How To Repel Moths With An Overlooked Solution From Your Spice Cabinet

You may already know several clever ways to use bay leaves around the house, whether that's using them as a base material for potpourrri or flavoring your sauces. But when you're bedeviled by pantry and closet moths, that same spice rack staple can become your secret weapon to repel the damaging pests. Bay leaves are a traditional remedy for both pantry and fabric moths.

Pantry moths are also called "meal moths" because they're often found in foods like cornmeal, flour, pasta, rice, and even some spices. Once the moths are in your home, they'll continue to mate and produce new moths in food storage areas. Fabric moths, although only about half the length of pantry moths, are also capable of creating big headaches. Whether they attach themselves to woolen items from the store or simply fly in through your window, fabric moths tend to keep a tight perimeter around clothes storage areas, where they also lay eggs as they damage clothing and linens.

There are plenty of ways to protect your food and fabrics, most of which involve thoroughly and frequently cleaning storage areas, as well as keeping vulnerable goods in tightly-sealed containers. But as you're waiting for these measures to do the trick, try non-toxic repellents such as bay leaves. The natural compound in both fresh and dried bay leaves, eucalyptol, is one which moths seem to go out of their way to avoid.

There are several methods involving bay leaves to protect the contents of your cupboards, pantries, and closets from destructive moths. One of the best ways to get rid of pantry moths is simply to place dried leaves in the areas in which you are seeing the moths most often. You can also crumble up and toss the crushed leaves directly onto specific food products like rice, in which the taste wouldn't be unwelcome. Alternatively, drop two or three whole, dried leaves inside the sealed food containers that are storing your food items.

If fabric-chomping moths are invading your closets and dressers, bay leaves can come to the rescue there as well. For something that's easier to apply to a closet, consider creating a bay leaf spray by simmering a few leaves in a pot of water for about 30 minutes. When the mixture cools, strain the liquid and pour it into a spray bottle to squirt on clothing or padded hangers. You can also place the dried leaves in sachets, and even combine them with other herbs that moths don't appreciate such as mint, thyme, or rosemary. Dangle them from hangers in the closet, or place them in drawers.

Beyond putting dry bay leaves in the pantry and other moth-infested areas, make sure to regularly inspect your stored food and fabrics. Discard foods which the moths are clearly nesting in. Deep-cleaning shelves and vacuuming flooring and other surfaces is additionally helpful.