You can get rid of moths effectively using heat, cold, thorough cleaning, and natural repellents, all without the toxic fumes of mothballs. Mothballs work by slowly turning from solids into vapor, and when you smell them, you’re literally inhaling insecticide. A single mothball can cause serious harm if eaten by a small child, and pets or wildlife can easily mistake them for food. The good news is that safer methods are just as effective, and in many cases work faster.
The right approach depends on whether you’re dealing with clothes moths (found in closets and drawers, feeding on wool, silk, and other natural fibers) or pantry moths (found in kitchens, feeding on grains, flour, and dried goods). Here’s how to handle both.
Kill Moths With Heat or Cold
Temperature is your most reliable weapon against every life stage of a moth, from egg to adult. For clothes moths, hot laundering at 120°F or higher for 20 to 30 minutes kills eggs and larvae on contact. A standard clothes dryer on high heat does the job too. Dry cleaning is equally effective for items that can’t be washed, like suits, heavy wool coats, or delicate fabrics.
Freezing works just as well, but requires patience. Items need to stay at 0°F or below for at least one full week. If your freezer reaches minus 20°F, you can cut that to 72 hours. Before freezing, wrap the item in a plastic bag or polyethylene sheeting sealed with tape. This prevents frost from forming on the fabric during chilling and condensation after removal. Once you take items out, let them return to room temperature for about 24 hours before unwrapping.
For pantry moth infestations, the freezer trick also applies to dry goods you’re not sure about. Unopened packages of oatmeal, tea, or grains that look uncontaminated can go in the freezer for four or more days to kill any hidden larvae or eggs before you return them to the pantry.
Deep Clean the Infested Area
Killing the moths you can see is only half the battle. Female clothes moths lay 40 to 50 eggs at a time, and those eggs can hatch in as few as four days. Larvae often crawl away from their food source to pupate in cracks, crevices, and corners you wouldn’t think to check. If you skip the deep clean, a new generation will emerge in weeks.
Start by removing everything from the closet, drawer, or pantry. Vacuum all surfaces thoroughly, paying close attention to corners, shelf edges, baseboards, and any holes or grooves (like the peg holes in adjustable shelving). Empty the vacuum bag or canister immediately into an outdoor trash bin so eggs and larvae don’t hatch inside your home.
For closets, wipe down all surfaces with hot soapy water, then follow up with a cloth dampened in a half-water, half-white-vinegar solution. For pantries, some people go further with diluted bleach, using cotton swabs to reach into tight crevices. The goal is the same: remove every trace of eggs, silk webbing, and larvae droppings. Leaving the space empty for several days afterward gives you a chance to spot any stragglers before restocking.
Getting Rid of Pantry Moths Specifically
Pantry moths, also called Indian meal moths, are a different beast from clothes moths. A single female can lay 200 to 400 eggs on food, and the entire lifecycle from egg to adult takes just six to eight weeks under favorable conditions. Larvae hatch in as few as two days and immediately begin spinning silk tunnels through whatever they’re feeding on. By the time you spot an adult fluttering around your kitchen, the infestation is already well established.
The only reliable approach is aggressive: pull everything out of the pantry and inspect it. Throw away anything in boxes or bags, even if it looks fine. Larvae can hide in surprisingly small amounts of food residue, and eggs are nearly invisible. Check the insides of jar lids, since moths can lay eggs on the threads. Canned goods with intact seals are generally safe to keep after wiping down the exterior.
After the deep clean described above, transfer all dry goods into airtight hard-sided containers (glass jars or thick plastic with tight seals). This is the single most important long-term prevention step. Moths can chew through thin plastic bags and cardboard with ease. Anything they can’t penetrate, they can’t infest.
Cedar and Other Natural Repellents
Cedar is the most popular natural moth repellent, and it does work, but with important caveats. The aromatic oils in red cedar repel clothes moths and can kill very young larvae. The key word is “repel.” Cedar doesn’t eliminate an active infestation. It’s a preventive measure for protecting clean clothes in an already moth-free space.
Cedar blocks, discs, or sachets lose their potency over time as the surface oils evaporate. You’ll need to refresh them periodically with a few drops of pure red cedar oil or by lightly sanding the surface to expose fresh wood. Place two to five pieces in a closet and two per drawer for adequate coverage. A piece of paper underneath protects clothing from oil stains.
Lavender sachets work on a similar principle. The scent is unpleasant to moths and can deter them from settling in a particular area. Like cedar, lavender won’t kill eggs or larvae already present. It’s a layer of defense, not a solution on its own.
Pheromone Traps for Monitoring
Pheromone traps are sticky traps laced with synthetic moth sex hormones. They attract male moths and trap them on a glue surface. These traps serve two purposes: they help you confirm you have an infestation, and they reduce the breeding population by removing males from the equation.
What pheromone traps won’t do is eliminate an infestation by themselves. They catch adults only, and females that have already mated will continue laying eggs regardless. Think of them as a monitoring tool. If you’ve done a thorough cleaning and the traps keep catching moths week after week, you know there’s a hidden source you haven’t found yet. Traps should be checked weekly, and the sticky surface should be replaced once it gets dirty or after catching around 30 moths.
You can find pheromone traps specifically designed for clothes moths and separate ones for pantry moths. They’re not interchangeable, since each type uses a different pheromone blend, so make sure you buy the right one for your situation.
Long-Term Prevention
Moths thrive in undisturbed, humid environments. The clothes sitting in the back of your closet for months, the wool blankets folded in a basement box, the bag of flour pushed to the back of the pantry: these are prime targets. Regular rotation and inspection of stored items disrupts the moth lifecycle before it gains momentum. The full clothes moth lifecycle runs about 65 to 90 days, so checking seasonal items every couple of months catches problems early.
Store anything you won’t wear for a while in airtight containers, sealed suitcases, or zipped garment bags. Avoid basements, garages, and outdoor sheds where humidity fluctuates. Indoor closets, rooms, and attics with consistent temperatures are far safer. Wool suits and cashmere sweaters deserve extra protection: clean them before storing (moths are attracted to body oils and food residue on fabric, not just the fibers themselves), then seal them in garment bags inside a closed container.
For pantries, buy dry goods in quantities you’ll actually use within a few weeks, and transfer them into hard-sided airtight containers the day you bring them home. Wipe down shelves regularly. These habits cost nothing and prevent the vast majority of infestations before they start.