Harriet Nelson Strikes Again

If you can’t believe Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, who can you believe?

Retro TV carries old episodes of The Nelsons every Saturday and last weekend Ozzie was all upset because one of his best sport coats had been attacked by moths in the closet. Of course, the plot couldn’t be that simple; the issue of older son David taking up smoking a pipe was involved and the parents were rightfully concerned.

Friends being what they were in that idyllic neighborhood, Thorny informed Ozzie that David had been seen at the local pharmacy buying a can of pipe tobacco. Ozzie finally told Harriet, whom he was sure would be devastated, but it turned out that one of her friends had told her that a cloth bag full of loose tobacco hung in the closet would repel those nasty moths. She had simply sent David to the store to buy it for her.

I had never heard of tobacco being used as a moth repellant, but Harriet’s friend was right. Let’s start at the beginning…

First of all, it’s not the winged adult moths that do damage to clothing; rather it’s the moth larvae – a wormlike creature no more than 1/4-inch long. The voracious creatures dine on food stains and soil on clothing, wool, fur, hair, carpeting, feathers and even dried perspiration.

They always say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so in order to prevent a moth infestation, be sure your woolen garments are thoroughly cleaned before storing them for the summer. Hanging them in the sun periodically and brushing them will remove the light-averse moth larvae and eggs.

Mothballs, flakes and crystals that contain naphthalene have been used forever to protect stored clothing. Here’s where the tobacco comes in because it too contains naphthalene. All of a sudden you find yourself trading holes in your sweaters for smelly sweaters and risking over exposure to the toxic naphthalene. But there are natural ways to repel moths from your closets.

Lavender will repel moths from your clothing but must not be allowed to come into direct contact with them as stains will result from the lavender oil. Make your own mesh sachet with dried lavender and hang in the closet or toss it in with your storage boxes and bags.

Orange peel, lemon, mint, and eucalyptus oils will repel many types of pests, including moths. Cotton balls soaked in one of these oils can be placed on a closet shelf to do their work. Just be aware that some of these oils may be poisonous, particularly to pets, so be careful of your placement of them.

Remember the old cedar hope chests? They were constructed of that aromatic wood for more than the colorful beauty: cedar repels moths. Unlike moth balls, cedar is safe to use in your home. Cedar balls or blocks can be purchased at the hardware store, or you can install cedar strips in your closet. When the aroma wears off, sand the cedar lightly to restore the scent.

Well, I suppose we’ll have to give Harriet the benefit of the doubt in this case. Perhaps she and her friend had no idea that hanging tobacco in the closet was not such a good idea after all. Of course, if you’re fighting moths and snakes at the same time, those moth balls don’t sound too bad.