Moths make holes in wool and other textiles when they nest.
Geraniums that repel moths provide an alternative to highly toxic moth balls for pest control. Natural repellents, including scented geraniums, mask the odor of fabrics, confusing moths and helping to repel them. Using scented geranium might help to prevent moth infestations in closets and drawers to keep your clothing and linens free of moth holes. Does this Spark an idea?
Repelling Moths
Common strategies for repelling moths include using moth balls, cedar chests, cedar lined closets, cedar drawer liners and blocks or balls of cedar. Moth balls create toxic vapor and present a poisoning hazard to pets, wildlife and children, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. Natural moth repellents include sachets made up of herbs that help to mask the odors of wool and fabrics, such as scented geranium, marjoram, lavender, pennyroyal and juniper. Small cloth bags contain the herbs for use in drawers, clothes closets, linen closets and blanket chests.
Geraniums for Repelling Moths
Female moths seek food sources when they're about to lay eggs, and find wool and other textiles by scent. By preventing female moths from locating textiles by scent, natural moth repellents such as scented geraniums protect sweaters, jackets and other fabric items from becoming a food source for moths. The citronella oil in many scented geranium, such as Pelargonium citrosum "Vanieenii," repels mosquitoes and other insects, according to Colorado State University. Citronella is a naturally occurring oil in Vanieenii and certain other scented geraniums.
Scented Geraniums
Scented geraniums belong to the genus Pelargonium and are not true geraniums, although they belong to the same family. Like regular geraniums, they're easy to start from cuttings. The scent comes from the underside of the leaves, making this the best part of the plant to use for repelling moths. Scented geraniums include lemon geraniums, mint geraniums, nutmeg geraniums, pineapple geraniums and rose geraniums. You can create your own moth-repellent potpourri and sachets from scented geraniums.
Using Geraniums as Moth Repellent
As dried or fresh geranium ages, it loses its scent. Just as sanding cedar periodically can improve its effectiveness against moths, replacing geranium potpourri with a fresh batch renews its scent to keep moths at bay. Crushing geranium leaves releases more scent. Placing the crushed plant material in decorative bowls, tea balls or drawstring bag sachets makes it convenient to use in storage areas and closets. Combining geranium with other fragrant plant materials such as cloves, eucalyptus leaves, orange peel, rose petals creates a fragrant and colorful potpourri blend.
Tags: scented geranium, scented geraniums, balls cedar, moth balls, moth repellents, other textiles