Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 21

Brought home scrap, and the cloth eating moth

| Scrap Metal Tips and Advice
  1. #1
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts

    Brought home scrap, and the cloth eating moth

    Okay, this is embarrassing to admit. I know, it's a danger with scrapping from the curb: The critters that live in the homes you scrap from can go straight to your home. Well, I brought home the cloth eating moth - yes they really eat any cloth in the home. I would highly recommend that the scrapper knows what the moth, the larvae, the cocoon, and the egg look like, because I did not. The eggs might even be too small to see, I've never seen one, but I think it's a mass of eggs so probably easy to find if you do look. Here is a good idea of thier life cycle:

    http://www.catalinarug.com/wp-conten..._Lifecycle.jpg

    And here is what the adult looks like in color:

    http://vonsomogyi.com.dedi1719.your-...cloth-moth.jpg

    Now, luckily, these moths did not get into the house. I store my scrap, temporarily, in the garage before it goes outside to my holding bins (Yep - bad idea - I already know). I remember seeing the larvae on something electronic I was scrapping a while back - I thought I killed them all - and didn't know what they were. Right next to my scrap is a bag of bird food. Okay, never store bird food in Florida - or any state - in your garage. Use the whole bag of bird food, or toss it away. After days of cleaning and vacuuming up moths I found that to be the obvious epicenter. In the bird food was were eggs and larvae developed. The larvae would then crawl directly up the garage wall to my cold weather plant cloths. (We live in an area of Florida that can freeze, so to protect outdoor plants that cannot freeze it's common to have a stash of these around). From the cloths the moths cocooned, and transformed into adulthood. Since discovering this, the bird seed and the plant cloths are obviously gone - bye Felecia! I know there are a million things I could have done differently, such as not temporarily storing scrap inside my garage, and I admit to that, but it was a mistake I made so I stand by it.

    Well, it is with this post that I also have to tell you all that my wife is not too happy with my endeavors currently, and I'd have to agree with her. It looks like I have to stop scrapping. I might be able to talk her into letting me collect copper power cords, but we'll see. I for sure do not want to put our house in danger in any way, but I like scrapping. It's free money, tax free money at that, I like the hunt and the trill of the find, but I just cannot live like others in my community do. The positive side to this is I am now an expert on the cloth moth, and getting rid of them, I got to have fun scrapping and learned a great deal about different types of metals!!! I'll still be on the forum, because I am now the guy who would scrap if he could! Can't wait to hear what you all find!

    Top 5 Things I Found While Scrapping:
    1.) ADT yard sign -- Who throws that out???? LOL, we now "have" ADT services, too - That might be priceless sitting out front.
    2.) Beer keg ($40 trade in value at a local liquor store)
    3.) An entire curb side of a scrap metal collector's hoard: many nonworking power drills and tools, boxes and boxes of cords and wire, etc
    4.) A tankless hotwater system with around 10-12' of #1 copper plumbing
    5.) All of my gold from e-waste. I just think that is cool.

    PS - I was listening to NPR, they've done lots of stories about how people don't know how to properly recycle. I went collecting on two recycle days - I am not talking about picking through someones recycle bin - I am talking about picking up a bunch of aluminum sliding glass door frames that the person thought was recyclable layin' by the curb, lol. It might be recyclable, but not in the trash pick up truck! You guys might want to check out recycling day. I always found at least 1 big find, usually aluminum, within 200 houses or so, with no scrappers out looking.


  2. #2
    DakotaRog's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    1,611
    Thanks
    602
    Thanked 1,675 Times in 830 Posts
    I don't know how much you were making a month doing your scrapping but if you can swing the cost of a small storage unit a month, that might be an option. Keep the wife happy by stuff staying out of the house and you still doing what you like. And because you live in FL, you could basically work out of it year round I suspect. Think it over. I wouldn't let the bugs win...

  3. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by DakotaRog:


  4. #3
    NHscrapman's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2013
    Location
    new hampshire
    Posts
    1,582
    Thanks
    4,076
    Thanked 2,175 Times in 941 Posts
    solution...godzilla
    There ain't nothing wrong with an honest days work. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.- Old Man

  5. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by NHscrapman:


  6. #4
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    She is not big on that idea either.. and I'd probably just about break even anyhow. It would also require a lot of driving back and forth for me, I do not have a trailer.

