A TikTok creator documented her unusual method for dealing with a clothes moth infestation, showing herself releasing thousands of parasitic wasps into her closet. The video, posted by a user who appears to be named Julia with the handle @julesisthrifty, detailed how she placed the insects on hangers among her clothing after moths damaged a dress.
In the video, she explained that the infestation began after her “Taylor Swift dress was eaten by clothes moths.” She said she then received numerous suggestions from viewers to try a biological control method. “I got a ton of comments suggesting that I release these parasitic wasps,” she stated.
She expressed initial hesitation about the idea. “I was like, what, what do you mean parasitic wasp? Like, that sounds a little scary. I don’t know if I have the professional insect background to do that,” she said. However, she added, “But Um, I did end up ordering some of these wasps, and I am honestly super excited to release these bad boys.”
The wasps are intended to target moth eggs
The video shows the creator opening a package labeled “PERISHABLE” and “PLEASE RUSH.” She revealed small, brown cards with holes at the top, explaining, “The wasp eggs come on these 3 little hangers.” She described the process, stating, “According to the internet, these eggs will hatch slowly, and then the wasps actually lay eggs inside of the moth eggs, and that basically kills off the moths.”
She held up one of the cards, showing tiny specks, and said, “Here they are, my new little babies. Yay!” She observed that “It actually looks like some of the wasps are already hatching. They’re actually so small you can hardly see them. They look kind of like poppy seeds.” She added that the wasps “are supposed to die off within a couple weeks once they run out of food, aka the moths that they are killing.”
The creator then demonstrated where she placed the wasp cards. The video shows her tying one to a hanger in her main closet, stating, “I already went ahead and removed most of the clothing in my closet, but I went ahead and tied my wasps right here.” She then placed a second card in a dresser drawer, explaining, “I have noticed some holes in some of my cotton shirts, so I think I’m also gonna put one of these wasp cards in here.”
She also showed a third card placed in a separate coat closet, saying, “And then I put the third wasp hanger in my coat closet to protect all of my leather jackets.” The video shows her placing additional material from the packaging on a shelf, noting, “A bunch of wasp bags were left in the packaging, so I think I’m gonna put them on this side of my closet just to make sure they don’t go to waste.”
The video concludes with her back in her bedroom, saying, “I will keep you guys posted on how the wasps do. Fingers crossed.” The video’s on-screen text read, “releasing parasitic wasps to kill off clothes moths 🐝.” The public caption for the video stated, “whoever came up with this is genius, i think the creator they were referencing is @Melanie @julia #thrifttok #clothesmoths #vintagefashion #secondhandfashion #parasiticwasps.”
Viewers in the comments section shared their reactions
The video’s comment section featured various responses from viewers. One comment read, “so what are u gonna bring after to get rid of the wasps.” Another stated, “I was picturing a closet full of yellow jackets.”
A third comment asked, “what do you do after their mission is completed.” Another viewer commented, “I feel like you and this lady would get along.” One lengthy comment told a story, saying, “I knew a young lady who had some moths. she released the parasitic wasps to catch the moths. she let loose the frogs to eat the wasps to catch the months. I don’t know why she has the moths. perhaps she’ll die.”
Another comment posed the question, “Moth balls weren’t an option?”
