Mothproofing Recipes

from a feltmaker's blog
http://www.peak.org/~spark/feltmothproofing.html

*Lynne Holtrust, 7 Sept. 2002. Here is a mothproofing recipe from the book...'Herbs For the Home' by Jekka McVicar – quote: "Moth Repellent ...Wormwood or Southernwood can be used for keeping moths and other harmful insects away from clothes. The smell is sharp and refreshing and does not cling to your clothes like camphor mothballs."

Bug Ban Recipe
2 tablespoons dried wormwood or southernwood
(Southernwood....Artemisia abrotanum...also Wormwood....Artemesia absinthium)
2 tablespoons dried lavender
2 tablespoons dried mint
Mix ingredients well and put into small sachets.
*It really does smell nice....I am able to grow most of these plants in my garden (zone 4)...definitely NOT tropical....with the exception of rosemary. Any of the spices are easily found at the grocer.

*Julie Earl, 7 Sept, 2002. You can also add the dried whole cloves to the mix, works wonders.

*Lynne Holtrust, 7 Sept. 2002. Here is another recipe. These are from an article in Country Living Gardener magazine, (1995) by Irene Rawlings.

Cedar Moth Chaser
- -1 cup cedar shavings (it is inexpensive to buy this in a pet supply store)
- -1/4 cup each...southernwood, peppermint, lemon verbena, thyme and rosemary
- -1/8 cup each whole cloves, lemon peel, and black peppercorns

Tangy Moth Repellent
Mix equal parts of camphor, basil, lavender and rosemary
Mint Moth Deterrent
2 cups each dried spearmint, dried peppermint and dried rosemary
1 cup dried thyme
1/2 cup ground cloves
French Moth Repellent
2 parts lavender
2 parts southernwood
1 part rosemary
1 part pennyroyal
1 part wormwood
add 1 tablespoon ground cloves to each 2 cups of dried herbs and mix well

*Anna Salvesen, Feb. 25, 2005.
What I learned on the university entomology research sites is that much of the "pleasant" , non-toxic moth and CBL (carpet beetle larvae) deterrents such as lavender, cedar, etc., are not particularly effective at deterring pests, especially if the fibers are not clean and are already infested or stored in dark, undisturbed areas that are infested. …
The most effective non-toxic measures are good housekeeping details to make your things less appetizing (i.e. clean fibers before storing), make the environment inhospitable (light, bright, airy, & disturbed ... love that one! ), and reduce the opportunity for breeding to reduce the numbers looking for food (get rid of that old bird nest on the porch, use window screens (or fix them), etc.