FAQs: Clothes & Carpet Moth Traps
1. How many traps do I need?
This can depend on the size of space to be monitored, where you've seen moths, or simply where you have concern for cherished clothes or other textiles! We recommend starting with one trap in each area, monitor for a period of time and take it from there.
2. How much space will a single moth trap monitor/protect?
We recommend placing at least one trap within an average sized room of approximately 12x12ft. You may wish to place a trap in your closet as well as in the room if you see any moths flying or hiding within.
3. I've read that you cannot place more than one trap in the same room as it confuses the moths! Is this true?
No, this is not the case - Any adult male moths will simply go to the trap they are nearest to. There will be no confusion!
4. How do I assemble my moth traps?
By following these 5 simple steps:
5. Is it easy to peel the protective paper away from the glue strip?
Yes - Simply place your strips in the fridge for 1 hour to chill them slightly. Then the paper will release from the glue without too much resistance.
6. I've got some glue on my hands - How do I remove it?
Firstly, please don't panic! Just a gentle rub with some vegetable oil and then soap & water is all you need. You may need to repeat, but don't worry - the glue is non-toxic.
7. Do I need to add “moth bait” to my traps?
No. Our traps already have a pheromone attractant embedded within the glue strip. As soon as the protective paper is removed your traps will be active and ready to capture adult male textile moths for 3 months.
8. How long will my traps last?
Once opened and the protective paper is removed your traps will remain active for 3 months. Newly purchased traps carry an expiry date of approximately 2-3 years. You can find the expiry date on the back of the pheromone board packaging.
9. Do I need to use traps all year round?
The season for moths tends to be from early Spring to late Fall. Moth activity is largely determined by the weather and it tends to decline when the weather gets cold! However, with most of us turning up our heating and keeping our homes warm through the winter months it is possible that any larvae in our homes might continue to feed, pupate, and emerge as moths! At MothPrevention we recommend keeping traps in place throughout the Winter so that you can monitor for this kind of activity, act accordingly, and keep moths under control.
10. Where is the best place to position traps?
- 3-6ft high (the flight height of moth) on shelves, top of furniture or a convenient hook
- Away from drafts, direct light, busy areas, or any moth repellents you may have in place (such as lavender or cedar)
- Use the integral hanger to position in closets. Make sure your closet is not overcrowded with clothing as this will affect the ability for the trap pheromone to circulate freely
- Out of reach of pets and children. Although non-toxic, our traps are very sticky!
11. What do I do once I have traps in place?
Check on your traps every week to begin with. We recommend keeping note of the date you first set your traps and keep track of the moths caught by putting a dot next to them with a black marker pen.
- If you notice an increasing catch rate over the coming weeks this may be a sign that your infestation is worsening. In that situation you may to consider repeating your dep clean, using chemical treatments, or even hiring a professional pest controller.
- If you notice a declining catch rate this means that you're in control
- If after a week you haven't caught any moths, consider relocating your traps. If you still do not catch anything be reassured - This means there are no active male moths in that area - you are in control
12. Why are my traps not catching anything?
There can be a number of reasons for this. Not all are bad!:
- There are no active male moths in the area - that's good news!
- Your traps may not be in the best location. Try experimenting with where you place them. Textile Moths prefer quiet dark areas. Placing your traps in such areas is a good idea (See Step 10)
- Make sure your traps aren't near moth repellents as this will reduce their effectiveness. For example, if you have lavender sachets or cedar wood in your closet it should be removed before placing a trap in there
13. When should I replace the sticky strips within my traps?
There are two main reasons for replacing your sticky strips:
- When your traps have been in place for 3 months, as they will lose their ability to attract moths
- If your traps have become full with moths and there is physically no more space on the glue
We sell Moth Trap Refills so that you can reuse your Moth Trap boxes.
14. Which moths will be attracted to my traps?
Our traps are designed to attract the four main types of male textile moth (Clothes & Carpet Moth). No other moth type or other insect will be attracted.
