Do moth pheromone traps get rid of moths?

Not on their own. Pheromone traps catch male moths only, so they tell you whether moths are still active rather than ending the problem. Use them as a check alongside cleaning, treating fabrics and sealed storage.

Moths and pantry pests 3 min read Updated 9 October 2026

A pheromone trap catches male moths only. It never touches the females that have already mated, and it never touches the larvae, which are the ones eating your wool or your flour. So if you put traps up and still find new holes or webbing, the traps are not broken. They are doing a different job: telling you whether moths are still active, and whether the rest of your plan is working.

Used that way, they are well worth having, as long as you place them well and read them weekly.

What the trap actually does

Each trap has a lure that copies the scent a female moth gives off. Males follow it and land on a sticky card. Catching some males does not stop eggs that are already laid, and larvae carry on feeding in fabric or food whether the trap is full or empty.

The lures are made for one kind of moth. A clothes moth trap will not catch pantry moths, and a pantry moth trap will not catch clothes moths. Check the pack before you buy, and if you are not sure which moth you have, see pantry moths or clothes moths.

How to use them as a check

Put one in each problem area. Clothes moths: in or beside the wardrobe and in rooms with wool rugs. Pantry moths: in the kitchen, near the food cupboards.
Keep them out of draughts and away from open windows, so the scent stays in the room you want to check.
Write the date on each one.
Count the catch on the same day each week and note it down.
Replace the lure or the trap when the pack says, or when the card is full or dusty.

The same idea as monitor traps for crawling insects: same spot, same day, written down. The numbers matter more than any single catch.

Reading the numbers

Catches steady or rising: moths are still breeding somewhere. Look for a source you have missed.
Catches falling over several weeks: the plan is working. Keep going.
Nothing for several weeks after cleaning: a good sign. Leave a trap up for a while longer to be sure.
Nothing on the first day: means little. Males only fly once they hatch, and an empty trap is not proof of no larvae.

What to do alongside the traps

For clothes moths: find the source, vacuum deep under furniture and along carpet edges, wash hot or freeze the affected items, and store clean wool sealed. The full plan is in clothes moths without mothballs, and protecting wool and cashmere covers storage.

For pantry moths: check every dry food, bin anything with webbing or larvae, vacuum and wipe the shelves, and move food into hard sealed containers. Start with what to throw out, then where the last ones hide.

Kids and pets: pheromone traps have no poison, but the glue sticks to fingers, hair and fur. Fix them high up, on the inside of a wardrobe or cupboard door, out of reach. Do not put any insect spray on or near food unless the label says it is allowed there.

When the traps say get help

If you have cleaned, treated and sealed everything and catches are still steady after a month or two, a pest controller can find hidden sources and treat carpets or cupboards. Your dated counts are exactly what they need to see. Ask which product they plan to use and get the label before they start, especially with children, pets or asthma at home.