We all love animals, but let's face it, when you find a moth in one of your closets, it's panic on board. If you've ever had the misfortune of discovering one in your closet or kitchen, you know what we're talking about. Only the real ones know. Find a moth in just one of your closets, and you're good to go.
And woe betide you if you don't deal with the problem right away. These little beasts are spreading fast, since they lay their eggs everywhere. The result? You may find a lot of holes in your clothes and some larvae in your dry food. Good news to all, there are many essential oils that can help you get rid of moths.
They are not dangerous per se, but they can be very annoying. We are talking about moths, those little grey-beige insects (we can't agree on the color), capable of devouring our sweaters and other packages of semolina in our cupboards.
Clothes moths and other food moths are true colonizers that swallow everything in their path if you don't react quickly. Not to scare you, but if you've found one in your closet, it's just the beginning of a long war. And unless you eradicate the moths - and incidentally the members of your household - with toxic and dangerous products, it will be very difficult to get rid of them. Unless...
Well, we won't keep the suspense going any longer, and anyway, you knew that when you read the title of the article. We suggest that you turn to more natural products, products that are not harmful to your health and to the environment (as long as you use them intelligently). You guessed it, we are talking of course about anti-moth essential oils.
We even found a few tricks in the back of our drawers, with essential oil synergies to prepare yourself, to help you fight against these vermin.
The most effective essential oils to fight against moths
Do you know anything about anti-moth essential oils?... It must be said that there is still a lot of confusion surrounding essential oils and their use. Between those who swear by it and play at being a little chemist, even if it means poisoning themselves, and those who don't want to hear about it and think it's about as effective as a chicken with a knife, let us tell you that in both cases, there is a mistake. Yes, essential oils are useful, but no, they are not to be considered as Lourdes Water, even if we believe in its miraculous virtues. They must be used with awareness and caution.
Theessential oil: the purest extract of an aromatic plant
Let's be serious, but just a minute: essential oils are obtained after distillation of an aromatic plant. If we had a poet's soul, we would even tell you that they are the quintessence of a plant, its very essence, its absolute extract: the plant in its most concentrated form. And this is precisely what we are interested in, the possibility of capturing the properties of a plant, in a very small quantity. This is also the reason why E.H. is quite expensive. Especially if you want to invest wisely (it's always better) by buying pure and organic essential oils.
But let's get to the point. Now that you know that moths are difficult insects to dislodge, that there are useful essential oils against that, and that it is better to choose them of first quality, we can pass to the nice moment where we give you THE list. The list of essential oils you'll need to have if you don't want your cupboards to be infested. In war as in war, Simone, so pick your battles and don't forget your precious bottles to survive in times of crisis. You'll want to choose repellent essential oils, whose strong scent will repel moths.
The essential oils anti-moth clothing to use
Here is a list (not exhaustive) of E.O.'s that will help you scare away textile moths:
True lavender essential oil
→ do not use in the first three months of pregnancy and in children under 3 months of age (above all, observe the prescribed dosages carefully) / precautions in case of hypotension.
The essential oil of cedar of the atlas
→ do not use during pregnancy and lactation, or in children under 6 years of age / do not ingest / may irritate the skin / neurotoxic / do not use in case of hormone-dependent pathology or mastosis.
The essential oil of rosemary camphor
→ do not use during pregnancy and lactation, or in children under 6 years of age / do not ingest / may irritate the skin / neurotoxic and hepatotoxic / do not use in hormone-dependent diseases / not recommended in asthma.
The essential oil of citronella
→ do not use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or in children under 3 years of age / do not ingest / may irritate the skin.
Getting rid of food mites with essential oils
And finally, another list of H.E.'s that will help you chase away food moths:
The essential oil of cinnamon
→ do not use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or in children under 6 years of age / do not inhale / contains allergens / dermocaustic (dilute in vegetable oil) / photosensitizing (do not expose to sunlight) / may irritate airways / hepatotoxic.
Clove oil
→ do not use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or in children under 6 years of age / do not ingest or inhale / contains allergens / dermocaustic (dilute in vegetable oil) / may irritate the airways / hepatotoxic / caution in case of hypertension.
The oil of noble laurel
→ do not use in the first three months of pregnancy, or in children under 6 years of age / contains allergens / may irritate the skin / seek specialist advice in cases of asthma and epilepsy.
The essential oil of peppermint
→ do not use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or in children under 6 years of age / may irritate the skin / neurotoxic and hepatotoxic / do not use in cases of hormone-dependent disease or gallbladder pathologies / do not use in cases of G6PD deficiency (red blood cell enzymes).
Essential oils do not have miraculous virtues
Let's be clear on the issue: in this particular case, E.O. will help you mainly in prevention. If you notice that moths have already invaded your closets and/or cupboards, you should throw away the food, say goodbye to your textiles with holes (unless you can patch them) and finally, make sure to wash the spared textiles at 49° minimum to kill the larvae, eggs and moths. As for your closets, they will need a serious cleaning.
And only then, as a preventive measure, can you place essential oil-soaked cotton pads or ceramics in your cupboards and closets. This will mainly allow you to avoid a second invasion of moths, because your oils will give off such a strong odor that they will make them not want to move in.
Anti-moth recipes with essential oils
A synergy of essential oils against textile moths
To repel these insects, do not hesitate to create a mixture composed of several E.O. anti-moth. The effectiveness will only be enhanced:
● E.O. of true lavender : 45 drops
● Rosemary camphor E.O. : 45 drops
● E.O. of Atlas cedar 45 drops
Make this mixture in a bottle, preferably in tinted glass for an optimal conservation, and do not forget to label it. Put 3 drops on a piece of absorbent cotton that you will place in your cupboard, to be changed every 3 weeks for an optimal efficiency. You can make several soaked cotton pads, especially if you have a dressing room or several closets.
A synergy of E.O. against food moths
To fight against food moths, you can also make this synergy:
● H.E. of noble laurel : 45 drops
● Clove E.O. : 45 drops
● E.O. of peppermint 45 drops
Prepare this synergy in a vial, ideally in amber glass for optimal conservation, and remember to label it. Place 3 drops of this mixture on a piece of absorbent cotton, which you will put in your kitchen drawers and cupboards. Again, feel free to make several, so that all your cupboards are protected.
→ perform a skin test in the crease of the elbow 24 hours before using any essential oil.
To summarize, if you were to have only one essential oil, it would be lemongrassIt is as effective on food moths as on textile moths. It is a natural product and in addition, it repels insects and mosquitoes!