  7. #5
    jimicrk's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    2,825
    Thanks
    2,917
    Thanked 4,838 Times in 1,877 Posts
    It really saddens me and pisses me off also when I hear about a spouse or other family members that won't allow the other to scrap.

    I mean no disrespect to people who won't allow it, I just have a hard time understanding.

    I just came in from the garage after spending 2 hours breaking down telephones and now my Wife is out there breaking down phones.

    If it wasn't for her I would have to cut back on the amount of ewaste I bring home.

    She is my partner and knows the value of scrap.

  8. The Following 4 Users say Thank You for This Post by jimicrk:


  9. #6
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2012
    Location
    elkton,md
    Posts
    1,062
    Thanks
    8,524
    Thanked 1,470 Times in 600 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by jimicrk View Post
    It really saddens me and pisses me off also when I hear about a spouse or other family members that won't allow the other to scrap.

    I mean no disrespect to people who won't allow it, I just have a hard time understanding.

    I just came in from the garage after spending 2 hours breaking down telephones and now my Wife is out there breaking down phones.

    If it wasn't for her I would have to cut back on the amount of ewaste I bring home.

    She is my partner and knows the value of scrap.
    My wife likes and appreciate's scrap also.
    Some of us are just lucky !

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to junkfreak for This Post:


  11. #7
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    We both appreciate the free cash, I like doing it, neither of us like the idea of our clean house becoming too easily infected with pests - and that is a 'fence' that will just always have two sides to it. I've seen lots of roach egg cases through my scrapping activities, and I always make sure to get rid of those suckers. I just can't run the risk of losing a clean house. Nothing against scrapping as I've said before I thoroughly enjoy it, and I respect everyone's ideals and values, but I personally found how easily your own house can become compromised. I can say with confidence that my house is once again safe from pests. Now, I did learn many lessons from this, and I think if I start up again I can use even more safety precautions. I'll start up again. She's okay with me collecting power cords (I love vacuum and old extension cords!) - she likes and wants me to have fun - we just both want a clean house.

  12. #8
    DakotaRog's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    1,611
    Thanks
    602
    Thanked 1,675 Times in 830 Posts
    Florida just has too many nasty critters. One nice thing about living in an area that has cold winters, some nasties can't over winter. I suspect Sioux Falls has roaches but I've never actually seen a live wild roach living here in South Dakota. Maybe I've just been lucky...

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to DakotaRog for This Post:


  14. #9
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    Lol.. Okay I honestly just watched you movie.. it's close to accurate.. except I am the clawed-back monster, with a vacuum in both hands, sucking up moths and squishing the larvae, and tossing out sheets and checking base boards, under shelves, over shelves, behind containers, in front of containers, the ceiling, the garage door, the indoor-outdoor carpet.. you name it.. my whole garage is up-side-down - BUT I don't care because I am winning this battle baby... Have not seen a moth is two days since I got rid of the bird seed. And, I will not stop until I reach my level of cleanliness.. it's next to Godliness I hear.

    How much does it suck to be my trash guy? LOL.. I mean I feel bad for them already (as is with what I see every week sitting out at the curb), but darn Felecia.. to open my trash can lid safely you'll need to hold your breath and close your eyes!!

    Well .... I am suiting up to go out collecting tomorrow at 4:00am EST. I already saw a huge "E" pile (eviction pile) near my place - booyyyaooowww! Free Pickings!! This time, I'll dissect my collections 110% outside of my garage, underneath an umbrella, in the 108+ degree heat index, sweating my you know what off, losing water weight like I like it, and trying to drinking water to counter balance the difference.. I promise not to drink rum... at least not until after I am done....

