๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ธ!
The population of clothes-moths has tripled in five years. Moths eat the hammers and felt parts of the action. Replacing ruined felts and hammers is expensive!
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. It’s easy enough to prevent! I’ve put some suggestions below.
If you prefer to have a professional do this, from August 1st Dr Adam is providing a ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด. Details in our directory.
If you want to protect your piano yourself, read on.
BTW, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฃ๐ …
๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ
1. Open the bottom door of the piano. That’s the one underneath the keyboard and above the pedals. There’s usually a catch, hook, or spring holding it in place.
2. Use your preferred moth killer product (see below)
3. If the bottom door is hard to remove (occasionally they can be awkward) open the top door and pin the product inside the piano on one side or the other.
4. You can also add some product under the keyboard.
๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ
Grands are a little more difficult because it’s hard to get inside the action area easily. 1. If you can remove the ‘key fall’ – the lid which goes over the keys, you can insert some product either side of the action, making sure you don’t impede the movement.
2. The key fall is removed by putting it in the open position and then lifting gently upwards and outwards.
3. Some key falls are retained by grub screws; Steinway key falls can only be removed with the keyboard checks and key fall.
๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐จ
1. An insecticide spray containing pyrethrin. Get one without oil which could harm your piano. Brands include CB80, 565 Plus XLO, and Fortefog Natural Protector Aerosol.
2. Moth killer strips
3. Mothballs (nb some technicians claim the vapour can harm the piano strings. I personally don’t believe this but I have no proof either way. Others point out it doesn’t smell good at all, and this I do believe).
Dr Adam
see https://www.theisleofwedmore.net/business-directory/wpbdp_category/piano-technical-services/