Per chi come me avesse infestazioni in corso, o volesse informarsi per prevenirle, ecco i consigli forniti da Wikipedia. Sono tanti e interessanti. Suggerisco di guardare anche la versione in inglese (sotto) che mi sembra ancora più ricca (ho già ampliato un minimo quella italiana, comunque).
Per bloccare un'infestazione di tarme ci si può orientare sui seguenti sistemi:
- trappole collanti attivate con feromoni specifici: per monitorare la situazione dell'infestazione e impedire gli accoppiamenti
- aspirapolvere: le tarme si annidano in tappeti e zoccolini, passare l'aspirapolvere costituisce un passo importante per la completa disinfestazione
- pulizia a secco dei tessuti infestati: questo passaggio elimina le tarme esistenti dai vestiti ed elimina l'umidità
- luce solare: ha un effetto limitato
- calore: temperature molto alte (50 °C per più di 30 minuti). Queste condizioni si possono raggiungere mettendo i materiali infestati in una soffitta o lavando i tessuti a temperature maggiori (per la lana esiste il rischio di infeltrimento)
- congelamento: congelare l'oggetto infestato per diversi giorni a una temperatura inferiore a 0 °C (io ho già messo il mio orsacchiotto preferito e qualche altro in freezer)
- affumicamento con ghiaccio secco: affumicare un oggetto con ghiaccio secco, cioè immergere un oggetto in anidride carbonica ad alta concentrazione, eliminerà tutti gli stadi delle tarme (questa mi interessa, credo ci proverò)
- permetrina: tipicamente uno spray (ha una bassa tossicità per i mammiferi, ma è molto pericolosa per i gatti e i pesci)
- piretrinoidi: per esempio Deltametrina
- regolatori della crescita degli insetti: fermano il ciclo vitale
- prodotti antitarme in palline: ci sono due tipi di prodotti: i più vecchi sono prodotti con naftalene, i più recenti con dichlorobenzene. Entrambi sublimano in gas più pesanti dell'aria e devono raggiungere un'elevata concentrazione per essere efficaci. Un'alternativa più sicura e più naturale è la canfora
- cedro: la sua utilità come deterrente è dubbia. L'olio volatile del Cedro della Virginia (Juniperus virginiana) è in grado di uccidere le larve, ma è difficile mantenere una concentrazione sufficiente perché abbia effetto. Inoltre, il cedro perde la sua qualità dopo alcuni anni
- Icneumonoidei (e.g. Trichogramma evanescens): piccole vespe parassite che depongono le loro vuova vicino a quelle delle tarme; quando si schiudono le larve mangiano le uova delle tarme. Gli icneumonoidei non sono dannosi per gli esseri umani, visto che misurano solo intorno ai 2 mm. Quando tutte le uova delle tarme sono state mangiate, gli icneumonoidei muoiono entro 2–4 settimane. (Mooooooolto interessante! Ma dove si compranto gli icneumonoidei? Già ho avuto problemi a trovare la permetrina, il mio farmacista voleva rifilarmi l'Autan e mi ha comunque dato una cosa molto simile e senza permetrina -_-'!)
Per quanto riguarda i prodotti chimici è consigliabile applicarli usando un diffusore spray, accertandosi di utilizzarne in quantità sufficiente. Trattare una volta al mese per i primi tre mesi e poi una volta ogni quattro mesi per mantenere l'infestazione sotto controllo.
The Hairy Half and I dedicated the day to the fight against the moth's infestation (he must love me very much). As now we searched for the infested things and wasted (the clothes) or isolated (the pelouches) them. Fortunately the damage wasn't extended as I feared, but it was all among the pelouches :T_T: The last time I wasted a lot of theam, but this time I studied better. We'll exterminate them and I will hug my pelouches again! Here are some very good and interesting piece of advice from wikipedia. I think people who have a moth infestation like me or are interested in prevenction will find it interesting.
Control measures for T. bisselliella (and similar species) include the following:
- Physical measures
- Clothing moth traps – this step can help monitor the current infestation and prevent males from mating with females
- Cryofumigation – Fumigating an object with dry ice, that is enclosing it in a plastic bag for 3–5 days with dry ice so it is effectively bathed in a high concentration of carbon dioxide, denied oxygen, and thus it will kill all stages of clothing moths. For details, see Clothes Moths Management Guidelines, under "Household Furnishings". (I think I'll try it).