    HEY!!!!!! Anyone interested in the Spanish treasure fleets of the 1400's through 1700's??? Lots of gold I tell you, litterally laying covered in sand off of the coast just south of Cape Canaveral. Literally, like finding the right needle in a pile of needles. It's mostly well documented wreckage, just some of them are unfound yet .. in waters of the state likely leased to private recovery corporations... but you split the finds pretty evenly with the State, the owners of the dig site, and yourself. I've got maps. I'm nuts I guess, but I read a LOT and I know this gold, well honestly it is mostly silver, is out there for the finding. The Spanish transported nearly 80/20 silver to gold ratio in the 15, 16, and 1700's to fund its empire. The Spanish mostly transported silver as a means to satisfy their massive continual international debts - they just assumed the silver would keep flowing in from the "New World". It didn't take long for the British, and the Dutch jump on this and become new world economic powers, too. Anyone got a magnetometer??? I'd come up with a boat.. payments in sea Salt of course... just like it used to be millions of years ago .... "Are you worth your salt" = Are you worth your pay? You see, pay used to be in increments of sea salt - the single most valuable preservative on the planet at that time (since refrigeration did not exist). Pure salt was a really expensive spice, and was mainly used to preserve meats. Are you worth your salt? I hope so... Spanish cannons vs Brittish cannons can be told with a simple swipe of a magnetometer... Okay.. just wishful thinking.. Good night all!!!


    BTW - Netflix is far, far down right now... basically on sale because the company is not going out of business - trust me - buy low, sell high.. jump now or forever hold your peacesssssss!!

  15. #10
    DakotaRog's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    1,611
    Thanks
    602
    Thanked 1,675 Times in 830 Posts
    So why are the cannons between the two countries different that can be seen on a magnetometer??

  16. #11
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    So check it out!! Okay, I know I have been quiet.. I'm back at work now so time is scarce.. but at any rate listen to this good news!! I do not have clothes moths! I have meal moths!!! That's why they infested the bird seed in my garage! WOW I am so glad to know our clothes, and anything that is fabric in our house, is safe!!! (But having meal moths does suck, too) Believe it or not, I am still vacuuming up these moths to this day.. we had a hatch event this past Monday, and a mini one on Thursday. It's pretty easy to figure out when a hatch takes place. My garage is now ultra clean, and ridiculously organized, and I go out there multiple times a day/evening/night "hunting" with a vacuum. Overall, their numbers are declining fast, which I am very happy about. Their food source is, and has been, gone for some time now. The hatches we are seeing now are the ones who ate the bird seed a while back and used the energy to lay eggs (I think and seriously hope). They can stay in the larval stage for months. Well, all moths suck, but you just don't know how neurotic I've been. I watch TV with a flashlight in case I see one in the house, I also use it to do periodic scans of the room and surrounding rooms. It's terrible, just sad. But I am winning this battle - know that!!!! The battle is not over yet, and I suspect it will continue, I just hope to you know who it ends, and soon.

    I still scrap, but I am a cords only guy (see above if you don't get why). I have a good size pile of cords, about a 55 gallon can full, just waiting for me on the OUTSIDE of my house. I no longer put anything of scrap, that touched scrap, or that was next to scrap, in my garage. This morning I picked up a nice #1 copper plumbing set up from a shower.



    FYI - everyone should know that clothes moths are 1/4" long, no longer, and there are two types of them. Meal moths are 1/2" long and a different color. Body shape and style is very similar between the two. Larval stages are also very similar. See here for more information:
    Clothes Moths Management Guidelines--UC IPM

    All the Best,
    FLScrapperGuy

  17. #12
    FLScrapperGuy1 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    Yea, Spanish used I think copper to make cannons.. I'd have to look it up.. I know one country, I want to say Spanish, used a metal to make cannons that was more expensive and it's non-magnetic. If you find an iron cannon, it's most likely English, Dutch, French - it all depends on the time period.

  18. #13
    ChildhoodDream's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    1,276
    Thanks
    1,664
    Thanked 994 Times in 527 Posts
    I have never had flea, roach or many other bug problems here at the yard as I have trained attack spiders, or something like that. Seriously, I have never had a problem with most nasty bugs as I have so many spiders and other predators of fleas, roaches and such. Some wasps and such will hunt for insects and I have a very large "buzzing air force" around the yard with squadrons of the buzzing things. I don't have much of a problem with mice and such either as I have the deer mice as they call them and they will kill and eat other types of mice. The deer mice are interesting and can be tough to trap as they are people watchers. They will mostly stay away from commonly used areas, but can be just on the other side of the wall. I have friendly snakes, weasels, cats and such that eat mice that visit or live in the yard. The spiders can be a problem at times as well as the mud wasps that make their mud nests in boxes and other places that you would rather they not. And the many wasps and buzzing things that make their homes around me. I don't mess with them as long as they are not being a problem as most of the buzzing bee type creatures are POLLINATORS, and that IS REQUIRED for the humans of earth to survive as science and man can't do it in a large enough means to matter. The snakes are garter snakes and they can be a problem when they get into the many cars as they shed their skins that stick to things like they were glued and they poop all over like a chicken. Just some interesting & entertaining news from the yard...
    Last edited by ChildhoodDream; 09-07-2015 at 01:16 PM.

