To my knowledge, natural hair blankets are no longer treated against moth infestation. Most customers do not want additional chemicals in natural hair blankets.
How does moth damage occur?
Fertilized female clothes moths lay their eggs on wool items. As soon as the larvae hatch from the eggs, they feed on wool fibers (keratin) – creating localized bald spots on the fabric.
The clothes moth itself does not eat wool (keratin).
A primary source of moth damage is an already infested wardrobe containing older wool items. Please dispose of infested wool items if possible, as this can lead to contamination.
Moths are attracted to light. Especially in summer, moths are drawn to open windows and lights in the home. Here, you can take appropriate precautions yourself.
Moths are instinctively attracted to very fine wools. Angora items are particularly vulnerable, as are very fine wools and hairs – coarse wools are generally neglected.
Moth Repellents Eulan and Mitin
I still remember the term "Eulanization" from earlier times. Eulan or Mitin can be applied industrially to fabric in a water bath before it is dried. I have been working in the textile production of natural hair blankets since 1994 and am no longer aware of any actual application with Eulan or Mitin in Germany.
Eulan (Bayer company) was produced until 1988.
Mitin (Ciba Geigy company) is a product similar to Eulan.
These ingestion or contact poisons do not prevent feeding damage!
The larvae first eat the keratin (wool hairs), creating a bald spot, then the larvae die. Therefore, (regardless of any potential health risks for humans) the use of the above-mentioned agents makes little sense. This insight was, to my recollection, presented by Professor (Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Finnimore) in a lecture at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, specializing in textile production.
Eulan or Mitin are ingestion poisons that directly affect a digestive enzyme and interrupt digestion. The moth larvae quickly starve. Actually a great thing. Which also explains its enormous and rapid spread.
But unfortunately, these substances are chemically and thermally very stable. They persist for a very long time and accumulate. This is especially true in house dust (into which they enter through treated carpets) and, above all, in water.
How dangerous the dusts, which can also accumulate in the human body through inhalation, ultimately are, has never been conclusively investigated. Bayer discontinued production in 1988 without giving reasons. EULAN (and especially its metabolite PCAD) belongs to the same group of insecticides as lindane, PCBs, and DDT. These substances have since been banned in the EU. At higher temperatures (above 100°C, e.g., during dyeing), dioxins, which are carcinogenic, can form.
Measures and my recommendations
I recommend storing the blankets in protective film during the warm season, for example, when they are kept in a closet.
Furthermore, I also refer to relevant articles regarding moth damage on the internet, which can be found using this search term.
There is no 100% protection against moth damage, unless the blankets are stored "airtight" in protective film. (This is the case with Ritter blankets, and this is how we deliver the blankets).
In any case, contact with potentially already infested textiles should be avoided. Already infested garments should be disposed of to prevent further contamination of the blankets or wool items.
Further possibilities: natural fragrances
Moths do not like the scent of lavender oil, cedar wood, or cloves. Scented sachets made from these natural essences act as a repellent to moths.
These should be renewed regularly, as the effect of the scent diminishes.
Temperature differences
The eggs and larvae of the clothes moth are susceptible to temperature differences; freezing in the freezer or hanging out in low frosty temperatures may help.
Christian Ritter
Dipl. Ing. (FH) Textile Production
