We seem to be in the midst of the most quiet invasion ever at the moment, namely moths! They appear randomly all over the place and I’m determined they don’t eat any of our woollens so am fighting back!
Normally I buy the chemical ‘patches’ or insecticide soaked paper, but I can be very forgetful at removing them once they are no longer active and am more than a little paranoid that the Lamb or Pup will find them and decide they’re the latest chew-toy so, inspired by this post from Garden Therapy I decided to make some ceramic ‘pendants’ for our wardrobes which I soaked in cedar oil (I made these one weekend when I had a horrendous cold so kept adding more and more oil until hubby intervened as apparently the house stunk).
Cedarwood oil is derived from the cedar tree and can be bought in blocks, oil or resin. It is a natural moth repellent, with the added bonus that it’s non-toxic to dogs (obviously check with your vets if you have any doubts. There’s a plethora of products with cedar oil in aimed at removing fleas and ticks from dogs, with the added benefit that your furry best friend smells a little fresher too!), a major concern here at Beagle HQ.
The pendents were super simple to make and I think look adorable. I bought some air-drying clay which I rolled out, then using assorted cookie and play-doh cutters, I cut different shapes, using a straw to punch a hole for the string and of course I had to add a little dog paw for decoration. I left them to dry overnight, then started adding the oil, allowing it to sink in fully before adding more. As I said, I may have used a *little* too much. Once they were fully dried I tight some string around them, and then popped them between clothes, in cupboards and generally around the house. We’re now moth-free AND the house smells fantastic!
Have you made any natural moth repellents? What did you use? Let me know in the comments below.