Last week, it was the magazine in the fridge. Today, it’s a quilt top in the big freezer . . right under the bags of crawfish tails and right next to the pecans.
And in the small freezer, right next to the andouille sausage, it’s charm packs:
The reason (and you know I have a good one!): We have a horrible moth problem in this area this time of year. It must be like the swarming Formosan termites in southwest Louisiana in that it happens every year about this time. The shop is full of them. I don’t think they’re getting into the sewing room. It’s pretty tight but the boxes above the sewing room . . the moths are everywhere up there. I was looking for something yesterday upstairs and found a quilt top which was actually a UFO that should already have been finished, and there were those charm packs. I figured I’d stick them in the freezer til I have time to inspect them. No way will I stick them in the sewing room til I’m sure there’s no signs of moths in them. That’s one thing I don’t need around my fabric and yarn.
Elizabeth Johnson says
Very smart idea! Freeze the larva if there is any, but will it really work. You will have to let me know. Our problem here is these strange ladybug.
Roberta says
There are pantry pest traps that really work and seem to work for the clothes and food types. They are easy to use but if you have tons of moths you might want to buy several as there are limited coverage on the inside of the trap. We keep them in the pantry at all times to catch and stray moth that might come home from the shops. At least it keeps them from spreading all over.
Hugs!!!!
Judy F says
You can get moth traps at Lee Valley Garden Tools. I have used them and know that they work. We had dog treats (samples from the Vet) that were infested with the moths, and of couse I stored them in the panrry. I have no affiliation with Lee Valley, just know they work better and faster than the ones purchased at Lowe’s because I have both now in use in my pantry.
Liz says
If I remember correctly, some bugs can survive a period of freezing since they do have to go through winter. if the freezing period takes a while, then they can develop their own antifreeze, so to speak. So, let the material return to room temperature and then refreeze.
http://www.museumpests.net/treatment.asp?defaulttab=1&defaultpanel=1
I also take food out of boxes and put them into jars. It looks better, I can see how much I have left and it is easier to notice if there are any emerging bugs. I think you only have to have one moth problem with the subsequent cleaning of your pantry to develop different storage techniques.
shelly says
They must be the Miller Moths.We had them here in northern Colorado a few weeks ago….
Shelly
Debbie R. says
We are having the moth problem too. Funniest thing is seeing our 60 lb. golden retriever, ducking her head and scrambling around because she is scared of them… she shakes just like she does during a thunderstorm.
Diana in TX says
We had been doing that with the bags of bird seed, but my freezer is to full for 40 lb bags of seeds. Now we just use the bigger pantry pests and that keeps them under control. Several days in the freezer should do the trick for you.
Alma says
Can you imagine what some husbands will do when they find fabric in the freezer when looking for their ice cream!!!!
Ha ha ha
Bonnie Tucker says
Judy
What is the purpose of keeping the pecans in the freezer?
Bonnie
Lee says
That reminds me, I should start closing the door on my stash closet. This past year I used the cedar closet lining as flooring (yup, just flat-out nailed it to the floor!) as cedar is supposed to be a natural bug repellant. I might even scuff it up just a little to re-release some of its odor/oil/essence just be safer. I love the smell of cedar…maybe I’ll use it on the rest of the floor in my craft room when I get to it 🙂 Sure hope you don’t EVER find any moths in your studio & closets.
Dora, the quilter says
We had about three weeks of moth problems too–but they were Miller moths, and fortunately they don’t eat fabrics. They were after the blossoms on the choke cherry trees–and just about anything else they viewed as food. They’ve now moved on to higher mountains (probably in Colorado, we were told), so we have no more than a stray one here or there. However, we are thrilled that they are gone, although after our mild winter, we may have more less than delightful visitors.
Bev in MI says
This is one of the reasons I love living in the North, plus I don’t like hot weather, over 75, IMHO. For several months each year the garage becomes a big walk-in freezer, and the outdoors is a wonderful exterminator for buggy pests.
karylsquilts says
if freezing kills all the bugs,,,,,,,, why does minnesota and other northern states still have plenty???
Carol Victory says
No moth problem here. Instead of fabric I have seven half gallons of Blue Bell ice cream in my freezer (plus two in the kitchen freezer). 🙂
Mel Meister says
Weird! Right after I had mentioned to watch for moths! The dryer will kill them, too. It would be easy to throw the quilt top in the dryer, but the charm squares? Not so much….
Linda Steller says
Hope you didn’t mark them with a Frixion pen and then iron it out, because it will be right back! ;P We always joke about this, because none of us ever keeps our quilts in the freezer, and that’s what causes the marks to come back. Good luck getting rid of the bugs. It’s sugar ant season here in Oregon. I hate the darn things. Just when I think they’re gone, they’re baaaackkk!
Brandy M. says
Those moths would drive me nuts! Ugg! Is there some kind of moth trap you can get – and hang ’em everywhere? Or, something like those really gross fly sticky strips? I hate those things, but if it helps deal with the problem, I’d be SO willing to deal with the gross-ness!
Thanks for sharing because I had forgotten about the freezer thing. Forgot all about that!
🙂