- Dry cleaning – This step kills moths on existing clothing and helps remove moisture from clothes
- Freezing – Freezing the object for several days at temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) (my favourite teddy bear and some others are already in the freezer)
- Heat (120 °F or 49 °C for 30 minutes or more) – these conditions may possibly be achieved by placing infested materials in an attic in warm weather, or by washing clothes at or above this temperature
- Sunlight – has a limited effect
- Vacuuming – Since the moths like to hide in carpeting and baseboards, this is an important step towards full eradication
- Mothproofing – Treatment of materials as a preventive measure before their use, as well as simply for storage, has a long history. Many of the treatments were concerned more with moth protection than consumer safety. 5% silicofluoride solution treatment, with 0.2% to 0.3% applied fluorine, was found to give adequate protection; magnesium hexafluorosilicate (an inorganic insecticide also used as sheep dip) was marketed as late as 1989 for mothproofing. Arsenical compounds were effective in killing larvae but were considered too toxic for human contact even in the early 20th century. Triphenyltin chloride was effective at 0.25%. After 1947, chloronated hydrocarbon insecticides of many varieties were found to be effective at the low concentrations practical for preservative treatment. Examples are chlordane at 2% per weight of wool, toxaphene at 0.8%, pentachlorophenol or BHC at 0.5%, DDT at 0.2%, chlordecone and mirex at 0.06%, and dieldrin at 0.05%. Imidazole (a non-chloronated aromatic heterocyclic) at 1% also gave satisfactory protection. Besides solvent-based applications, insecticidal dusts were commonly used to treat fabrics. In the 1950s EQ-53, a DDT emulsion, was recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to add to the final rinse of washable woolens, but even then cautions were given to the use of chloronated hydrocarbons on items subject to commercial drycleaning.
- Mothballs – are used primarily as a preservative but also will kill existing larvae if the concentration is high enough. There are two types of mothball: early 20th century ones were based on naphthalene, while mid 20th century ones used paradichlorobenzene. Both evaporate into a gas, which is heavier than air and needs to reach a high concentration at the protected material to be effective. Disadvantages: somewhat toxic and carcinogenic, mothballs should not be put where they can be eaten by children or pets. Naphthalene mothballs are also highly flammable.
- Insecticides – typically aerosol application works best if coverage is adequate. Treat once a month for the first three months and then once a quarter for the next year to ensure the infestation is under control.
- Permethrin – a particular synthetic pyrethroid available as aerosol spray. Disadvantages: very toxic to cats and fishes.
- Pyrethroids or pyrethrins (e.g. Cy-Kick, Deltamethrin) – synthetic or natural pyrethrins available as aerosol spray or as dusts. Disadvantages: some are persistent in the ecosystem and toxic to fish, possibly resistance.
- Pyriproxyfen (or other juvenile hormone analogs) – stop the life cycle by preventing the caterpillars from pupating
- Biological measures
- Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) – a safer and more natural alternative to mothballs but may require high vapour concentrations
- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) – questionable value as long-term deterrent. While the volatile oil is able to kill small larvae, it is difficult to maintain sufficient concentrations of it around stored articles to be effective; cedar wood loses all moth-suppressant capabilities after a few years. Other cedar species may have better or worse effects.
- Common Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) – either bags with dried lavender flowers are put into the wardrobe (they can be refreshed by putting a few drops of lavender oil on them), or a few drops of lavender oil are put on a piece of fabric which is then deposited in the wardrobe and periodically refreshed. Disadvantage: strong "perfumed" smell
- Ichneumon wasps (e.g. Trichogramma evanescens) – tiny parasitoid wasps which place their own eggs beside those of the moths; when hatching their larvae eat the moth eggs. Ichneumon wasps are harmless to humans, measuring only about 2 mm. Once all moth eggs are eaten, the wasps vanish within 2–4 weeks. (Veeeeeeery interesting! But were you can buy them? I coudn't find even the permethrine yet!)
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