There are 2 types of moth bags:
- Moth bags for cabinets
- Moth bags for drawers
We recommend the moth bags shown further down this page because they are:
- Effective against moths
- Safe for health
- Environmentally friendly
Below you can read about when the different moth bags should be used.
Moth bags for cabinets
If you Detects small holes in your clothes or moth pupae on the clothes in your closets, these are clear signs that there are clothes moth or fur moth in your closets. In these cases, you should hang moth bags in all your closets.
The moth bags should only be hung in cupboards that contain clothing or other textiles such as yarn, wool clothing, curtains, bedding, linen, etc. You should hang 1-3 bags in each cupboard, depending on the size of the cupboard and possibly hang extra bags in the cupboards that the moths have infested.
Moth bags for drawers
You should use moth bags in all clothing drawers if you suspect there are clothes moth in them - i.e. if you've noticed small holes in your clothes or moth pupae on your clothes. Sometimes both pupae and larvae can also be found in the corners or edges of drawers.
The bags should only be placed in drawers that contain clothes or other textiles. Normally 1 bag per drawer is sufficient, but if the drawers are very large, you should put 2 bags in each drawer (put them as far apart as possible in the same drawer).
Please note that there are 3 different variants in each series of moth bags:
- Classic
- Cedar
- Lavender
All 3 variants are equally effective, so it's really a matter of which scent you prefer. However, the lavender variants are by far the most popular.
The moth bags contain different blends of herbs that have a deterrent effect on moths.
Optimal application
As mentioned briefly above, 1 moth bag should generally be placed in each cabinet/drawer. However, in very large cabinets it may be necessary to place up to 3 moth bags and in very large drawers up to 2 moth bags.
The mini bags shown above can be used in both small and large drawers, and usually provide sufficient protection in small or regular sized drawers.
In larger cabinets and drawers where it is necessary to use more than 1 moth bag, the moth bags should be placed as far apart as possible.
The effectiveness of moth bags
Of course, there are questions about the effectiveness of moth bags and whether they work at all.
The short answer is that they work, but only in combination with active moth control - i.e. making sure to kill all larvae, eggs and adult moths if you are infested with moths. This is done by washing, dry cleaning, freezing or heating all infested textiles and all textiles that have been stored near the infested textiles.
The first step, however, is to find out, which moth species you are infested with and then follow the instructions to combat either clothes moth or fur moth.
In other words, moth bags are only one part of moth control and should not "stand alone". Moth bags are also a very effective way to prevent future moth infestations and should always be used if you have (or have had) problems with moths.
How long does a moth bag last?
After opening, a moth bag usually retains its effect for about 6 months (this also applies to the Colibri moth bags shown on this page). After that, the bags should be replaced to avoid future moth infestations.
Alternatives
There are so-called moth hangers that can be hung in cabinets or inserted into drawers. However, there are several problems with moth hangers; firstly, they are only effective if the cupboards or drawers are completely closed (which is rarely the case). Secondly, they are highly toxic and little is known about their effects on health or the environment. Therefore, we don't consider moth hangers to be suitable alternatives to moth bags.
In addition, the general advice on storing clothes and textiles is to follow (store all textiles made from natural materials in tightly sealed plastic or paper bags - especially clothes and textiles that are rarely used). However, this is also not a real alternative to moth bags, but rather advice to follow to avoid moths.
If you make sure to store your clothes and textiles properly and use moth bags, you significantly reduce the likelihood of future moth infestations. This combination is therefore the most optimal in the vast majority of cases.
Finally, there are also moth traps, which are a great supplement to moth bags. We recommend this Clothes moth trap: