure to lightly vacuum any loose dust left over after application. Since DE isn't as easily available as the rest of the ingredients listed and can be harmful (although not toxic), I would use this as a last resort.

Light flea trap
This method is not going to get rid of lots of fleas at once, but it is a great way to check whether you've won the war against fleas. You'll need a desk lamp (or a lamp with directional light), a shallow bowl or dish and some soapy water (dish washing liquid works great). At night, place the dish with soapy water directly under the desk lamp near the area where you think you have a flea problem, or near where your pet sleeps. Leave it over night, and if you do have a flea problem, you will most likely see a few fleas that have drowned in your water bowl - the soap helping to weigh them down.

For Pets

Apple Cider Vinegar

Fleas don't like acidity, so this is a simple way to treat your dog or cat for fleas. Add a teaspoon of it to your pets water bowl (that is if they don't mind the taste - most wont). You can even rinse their coats with some apple cider vinegar after a bath, or use a spray bottle with diluted Apple cider vinegar to spray onto your dog or cat's coat.

Dandelion and burdock root

These are the best herbs to treat against fleas, and can be added to your pet's diet by grating these over their food.

Brewer's yeast

I've not tried this for our dog, but brewer's yeast added to your pet's diet is also meant to deter fleas, and make them dislike the taste of your pets blood.

These great tips below are from the Canine Natural Cures website:

Citrus repellent

Cut a lemon into quarters and place in a pint jug. Cover the lemon with boiling water and let it steep overnight. Next day you have a flea repellent that you can use in a spray bottle. Spray over your dog remembering especially behind the ears and around the head generally (careful of eyes), around the base of the tail (once again keep away from delicate bits) and under your dog’s ‘armpits’.

Aromatherapy repellent

Using 10 ml. of sweet almond oil as your base, add 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of cedar wood. Shake well and use 1 or 2 drops spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away.

Homemade Flea Collar
A flea collar can be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a doggy bandanna: eucalyptus oil, Tea Tree Oil, citronella, lavender or geranium. Don’t forget to do this weekly. We now stock a product that makes this easy for you.

I've used Eucalyptus oil on our dog's collar, and it does seem to work. I've also used a couple of drops to put in the washing machine when I wash his bedding (but not his toys).

Taking action when fleas are discovered
As soon as you realise you pet has a flea problem, jump into action immediately by following these steps (if you don't have a pet, you get to skip trying to wash your pet!):

1. Wash your pet starting by pouring water over the neck area (never submerge your pets face in water or use any soap near the eyes, mouths and ears). Move down from the neck area using lots of water at a luke warm temperature. This along with shampooing and rinsing should at least drown most of the fleas.
2. Wash all your pets bedding, collars, toys etc on a warm wash cycle.
3. Sprinkle salt on all soft furnishings and carpets or rugs where your pet frequents, and wash all removable fabric covers from pillows.
4. Before you vacuum any surfaces, add cornflour to the vacuum bag as this will help to suffocate any fleas caught in the vacuum bag. Now vacuum all carpeting and furnishings thoroughly and empty the vacuum bag immediately into a plastic bag, seal the bag and place in an outdoor bin.
5. Check your dog or cat again for fleas after he or she is dry from their bath - the best way to do this is by using a flea comb. If you feel that most of the fleas have gone, your pet may return to their bedded area.
6. Repeat step 4 once a day for 10 days.

Now you'll know how to deal with fleas if you ever have the problem. I remember the fright I got when I first discovered our dog had fleas. I felt so bad that I hadn't done anything to prevent it. But I was quickly put at ease when I read that all pet owners have to deal with fleas at some point. So keep vacuuming and washing your pet's bedding, remember the lemons and hopefully you'll never be frightened of those litter critters again!

Next post will be about tidying that under the sink cupboard! You know the one I mean - and yes, I will be revealing my before and after shots of this.

Pests in the home: Mice

You have to read this heading carefully or it looks a bit like 'pets'... but nope, I'm writing about those unwanted critters that enter the home. We all have to deal with some pests in the home at one or another time... and sure, there are lots of poisons and chemicals you can buy to deter pests, but if a bottle states 'keep away from children' or 'consult a doctor if consumed' you really should be worried about putting that on any of your home surfaces and exposing you and your family to it. It really isn't worth the health risk to use nasty chemicals in your home. Luckily there are natural ways to deter pests, and I'm going to be writing a post about it once a month. We'll start off with MICE!

Mice get into our homes via the smallest of spaces - it is true that if you can fit a pencil into a space, a mouse can get through it... I've even seen it with my own eyes.

How do you know if you have mice? For a start you might here them running about at night... eek! But check inside food cupboards, and especially under the sink - if you see small black rod shaped droppings, I'm afraid you have a mouse problem. Even if you're not frightened by them, there is a very good reason why you don't want mice in your house... Mice can damage your property gnawing away at wires, and by sharing the food you leave in cupboards they can spread contagious diseases to you, your family and your pets. They also carry fleas into your home (I'll be posting about fleas for the next post on pests), and contaminate surfaces with their droppings.

I once saw a mouse cheekily run straight past me, into the kitchen and proceeded to climb onto the work surface via a tea towel hanging on a hook, I couldn't believe my eyes.
But as you know, I'm not going to recommend you poison them, so what can you do?

1- Cleanliness

First off, sweeping up food spills off the floor and keeping the cupboards and surfaces clean is a good start. Store opened food items in seal-able containers, pet food is particularly appealing to mice and they will gnaw right through the bags, so solid containers really are the best (I store our dog's food in a fermentation bucket as used by home brewers - they are cheap and come with an airtight lid).

2- Mouse traps
Mouse traps can work, but most people, including myself, feel uncomfortable with the thought of killing a mouse, but of course that's up to you. You can get humane traps such as the one below. Peanut butter and bacon fat work well in a mouse trap - you need something with a strong smell. Don't forget that once you've caught the mouse you need to release it quite some distance away from your house, or the little critters will just come straight back.


Multi-catch humane trap available from the Natural Collection.

3- Close up holes
Try to determine where the mice might be entering your home or cupboards. Usually you can see which areas the mice are living in by where the most droppings are, so start there to see if there are any holes in the wall nearby or perhaps a gap in the wall where pipes enter your house. These gaps can be stuffed with bits of copper dish scrubbers or steelwool - mice can't chew through these but they still allow for ventilation!

4- Deter them with smell

Use peppermint oil! Mice don't like the smell of it, so putting a few drops of the peppermint oil on some cotton wool balls, and leaving them where you find the mouse droppings will keep them away. Remember to replace these when the smell starts fading.

Hopefully that should sort out your mice problems if you ever have the misfortune of having to deal with them.

Watch out for my next post about easy ways to neatly fold t-shirts.
See you soon!