  19. #14
    ChildhoodDream's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    1,276
    Thanks
    1,664
    Thanked 994 Times in 527 Posts
    I had my post with sentences and such, but for some reason it keeps putting it in a string/block of words. Tried to edit and it stays the same. sorry about the crowds of words above.

  20. #15
    DiamondN's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    912
    Thanks
    2,150
    Thanked 378 Times in 243 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by FLScrapperGuy1 View Post
    Yea, Spanish used I think copper to make cannons.. I'd have to look it up.. I know one country, I want to say Spanish, used a metal to make cannons that was more expensive and it's non-magnetic. If you find an iron cannon, it's most likely English, Dutch, French - it all depends on the time period.
    I believe they were made from bronze, rather than copper.

  21. The Following User Says Thank You to DiamondN for This Post:


  22. #16
    EcoSafe's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    May 2011
    Posts
    3,705
    Thanks
    3,713
    Thanked 6,807 Times in 1,954 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by DakotaRog View Post
    Florida just has too many nasty critters. One nice thing about living in an area that has cold winters, some nasties can't over winter. I suspect Sioux Falls has roaches but I've never actually seen a live wild roach living here in South Dakota. Maybe I've just been lucky...
    Want me ta send ya a few ?
    "anyone who thinks scrappin is easy money ain't doin it right!"

  23. The Following User Says Thank You to EcoSafe for This Post:


  24. #17
    hobo finds's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    tucson, az
    Posts
    4,746
    Thanks
    6,035
    Thanked 5,906 Times in 2,555 Posts
    The first day one is a guest, the second a burden, and the third a pest.

    Jean de la Bruyere

  25. #18
    nutpie's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2014
    Location
    maine
    Posts
    441
    Thanks
    379
    Thanked 404 Times in 227 Posts
    Cannons on seagoing ships were most often made of bronze. Copper itself is too soft and sea water and the ocean air are very corrosive. (Think rusty iron cannon blowing up in your face.) Being at sea for years at a time their cannons needed a long shelf life.

  26. The Following User Says Thank You to nutpie for This Post:


  27. #19
    BurlyGuys's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Waterford Michigan
    Posts
    1,591
    Thanks
    1,109
    Thanked 1,620 Times in 635 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by DakotaRog View Post
    I don't know how much you were making a month doing your scrapping but if you can swing the cost of a small storage unit a month, that might be an option. Keep the wife happy by stuff staying out of the house and you still doing what you like. And because you live in FL, you could basically work out of it year round I suspect. Think it over. I wouldn't let the bugs win...
    Agreed. I use storage units. Nothing comes home without a thorough inspection.
    Burly Smash![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
    John Terrell (248) 224-2188
    Burly Guys Junk Removal LLC
    5499 Perry Drive Unit P Waterford, MI 48329
    http://www.burlyguys.com

  28. #20
    pjost's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Apr 2014
    Location
    N & South Dakota
    Posts
    994
    Thanks
    5,151
    Thanked 2,258 Times in 682 Posts
    Sabre-tooth Crotch Crickets are the worst. Back in college I brought some of those home one night.
    Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is.

  29. The Following User Says Thank You to pjost for This Post:



  30. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. this thread has a poll - Eating at home & bag lunch v.s. fast food and restaurants
      By ChildhoodDream in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 25
      Last Post: 03-07-2023, 04:37 AM
    2. Replies: 6
      Last Post: 12-20-2022, 05:02 AM
    3. Score, motherload, or otherwise awesome thread. - stuff dad brought home his boss aka my biggest client
      By hunterandscrapper in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 10-23-2014, 08:14 AM
    4. how keen are u dumpster divers on eating food you find?
      By DopenScrapple in forum Off Topic Discussions
      Replies: 35
      Last Post: 10-05-2014, 10:04 PM
    5. A customer brought me this????
      By mikeinreco in forum General Electronics Recycling
      Replies: 11
      Last Post: 11-10-2012, 02:26 PM

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook