How to Get Rid of Moths in Your Home (DIY Control Guide)

Two moth species cause the vast majority of indoor moth problems in the US:

• Indian meal moths (Plodia interpunctella) — The "pantry moth." About 1/2 inch wingspan, with distinctive two-toned wings: the outer half is copper/reddish-brown, the inner half is pale gray. Their larvae (small cream-colored caterpillars with dark heads) infest stored dry foods. You'll often notice them when you see small moths flying around your kitchen in the evening, or when you open a bag of flour or cereal and find webbing and larvae inside.
• Webbing clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella) — Small (about 1/2 inch), uniform golden-buff colored moths that flutter weakly and avoid light (unlike pantry moths, which fly toward light). Their larvae feed on wool, silk, cashmere, fur, feathers, and other animal-based fibers. Damage appears as irregular holes in clothing, bare patches in wool rugs, or damaged upholstery. You may also find silken tubes or cases that larvae spin for protection.

Quick identification: Moth in the kitchen flying toward light? Pantry moth. Moth in a closet or dark room that avoids light? Clothes moth. Two-toned wings (copper and gray)? Pantry moth. Uniform golden-buff? Clothes moth.

Both types are relatively easy to control without professional help. The approach for each is the same general pattern: find and remove the source, clean thoroughly, and prevent re-infestation.

For Pantry Moths

• Heavy-duty trash bags — For discarding infested food products.
• White vinegar or all-purpose cleaner — For wiping down pantry shelves.
• Vacuum with crevice attachment — For cleaning shelf edges, cracks, and corners.
• Airtight food storage containers — Glass jars with rubber-sealed lids (mason jars work great) or heavy-duty plastic containers with snap-lock seals. This is the most important purchase.
• Pantry moth pheromone traps — Sticky traps with a pheromone lure that attracts male moths. Brands like Dr. Killigan's or Terro work well. These are for monitoring, not primary control.

For Clothes Moths

• Vacuum with crevice and upholstery attachments — For deep-cleaning closets, rugs, and upholstered furniture.
• Washing machine and dryer — Heat is the most effective killer of all moth life stages.
• Freezer (or access to one large enough for garments) — Freezing kills moth eggs and larvae on items that can't be washed.
• Airtight storage containers or vacuum-sealed garment bags — For protecting clean items from re-infestation.
• Clothes moth pheromone traps — Specifically formulated for webbing clothes moths (different pheromone than pantry moth traps). For monitoring.
• Cedar blocks, rings, or panels (optional) — Mild repellent effect when fresh. Not a standalone solution but a useful supplement.

Pantry Moths: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Find the Source

The source is always a food product — usually something that's been open for a while or stored in a thin bag or cardboard box. Inspect every item in your pantry, cabinets, and any area where you store dry food. Common sources:

• Flour, cornmeal, baking mixes, and cake mixes
• Cereal, oats, granola, and rice
• Dried pasta (especially bulk or opened bags)
• Dried fruit, nuts, and seeds
• Spices, dried herbs, and tea
• Pet food, birdseed, and fish food
• Dried flowers and potpourri
• Chocolate and candy

Look for small webbing (fine silk threads), tiny cream-colored larvae (about 1/2 inch), or adult moths hiding in folds of packaging. Check the undersides of shelf edges and the insides of cabinet hinges — pupae often attach themselves to these surfaces.

Step 2: Discard All Infested and Suspect Food

This is where you need to be ruthless. If a package was open and stored anywhere near the infestation, discard it. Pantry moth larvae can chew through thin plastic wrap, paper, and cardboard, so even "sealed" items in their original packaging may be contaminated. Moth eggs are microscopic — you cannot see them.

Bag discarded food in heavy-duty trash bags and remove them from the house immediately. Don't leave the bags in the kitchen trash.

Step 3: Deep Clean the Pantry

1. Remove everything from the pantry — every can, jar, and container. Inspect sealed containers individually before putting them back.
2. Vacuum every surface — Shelves, corners, shelf-peg holes, edges, the floor, and the ceiling of the pantry or cabinet. Use the crevice attachment for corners and cracks. Larvae and pupae hide in the smallest crevices.
3. Wipe down every surface with white vinegar or an all-purpose cleaner. Pay special attention to shelf edges, the undersides of shelves, and any cracks or crevices where eggs or pupae could hide.
4. Remove and replace shelf liners if present. Larvae hide under them.
5. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister outside.

Step 4: Restock in Airtight Containers

This is the most important prevention step. Transfer all dry goods into genuinely airtight containers before putting them back in the pantry:

• Glass jars with rubber-gasket lids — Mason jars, Le Parfait jars, or similar. The gold standard.
• Heavy-duty plastic containers with snap-lock lids — OXO Pop containers, Rubbermaid Brilliance, or similar. The seal must be tight — cheap containers with loose-fitting lids won't stop moths.
• Avoid: Twist-tie bags, zip-lock bags (moths can chew through thin plastic), original cardboard boxes, and paper bags.

Step 5: Set Pheromone Traps

Place 1-2 pantry moth pheromone traps in the cleaned pantry. These traps attract and catch adult male moths, which tells you whether the infestation is still active. Check them weekly:

• No moths caught after 2-3 weeks: The infestation is eliminated. Keep traps up for monitoring.
• Still catching moths after 3 weeks: You missed a food source. Re-inspect everything in the kitchen, including areas you might not think of — pet food in a closet, birdseed in the garage, candy in a desk drawer, spices in an upper cabinet.

