Moth & Caterpillar Control

What Are Moths & Caterpillars?

Caterpillars are the larval stage of moths and butterflies. If you're looking for how to get rid of caterpillars naturally, you're in the right place. These pests are among the most destructive insects. They can entirely consume seedlings, young shoots, buds, leaves, and flowers.

There are many types of "worms" in the Lepidoptera group. These include loopers, hornworms, tent caterpillars, cabbage loopers, and other “worms.” They chew holes, strip foliage, and damage crops and ornamental plants. Caterpillar feeding can stunt plant growth and reduce yields.

Moths and caterpillars cause problems indoors as well as outdoors. Getting rid of clothes moths naturally starts with understanding that it's their larvae, not adult moths, that damage fabrics, carpets, and natural fibers. Pantry moths, such as the Indian meal moth, infest stored food and other storage aread. Getting rid of pantry moths requires removing infested goods, cleaning thoroughly, and using targeted predators to break the breeding cycle.

Signs of a Moth Infestation

Catching a caterpillar infestation early is key. Some species roll or fold leaves together with silk to form shelters, while others openly feed on foliage. Look for these signs of caterpillar activity:

Irregular holes or chewed edges on leaves
Frass (insect droppings) on leaves or around stems
Silk webbing, rolled leaves, or tent-like structures on branches
Chewed or burrowed fruit and nuts

Because many caterpillars feed at night, check plants early in the morning or at dusk. This raises your chance of spotting them.

Lifecycle

Moths and butterflies have four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa, and adult. The larva may molt three to five times before entering the pupal life-stage.

Complete Metamorphosis (holometabolous)

In the pupal stage, both moths and butterflies undergo a complete metamorphosis, where the larvae looks completely different from the adult. Although they both go through this transformation, they pupate in different ways.

Moths develop into a cocoon, which is a protective silk casing spun by the larvae. Butterflies form a chrysalis, which is a hard, smooth pupa.

A lot of insects do not go through a metamorphosis and instead just change in size and form, called hemimetabolous. Hemimetabolous means the insect undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult), with nymphs resembling small adults.

Getting Rid of Moths Indoors

Getting rid of pantry moths and clothes moths naturally requires a two-stage approach: elimination and prevention. For pantry moths, start by removing and discarding any infested foods, then thoroughly clean shelving with soap and water to remove eggs and larvae hidden in cracks and corners.

For clothes moth control, vacuuming affected area and storing natural fiber garments in sealed bags helps to remove larvae and cut off their food source.

In both cases, Trichgramma wasps are a powerful natural solution, as they parasitize the eggs before they hatch.

Cultural Strategies

Preventing moth and caterpillar problems starts with good garden management.

Try these methods:

Rotate crops each season to disrupt the life cycle of species that pupate in the soil. This will make it harder for them to find host plants when they emerge.
Remove plant debris to reduce egg-laying sites and overwintering habitats.
Companion planting can help repel moths. For instance, marigolds may deter caterpillars because of their strong scent, or basil planted near tomatos may discourage hornworms.
Diversifying your plantings may also make it harder for egg-laying moths to find host plants. A mix of plants can send confusing scent signals.

Physical / Mechanical Control

Physical barriers and monitoring tools are your first line of defense before an infestation takes hold. We offer a range of products to help prevent caterpillars naturally, including:

Beneficial Insect Netting prevents moths and butterflies from landing on plants to lay eggs.
Diatomaceous Earth creates an unfavorable surface environment for caterpillars and other soft-bodied pests.
Clothes Moth Traps & Pantry Moth Traps are pheromone-based traps that capture adult male moths before they can mate.

Biological Control

Caterpillars' ability to develop chemical resistance combined with their rapid reproduction makes natural caterpillar predators and beneficial insects for caterpillar control an essential part of any organic garden management strategy.

General Predators

Ladybugs are great at managing aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, thrips, and more.
Green Lacewing Larvae are effective against aphids, small caterpillars, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, scale, thrips, and more.
Orius insidiosus (Minute Pirate Bug) targets all life stages of thrips, mites, moth eggs, aphids, and more.

Specialized Predator for Moth Control

Trichogramma wasps are tiny, stingless moth parasites, under 1 mm long. This moth egg parasite lays its eggs inside the eggs of over 200 moth species. Trichogramma parasitic wasps are a highly targeted moth egg control as they break the pest life cycle.

Trichogramma works indoors as well as outdoors. Use Trichogramma wasps for clothing moths, codling moths, pantry moths, and other indoor moth species.

When to Release

The most effective caterpillar and moth control happens before you see the damage. Introduce beneficial insects at the start of the growing season, or as soon as you notice adult moths on traps or flying around your house.

Soft Chemical Options

For natural moth and caterpillar control, start with early beneficial insect releases. For light infestations. Moderate infestations may require a soft chemical to help knockdown populations. After treatment, you can re-release beneficial insects to prevent infestations. A couple soft chemicals we offer are:

Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is a biopesticide. It works by adding bacterial spores and toxins to a caterpillar’s body as it eats leaves.
Neem oil disrupts feeding and growth when sprayed on foliage. This options works best for younger, smaller caterpillars.