Since then I have been engaged in a years-long extermination-attempt on these evil lepidoptera; involving old-sweater clearances, rigorous hygiene of clothing/ wardrobe/ drawers, pheromone sticky pads, instant and long-acting sprays and - in general - bug-eyed destructive fanaticism.
Followed by careful replenishment with brand-new jumpers - each pre-treated with assorted insect poisons, each lovingly cared-for to maintain cleanliness and freshness.
All utterly futile.
I had just recently thrown-out two plain crew-necks, which were presents; and was down to a single patterned-lambswool pullover; when, just yesterday, I found the tell-tale ragged hole that means the vile vermin had gotten my final jersey.
Once again I am a moth-eaten, mangy varmint.
That's it. I give up. The Moths Have Won.
I love wearing wool - it is the queen of fabrics as far as I am concerned. But not for me.
No More Wool
- Henceforth clammy cotton, awful acrylic, and sweat-inducing polyester fleece shall clothe my miserable torso.
11 comments:
Reminds me... https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4496842/
@S - Well, Reeves and Mortimer originate not far from here - perhaps the moth plague extends throughout the whole North East?
Did you try freezing items separately (in plastic bags) during the summer?
Does your home or garage have some free space? Perhaps you could buy a freezer to store your woolens in. It will work. Freezing kills even the eggs.
I share your hatred for moths, who have robbed me of many prized garments over the years. Our California moth problem is probably not as extreme as yours, but what has been working for me so far (I hope I don't jinx myself) is a sealed closet and a rule that nothing goes into the closet unless it's been in the freezer for 24 hours or comes straight off my body after a day's wear. Ultimately, though, some day I hope I will live in a space big enough to have a dedicated woolen freezer.
Slightly OT: The Deeargee shearing shed.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/66/ff/bd66ffcf7fe9ed161cef7bd8550cbe08.jpg
https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2014/10/pairs-12-shearing-sheds-isis-downs_25.html
@RT and J - It wouldn't work against these moths... *Nothing* works against these moths.
I know when I'm beaten. Time to move on...
And there’s hemp/linen - not as clammy as cotton
@Colin - Yes, it's good stuff; but expensive and takes a great deal of ironing.
I think their natural diet is bird feathers. As a result, the precise fabric seems to be less important than the presence of edible grease (though of course that is inherent in wool which s why we associate them primarily with wool).
True story: I don't really buy polyester ties -- mine are nearly all silk or cotton -- but I had one of those club ties with a repeating crest pattern which are sometimes only available in polyester. I must have hung it up in my wardrobe one night not noticing that it had some kind of blob of greasy food on it from a reception I had attended earlier. I was fascinated to discover while sorting some clothes out some time later, that it had a moth hole in it.
The main evasive course of action one can take is I think not to live near a pigeon graveyard -- where pigeons go to die. We must have one of these behind the parapet of our block, because moths abound here.
A point of terminology as used in our household. A "bunny" may refer in a narrow sense, of course, to a rabbit, but the broader meaning (possibly influenced by my time at London Transport, where it was used to refer to all manner of infestations of fast-breeding pests that live in the tunnels, eg rats) is simply "a fast-breeding pest". Example: "Aargh. My favourite pullover has been eaten by bunnies!"
This made me very sad to read. Wool is one of life's great pleasures. I hope I never end up with a moth infestation like yours.
@Rory - Never had any problem with moths at all or ever until the past decade. From what william arthurs says above, I wonder if the cause was a local increase in the pigeon population. We need to introduce some Goshawks, which apparently eat pigeons.
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