Moths

The little clothes moth is a bane to knitters, crocheters and any other wool or natural protein fiber lover.

When we moved to southern New Mexico from Colorado, I was careful with my fiber stash, mostly wool. I checked for moths in everything from fleece to yarn.

I am happy to say that I haven’t experienced any stowaways in the last year and a half or so.

Yesterday, my daughter and I went through all the fleece I brought down from Colorado. It has been stored in locking 20 gallon plastic totes in the shed outback since it got here.

My husband took it all out of the shed and put it in my outdoor studio space. In that process he popped the lids of the totes for a quick investigation. Two of the totes were a total loss, not because of stowaways but because the lids were not properly secured, or possibly came loose in the wind that lifted the shed off the ground, and the moths were let in.

From the remaining ten totes only one fleece was lost. I still don’t think it was stowaways but I can’t prove it. Anyway in this tote were 3 fleeces, all washed wool of different breeds. One of the fleeces, for reasons unknown, was not in a plastic bag. The other two were each in their own bags. The one not in the bag was the only one that had been munched on. There was plenty to eat so that is what they ate.

In the photo above you can see what was dumped from the tote into the garbage bin. What looks like dirt is frass from all those moths. I was a couple of inches deep in the one corner where that fleece was located. So glad I only lost the one in the tote. The other two are in the same locking tote, with a moth ball. They will be stored outside in the hot sun for a while just to make sure it’s all good.

Mothballs are a huge helper in keeping the little buggers in check, I use the ones that have lavender with them to cut the mothball smell a bit. I also hang the moth traps in my studio to stay ahead of the game just in case something was brought in from somewhere else.

However you store your stash, because and go through it regularly, air it out, let it get some daylight and get rid of anything that might be questionable.

Finished items are vulnerable as well. Make sure to check them often. If they are hanging on racks they can still fall victim to moths. Move things often. I have blankets and shawl on all my rocking chairs, year around, but I move them weekly, even if I don’t use them.

Any tips or tricks for storing your stash or finished items? Please share in the comments below.

Happy Making!