Lining closets with cedar

[Mike Hopkins]

We have had a lot of our wool clothes develop little holes which we presume are the work of moths. Consequently, I am planning to line the closets with cedar and am wondering whether the whole closet needs to be lined, including the ceiling? Is linging roughly 1/2 the closet adequate? I am in SE PA and recommendations for locations on where to purchase the cedar? I knowthe the borgs carry 5/16 cedar and would that be a good chocie or are there better alternatives?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions - Mike.

[keith ouellette]

when we moved into this house some of the closets had a cedar press board lining the walls. It wasn't the nicest looking thing but it sure had that cedar smell which is what you need for moths.

I think that would be a money saver.

[David Christopher]

Mike, you can put cedar shavings in a cloth bag and hang it in the closet and it will work just as well as lining the whole closet.... also if you have cedar sanding dust you can sprinkle it on a fire ant mound and it will get rid of them too

[Prashun Patel]

I'm with David on this. If you want to line yr closet bkz you like the way it looks, that's one thing. Else, there are way more cheaper and effective ways to go.

The best would be to use a cedar air freshner. You can make one of these by diluting cedarwood oil in ethanol or water (5-20% oil/alc) and either using a spray pump to spray it on the carpet. If you dilute in water, you'll have to shake before spraying each time.

Or you can soak cork or scraps of balsa, basswood, or CEDAR wood in these and hang them in the closet.

Last, you can make a pouch of sawdust wrapped in linen, and then 'fill the dust with the solution and make yr own sachets.

You'll get a lot more bang for the buck this way.

[Eric Gustafson]

I read somewhere that testing has not shown cedar to prevent moths. Darn, it was such a nice smelling myth, too!

[David Christopher]

I read somewhere that testing has not shown cedar to prevent moths. Darn, it was such a nice smelling myth, too!

Eric, cedar shavings, dust and oil will get rid of more insects than the bug poison retailers want you to know

[Terry Brogan]

There's a guy who advertises over on Craigslist who specializes in cedar and has some very nice stock at $1.90 a foot, to judge from the pictures. Search Lexington and Nashville (I think) for Eastern Red Cedar or send me a PM and I'll find it for you. I'd get 1/2 or 3/4 1x8s, myself, and T&G it on a router table or shaper if you have one, assuming you're willing to side the interior of the closet(s) up to say the pole line (16-ga pinner ought to work fine). He will ship and you don't need long lengths. Ask him for shorts and maybe get a discount.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

You can buy cedar closet lining at the borg. Out of curiosity I just did a search and a box of 15 sq ft sells for $22. I have seen it before and as I recall it is half inch tongue and groove stuff.

But as others have said if you don't want to go to the trouble or expense of lining the whole closet a few pieces of aromatic cedar or a bag of the shavings will work. And getting oil of cedar and putting it on something may well do the job. But I don't know what specific compounds in the cedar repel moths so don't know if they were retained in the distilled cedar oil. I had also heard that repellant qualities of cedar was an old wive's tale but I work part time at an agricultural research facility and the guy in the office next door has a pHD in entomology and he said there is definitely a compound in cedar that repels moths.