Bug proofing is an issue....

[NM_Shooter]

I have a big problem with moths in my cabin.  The small, 3/4 inch gray ones. 

I'm not sure how they are getting in, but they seem to be coming from inside the insulated space on my cabin.  I am wondering if they are coming into the attic, then burrowing down through the insulation and coming in around the windows and exposed outlet boxes. 

Could they be getting in the gable vent shown in the corner of this picture?



What is a good way to get rid of them?  Can I scatter mothballs on top of the insulation in the attic, or will that be detrimental to my kid's health, and will we smell it below in the cabin?

[Redoverfarm]

Frank normally the winged moths are not burrowers.  I would imagine that you have had one in the cabin and laided eggs and they just hatched out.  Just a SWAG but that is what comes to mind.  Now lady bugs or what we have here (harvest bugs) are a different story.  They are a real PIA and can squeeze through the smallest of areas.

[OlJarhead]

I had this problem until all my cracks and holes were sealed with foam. 

I put up fly strips and caught a ton of them, and after sealing the cabin off I haven't seen very many at all.

The bird blocking I have in is also working to keep them out.

Just a thought but I'd say put some fly strips in the attic and maybe in the cabin proper when you are gone -- once they are all killed I suspect the problem will dissipate unless there is a way they can get in.

[muldoon]

put some cedar up there on those attic walls.  natural bug repellent, its what people use to put in closets for moth protection and place fancy linens in their "cedar chests" to keep moths and other bugs out.  I would say the thinner the better.  I purchased what is locally called cedar "liner".  It's 5.5" by 8' length and is about 3/8" thick.  goes up easy with a brad nailer.  If you did it across that ceiling I doubt you would ever have another moth come back in there.  

barring the pretty finish, maybe just a few bags of cedar chips or shavings (think hamster stuff) dumped liberally around in with the pink insulation, it might create enough aroma to be a strong deterrent.  

[MountainDon]

The moths are cyclical. This year we've encountered few compared to last year. They do seem to make their homes in all the little nooks and crannies. Our sliding windows were a haven for them. The windows are pretty well sealed up now but we still find a few in the track spaces. We used a small Shop Vac with an extension wand to suck them up. One of us would start to open the slider and the other would follow with the great sucker.   

I also find them in the shed, in things like a rolled up tarp.