Get rid of moths the clean way

Depending on where you live, you just might face a moth infestation in the spring and summer. They hide everywhere and opening your door can let them into your house to flutter around lights and get those nasty red spots on everything.

How do you get rid of them? I guess you could turn off all your inside lights, open your door and place a bright light outside. That might not be the best idea though. You can also chase them around with a vacuum cleaner hose in hopes of catching them out of thin air. (Yes, I have done that and yes, I looked like a dork.)

Take heart, there is a better way using things that even the most ill-equipped kitchen should have. The best part is that you don't have to do anything once you set it up.


You will need to round up three things.

1. A large dish of some kind, a glass cake pan is especially good.
2. Liquid soap
3. An under counter light or an adjustable desk light. Fluorescent lights work best.
4. Water (okay that's four things but you don't have to go looking for the water)

Add a little soap to your pan and fill the pan with water. Place the pan on the counter under your light. If you are using an under counter light you should sit the pan up on something so that it is only a few inches away from the light source. For the adjustable light you should set it so it is just a few inches above the pan.

That's it, you have just made the ultimate moth trap. Leave the light on and go to bed. When you wake up you will have a pan full of yucky but dead moths.

As far as I can tell, this works because of the nature of soap and moths. The moths are attracted to the light and their crazy flight paths runs them into the soapy water. The soap grabs onto the dust on their wings and traps them in the water.

How you dispose of the "poor" dead moths is up to you. Dump them down the garbage disposal, outside behind a bush, into the the sewer drain, throw them at your sister, or whatever works for you. However you get rid of them it has to be better than chasing them around with a vacuum cleaner.