Moths attracted by MothPrevention Moth Traps are the:
- Webbing Clothes Moth, otherwise known as the Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella)
- Case Bearing Moth, otherwise known as the Case Making Moth (Tinea pellionella)
- White Shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella)
- Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella)
For more information and pictures about the moths above please read our Blog Post: Identifying Clothes & Carpet Moths
15. Will all species of moth be attracted to my traps?
No. The pheromones contained within the glue of our traps will only attract the male moth species listed in Step 14.
16. Will moth larvae be attracted and caught?
No. Moth traps only attract the adult male flying moths. Female moths, larvae, eggs and non-pest type moths will not be attracted.
17. Will any other insects be caught by my traps?
Possibly. Although traps are designed to only attract active male moths, the dead moths that will collect on the glue can be attractive to other insects. As the glue is very sticky, untargeted insects may get stuck during their quest to reach a dead moth!
18. I'm finding damage to clothes/carpets/textiles! Will moth traps stop more damage from occurring?
Not on their own. Our traps are very useful and will greatly help to prevent and slow down an infestation, however they only attract the adult male textile moths - they will not attract/kill the larvae that are causing the damage to your textiles.
If you are finding damage to your textiles you need to target the larvae and eggs. That requires a chemical treatment or even the service of a professional pest controller. You can read about this on our Clothes Moths Kit Guide and Carpet Moths Kit Guide pages.
19. I'm seeing moths, but I'm not catching any! Why is this?
It could be that you need to consider the placement of your traps. Please read Step 10 & 12 for help with positioning your traps to best effect.
Or, it may be that the environmental conditions within your home are not ideal for moths at this point in time. Moths need the right conditions to want to breed so they can give their offspring the best chance of survival. Like a lot of insects they only get one chance at reproducing, and once they breed they die. They need conditions to be warmer and preferably humid, with an adequate food source for their larvae.
To conclude, if male moths are not ready to breed they will not be drawn towards the pheromones emitted by female moths or traps!
20. Am I safe to use traps where I have children and/or pets?
Our traps are completely non-toxic and safe for you to use in any room of your home. However, please keep them out of reach of children and away from where your pets may go - the glue on our traps is very sticky.
FAQs: Pantry Moth Traps
1. How many traps do I need?
This can depend on the size of space to be monitored, where you've seen moths, or simply where you have concern for your pantry or wherever you have stored food! We recommend starting with one trap in each area, monitor for a period of time and take it from there.
2. How much space will a single moth trap monitor/protect?
We recommend placing at least one trap within each cupboard, pantry or room where you have food stored and go from there. You may need to use more than one trap if you find the first is filling up fast!
3. I've read that you cannot place more than one trap in the same room as it confuses the moths! Is this true?
No, this is not the case - Any adult male moths will simply go to the trap they are nearest to. There will be no confusion!
4. How do I assemble my moth traps?
By following these 3 simple steps:
5. Is it easy to peel the protective paper away from the glue strip?
Yes - Simply place your strips in the fridge for 1 hour to chill them slightly. Then the paper will release from the glue without too much resistance.
6. I've got some glue on my hands - How do I remove it?
Firstly, please don't panic! Just a gentle rub with some vegetable oil and then soap & water is all you need. You may need to repeat, but don't worry - the glue is non-toxic.
7. Do I need to add “moth bait” to my traps?
No. Our traps already have a pheromone attractant embedded within the glue strip. As soon as the protective paper is removed your traps will be active and ready to capture adult male Pantry Moths for 2 months.
8. How long will my traps last?
Once opened and the protective paper is removed your traps will remain active for 2 months. Newly purchased traps carry an expiry date of approximately 2-3 years. You can find the expiry date on the back of the pheromone board packaging.
