I am in the process of cleaning and clearing my studio in order to have enough space to begin a new project.
While cleaning my work bench I found casemaking moths.
Casemaking moth in a small bowl of cold wax test pieces.
The casemaking moth is in the center on the penny bound with wool.
Finding the casemaking moths brought to mind a recent conversation I had with an entomologist. I specifically asked him how to address the casemaking moth problem.
He said that an easy solution was to put my work in the my car. What would that accomplish? One of the ways to kill casemaking moths is to use heat. He also recommended tossing the stuff in a plastic bin with a few moth balls. I don’t recall which moth balls he recommended, naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. I would prefer not using chemicals.
But, it never occurred to me to use the heat in the car. That would be an easy fix, especially since most of my work will not fit in the freezer.
He mentioned that his wife had success killing an insect infestation in the wood horn of a recently purchased used saddle.
Previous Posts
Casemaking Moth Damage–Alpaca yarn embroidered on harware cloth.
A Perfect Environment for Moths
Would the interior temperature in a car kill moths?
American Veterinary Medical Association
The AVMA credits–Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University,
for creating the estimated vehicle interior temperature chart.
Alternatives, A Washington Toxics Coalition Fact Sheet, Clothing Moths-Prevention and Control by Jennie Goldberg states–“High heat (in excess of 99”F for one week) will destroy all life stages of the moth.”
It appears that the interior temperature of a car will kill moths.
Need to perform some tests to find out for sure.