# Store fleeces washed or natural??



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I learned my lesson!!

I've heard both ways. You attract less moths in clean fiber and You attract less moths in lanolined fiber.

I just learned for myself.

I'm in the middle of cleaning out my fiber room and moving it into an other bedroom (one that hasn't become the collection area of all things we can't think to store anywhere else).

Horrors upon horrors when I come upon a beautiful RAW black corriedale hogget fleece full of cocoons. OMG!!! What of my other scoured fleeces?? Or of my rovings?!?!?!? 

It was only the raw fleeces that were infected, none of the scoured had a hint of moth or cocoons. OI! I still had to part with about 10 lb of fleeces.

Expensive lesson learned.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Shudder. I just moved two raw fleeces out of my workshop yesterday. I had heard that moths like dirty wool better, and I didn't want to run the risk of spreading from dirty wool to clean. 

No moths here. I live in fear of them, truly.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Ok, that gives me the kick in the pants that I needed. I have 4 fleeces that I'd better get washed while the weather is nice.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Fortunately, the moths were drawn to only one bag of raw black corriedale hogget fleece. Nothing else was affected. 

Tomorrow I have a choice of doing more rearranging of the fiber room or scouring fleeces ... Don't know if Paul will totally understand, but I'm washing up the rest of those fleeces!! It will probably take 2-3 days to complete the scouring, but I'd rather do that then compost them.

The corriedale hogget fleece is already in the compost pile with a couple of wheelbarrow loads of hay/manure/straw on top of it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Cyndi I'm curious did you have any herbal or other moth repellant in with that fleece? I have mine stored both ways, cleaned and raw, but they all have several lavender (or other known essential oil) herbal moth repellant soaked cotton ball in with them. When I moved into the house I'm in now I replaced all the old cotton balls with new resoaked ones. I've not found any moths or larvae (keeping fingers crossed. So I am curious Cyndi if you had anything in with your fleece?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Good to know...... as of now all mine are washed.....just one left drying/rinsing in the rain.

I've been storing my stashes in metal 15 gallon drums, super clean and a rubber sealed lid and clamp. Looks like I'm going to need to look into some 30 gallon models.....maybe in plastic.

I, too, dread the day I would ever find moth larvae in me fluffies.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

The only way to keep moths out of wool is to keep it moving. Move it into the freezer, out of the freezer, into the freezing cold air outside, back to the freezer...

Moths like dirty, still wool that is not freezing. They will eat wool with lanolin, or wool that has been washed, as long as it is nor freezing or moving.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Mine are in plastic garbage bags, tub type bins, out in the open. I've never had a moth problem. The only time I found any it was in a bag with raw buffalo/bison wool waiting to be processed. It happened to be outside on my upper deck. I tossed it right away and retreated everything. I'm not sure you can truly seal up your wool. If they are going to find it they are going to find it. 

I do agree that freezing and thawing and freezing will kill any that might be in there and keep others away. Wait for the first hard freeze and store all your bins and bags on your porches for the winter. It won't hurt them.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Yes, Marchie I keep both commercial moth repellent and cottonballs of lavender, patchouli & cedarwood.

I keep my wool in plastic bags, cotton pillow cases and tubs. The fleece that was infected was a closed plastic bag. Nothing else was affected.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I wonder if maybe the moth eggs were already on the fleece when you got it? Kind of like the weevils that are in flour and other grains sometimes.


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