9. Do I need to use traps all year round?
The season for moths tends to be from early Spring to late Fall. Moth activity is largely determined by the weather and it tends to decline when the weather gets cold! However, with most of us turning up our heating and keeping our homes warm through the winter months it is possible that any larvae in our homes might continue to feed, pupate, and emerge as moths! At MothPrevention we recommend keeping traps in place throughout the Winter so that you can monitor for this kind of activity, act accordingly, and keep moths under control.
10. Where is the best place to position traps?
When placing traps in cupboards, pantries etc. The traps can be attached to a surface using the sticky backing strip. Anywhere they will be out of the way and won't get stuck to food products or when you reach into a food storage area is best. Remember when attaching to a surface make sure it is clean, dry and smooth.
11. What do I do once I have traps in place?
Check on your traps every week to begin with. We recommend keeping note of the date you first set your traps and keep track of the moths caught by putting a dot next to them with a black marker pen.
- If you notice an increasing catch rate over the coming weeks this may be a sign that your infestation is worsening. In that situation you may want consider the use of a chemical treamtment or hiring a professional pest controller. Please read out helpful Pantry Moths Kit Guide.
- If you notice a declining catch rate this means that you're in control
- If after a week you haven't caught any moths, be reassured - This means there are no active male moths in that area - you are in control
12. Why are my traps not catching anything?
There can be a number of reasons for this. Not all are bad!:
- There are no active male moths in the area - that's good news!
- Your traps may not be in the best location. Try experimenting with where you place them to see which area gets the highest capture rate
- Make sure your traps aren't near moth repellents as this will reduce their effectiveness. For example, if you have lavender sachets or cedar wood in your pantry/cupboards it should be removed before placing a trap in there
13. When should I replace my traps?
There are two main reasons for replacing your sticky strips:
- When your traps have been in place for 2 months, as they will lose their ability to attract moths
- If your traps have become full with moths and there is physically no more space on the glue
14. Which moths will be attracted to my traps?
Our traps are designed to attract the main types of male pantry moths. No other moth type or other insect will be attracted to the pheromones.
Moths attracted by MothPrevention Moth Traps are the:
- Indian Meal Moths
- Mediterranean Food Moths
For more information and pictures about the moths above please read our Blog Post: Identifying Pantry Moths
15. Will all species of moth be attracted to my traps?
No. The pheromones contained within the glue of our traps will only attract the male moth species listed in Step 14.
16. Will moth larvae be attracted and caught?
No. Moth traps only attract the adult male flying moths. Female moths, larvae, eggs and non-pest type moths will not be attracted.
17. Will any other insects be caught by my traps?
Possibly. Although traps are designed to only attract active male moths, the dead moths that will collect on the glue can be attractive to other insects. As the glue is very sticky, untargeted insects may get stuck during their quest to reach a dead moth!
18. I'm finding damage to stored food! Will moth traps stop more damage from occurring?
Not on their own. Our traps are very useful and will greatly help to prevent and slow down an infestation, however they only attract the adult male pantry moths - they will not attract/kill the larvae that are causing the damage to your food.
If you are finding damage to your food you need to target the larvae and eggs. That requires a chemical treatment. Please read our Pantry Moths Kit Guide.
19. I'm seeing moths, but I'm not catching any! Why is this?
It could be that you need to consider the placement of your traps. Please read Step 10 & 12 for help with positioning your traps to best effect.
Or, it may be that the environmental conditions within your home are not ideal for moths at this point in time. Moths need the right conditions to want to breed so they can give their offspring the best chance of survival. Like a lot of insects they only get one chance at reproducing, and once they breed they die. They need conditions to be warmer and preferably humid, with an adequate food source for their larvae.
To conclude, if male moths are not ready to breed they will not be drawn towards the pheromones emitted by female moths or traps!
20. Am I safe to use traps where I have children and/or pets?
Our traps are completely non-toxic and safe for you to use in any room of your home. However, please keep them out of reach of children and away from where your pets may go - the glue on our traps is very sticky.
