Moths are a pest that people often find rather disgusting. While many people enjoy seeing butterflies around their Phoenix, Arizona home, moths usually aren’t viewed as favorably. There’s good reason to not want these pests around as they can cause some major issues for property owners.
However, moths aren’t always the ugly version of a butterfly. There are around 160,000 different species found throughout the world, and some are quite colorful and often mistaken for butterflies.
Moths overall can be identified by their two pairs of wings and their coiled proboscis. They have a pair of antennae, and they can vary greatly in coloration with some being bright and metallic and others being grey and brown. Most moths that invade area homes are on the small side and tend to have drabber shades.
In this guide, you’ll discover the problems that moths can bring and learn how you can prevent them.
Moths And Property Damage
The amount of damage a moth infestation can cause has a lot to do with how severe the infestation is and the specific species involved. It’s also worth noting that it’s often the larvae of moths that cause the biggest issues.
Clothes moth larvae, for example, can damage clothing as they eat through garments and leave behind stains from their droppings.
Other species, like various kinds of pantry moths, lay their eggs in food products. Because of this, they can contaminate many items in your kitchen as the larvae create webbing and leave their feces behind.
Lastly, some moth species, specifically in caterpillar form, can cause a lot of damage to crops and other plants. They can be major agricultural pests.
The main concerns with moths are property damage as they aren’t known to cause any severe health risks. However, you should make sure to throw out any food products that moths touch and sanitize places that they land.
How Can You Keep Moths Away?
While the occasional moth around your Phoenix home or business isn’t a big deal, they can become costly to handle if they establish themselves inside a building. Because of this, the best way to approach moth control is to focus on prevention.
Here are some general moth prevention tips that are effective in deterring these flying insects:
- Keep food, especially items like flour and sugar, in airtight containers.
- Make it more difficult for moths to enter a building by fixing broken screens and installing door sweeps and weather stripping.
- Reduce outdoor lighting to a minimum as many moth species are attracted to the light.
- Regular air out clothing in closets and drawers to disturb any moths that are hiding.
- When buying food items at the grocery store, check for signs of Indian meal moths and other pantry moths. These signs include a powdery appearance and webbing.
These steps are a great start to moth prevention, but they won't be enough to eliminate an existing infestation.
Keeping Moths Away For Good
If you already are dealing with moths around your property, the easiest way to remove them is with assistance from Overson Pest Control. Our pest control plans provide ongoing prevention and eradication of these and other flying insects in the area.
We even make it simple and affordable to get started by offering free quotes. Contact us today to request yours or to learn more about our customizable services.