Clothes Moths: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Identify the Damage and Source

Clothes moth larvae eat animal-based fibers exclusively: wool, silk, cashmere, angora, mohair, fur, feathers, and leather. They won't eat cotton, polyester, or other synthetic fibers (unless the synthetics are blended with wool or stained with food or perspiration, which the larvae will eat through).

Inspect vulnerable items carefully:

• Wool sweaters, coats, suits, and scarves — especially items that haven't been worn in months
• Wool and silk rugs — check the underside and edges
• Cashmere, angora, and mohair garments
• Fur coats and accessories
• Feather pillows and down comforters
• Upholstered furniture with wool or silk fabric
• Vintage and antique textiles

Look for: irregular holes (not clean-cut like snags), bare patches, silken webbing or tubes on the fabric surface, small cream-colored larvae, and tiny golden moths flying weakly in dim areas.

Step 2: Wash or Dry-Clean Infested Items

Heat kills all life stages of clothes moths — eggs, larvae, and adults:

• Machine-washable items: Wash in hot water (at least 120°F) and dry on high heat for 30+ minutes.
• Dry-clean-only items: Take them to a dry cleaner. The dry cleaning solvents kill all moth stages.
• Delicate items that can't be washed or dry-cleaned: Seal them in a plastic bag and freeze at 0°F or below for at least 72 hours (a week is better). Freezing kills eggs and larvae. This works well for items like embroidered textiles, feathered items, and antique fabrics.

Step 3: Deep Vacuum Closets and Storage Areas

After removing clothing, vacuum every surface in the closet:

• The floor, including corners and along baseboards
• Shelves, shelf edges, and shelf-peg holes
• The closet rod and its brackets
• The walls, especially at floor level
• Under and behind anything stored on the floor

Also vacuum under furniture, along carpet edges (especially in bedrooms and closet areas), and on upholstered furniture. Clothes moth larvae are often found far from the closet — under beds, along baseboards, and in carpet edges where pet hair and lint accumulate.

Step 4: Protect Clean Items in Sealed Storage

After cleaning, store vulnerable items properly:

• Airtight plastic storage bins — The most reliable protection. Store clean wool, silk, and cashmere items in bins with tight-fitting lids.
• Vacuum-sealed garment bags — Compress and seal garments for long-term storage. No air = no moth access.
• Cedar additions (supplemental) — Place cedar blocks, rings, or panels inside storage containers. Fresh cedar oil has a mild repellent and larvicidal effect at high concentrations. However, cedar alone is NOT sufficient — it's a supplement to sealed storage, not a replacement. Sand cedar blocks periodically to refresh the scent, or add cedar oil.

Step 5: Monitor with Pheromone Traps

Place clothes moth pheromone traps in closets and near storage areas. These attract male moths and tell you whether the infestation is continuing. If traps keep catching moths after thorough cleaning, you've missed a source — re-inspect all wool/silk items, area rugs, and upholstered furniture.

• Always clean clothes before storing them for the season — Clothes moth larvae are attracted to food stains, body oils, and perspiration on fabric. Clean garments are far less attractive. Wash or dry-clean all wool, silk, and cashmere items before putting them into off-season storage.
• Store wool and silk in sealed containers — Airtight plastic bins or vacuum-sealed bags are the single most effective prevention. Don't just hang wool coats in an open closet and hope for the best.
• Rotate and inspect stored items regularly — Don't put garments in storage and forget about them for years. Check stored items at least once per season for signs of moth damage.
• Keep closets clean and decluttered — Vacuum closet floors regularly. Remove clothing you don't wear — undisturbed garments in the back of the closet are the most common target for clothes moths.
• Keep pantry items in airtight containers by default — Don't wait for an infestation. Transferring dry goods to glass jars or sealed containers when you bring them home from the store prevents pantry moths from ever establishing.
• Check new food purchases — Pantry moth infestations often start from a contaminated product brought home from the store. Inspect bulk foods, birdseed, and pet food before storing them in your pantry.
• Keep pantry shelves clean — Wipe up spills and crumbs promptly. Vacuum shelf edges and corners during routine kitchen cleaning.

• Confusing pantry moths and clothes moths — They require completely different approaches. Pantry moths need food cleanup; clothes moths need fabric cleanup. If you're treating for the wrong type, you'll never solve the problem. Check the identification tips in the overview.
• Relying solely on cedar or lavender — Cedar and lavender have a mild repellent effect but do NOT kill moths and are NOT reliable as standalone treatments. They may slow down an infestation at best. Sealed storage containers are far more effective.
• Using mothballs in living spaces — Traditional mothballs contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which are toxic and potential carcinogens. They are only intended for use in sealed containers, not open closets. In an open closet, they don't reach a high enough concentration to kill moths anyway. Skip the mothballs — sealed containers work better and are safer.
• Discarding some infested food but keeping the rest — Pantry moth eggs are invisible. If one item in the pantry was infested, you need to inspect everything and discard anything that was open or stored in non-airtight packaging near the source. Half-measures lead to re-infestation within weeks.
• Only treating the closet where you found damage — Clothes moth larvae can be anywhere animal fibers are present: other closets, under furniture, in area rugs, in upholstered furniture, and along carpet edges. Do a whole-house inspection and cleaning, not just one closet.
• Expecting pheromone traps to solve the problem — Pheromone traps catch adult males and are excellent for monitoring, but they don't catch females, larvae, or eggs. They tell you whether you still have a problem — they don't eliminate it. Cleaning and sealed storage are what actually solve the problem.