Moth Treatment

How Orkin Treats for Moths

There are two basic groups of moths that commonly require treatment inside our homes: food product moths and fabric-infesting moths. While the specific treatment procedures may vary based on the moth’s specific diet and habitat, the components of an effective and efficient treatment program closely follow those of a comprehensive integrated pest management program.

Inspection & Treatment Plan

When moths become a pest problem, your pest management professional will provide a thorough inspection to accurately identify the pest moth. Based on the inspection findings, your pest management professional will develop an effective treatment plan to resolve the pest pressures.

Accurate pest identification is critical since there are many different species of food and fabric moths, and the specific details required for treatment must be applied to the moth that is causing the problems. Incorrect identification may result in a treatment plan that does not work effectively for the moth species needing control.

Customer Education

Education is important to help the homeowner or business owner understand the moth’s life cycle and explain why the control effort cannot be directed only where adult moths are seen.

Therefore, the treatment plan will include targeting areas where the moth’s immature stages are found so they do not develop into mature adults. Also, customer education will target the use of re-infestation prevention methods once the pest problem is resolved.

Monitoring

The treatment plan may include using pheromone-based moth traps that are useful for determining the location of insect development sites and population size.

Habitat Reduction & Non-Chemical Treatments

These treatments include methods and techniques that will help eliminate or minimize the moth’s ability to obtain food, water and protected places to live and reproduce. Examples of habitat reduction and reducing the pest’s food source include:

• Discarding infested foodstuffs or fabrics.

• Minimizing the opportunity for food and fabric moths to gain access to foods and fabrics by putting these products in “insect-proof” containers, if practical.

• Using sanitation and cleanliness measures to remove food and moisture that might attract and support food pests.

• Removing clutter or otherwise altering conditions to reduce moth living places.

• Using mechanical means, like vacuums, to help remove and reduce the moth population.

• Inspecting products that can be infested by moths when purchased since sometimes moth problems originate in the retail stores and are introduced into the home. This is especially so with food pests.

Insect Growth Regulators

When needed, these products are used to help interrupt and prevent the moth’s ability to reach maturity.

Chemical Control

Your pest management professional will use products as a last resort and only when the non-chemical and other procedures are not sufficient to resolve the pest problems. If products are needed, they will be used in accordance with the product’s approved label and use directions.