This is to remove all eggs and pupae. In fact, its likely that something you bought at the store was infested with pantry moths or larvae and thats how they wound up in your home in the first place. Shelf liners: Pull out all of them and either wash or replace. The presence of small caterpillars or adult moths in or near the pantry is a sure sign of infestation. Vacuum every surface, including the doors and walls of your cabinets. If the problem hasnt gone away, you can repeat the steps above, this time widening the scope to adjacent areas, without going through the hassle and expense of tossing the food you purchased to replace what you had already lost. 1. Webs these may belong to moths and not spiders. Indian meal moths are the most common pantry moth, but it is critical to recognize your pest in order to better target it. Grain-based products like flour, cereal, pasta, and baking mixes are moth favorites, along with nuts and sweets. Immediately following the disinfectant, take a vacuum cleaner and vacuum out your entire pantry, getting every single nook and cranny. If you really want to keep some pantry items, store them in the freezer for at least four days to be safe! Using these traps will hopefully catch most of the male moths and stop breeding, but it wont do anything in the way of attracting female moths and finding moths that are in the larvae or cocoon stage. Inside the holes carved out for adjustable shelving. Use this and a combination of dish soap, or other sanitizers to wash, scrub, and sanitize your pantry. A: These two types of pests can be difficult to distinguish, because the moths are all about inch long. If you maintain a grocery stockpile, be sure to inspect it regularly for moth activity, and to follow the same food storage practices that you follow in your kitchen. Pantry moths are about of an inch in length, slender and have a brownish/tan hue to them. They are known to cause terrible damage to food, spoiling it as it becomes invaded by their larvae. If youve had a pretty bad infestation consider keeping food out of your pantry for weeks. But first, let us discuss what pantry moths are, what attracts them, andwhat makes them harmful. Our guide will walk you through how to rid yourself of the issue without resorting to any harmful chemicals. Look way beyond your pantry for moths, webs and/or larvae, e.g., around your ceilings and the walls of your food-storage spaces. It is important to take steps to correct a problem early. Pantry Moths. The safest bet is to keep everything out of the pantry for a few weeks to ensure the pantry moths are gone for good. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Mixing in a few drops of a fragrant essential oil like peppermint can also help deter any lingering moths. It will help you to avoid infestations and alert you to any potential problems before thingsget out of hand. Remove Everything from Your Pantry Take everything out of your pantry or cabinet. However, you should be thorough when cleaning, making sure to vacuum every nook and cranny in your pantry. You can place items like grains or cereal in the freezer for a week to kill eggs. Pantry moths are not dangerous, but they are a nuisance and hard to eliminate. If you do not transfer dry food goods to airtight containers, consider storing them in the freezer to kill or prevent any insects from infiltrating your food. Use the solution and a cotton swab to clean any small crevices or such as holes for shelf support pegs. You want to remove the shelves out of your pantry (if possible) because its likely that youll find cocoons inside the little holes and rivets that are usually found around your shelves. Pantry moths are grey, brown and tan in color and these pests will literally feed on almost any dry food (include your pet food!). 7. Like other moths, pantry moths have four distinct life stages: egg, caterpillar, pupae and adult. Add about 15 drops of eucalyptus, 5 drops of peppermint and 10 of cedarwood essential oil. It is important to note that pantry moths require warm temperatures to breed and thrive. Act fast before they eat through (and lay eggs on) the stored food in your cabinets or pantry. Vacuum the entire area, then discard the vacuum bag outside. Dry clean or wash other clothes in hot water and tumble dry on high heat. hot soapy water with rags you can throw out. Step 3: Use sticky traps or boards to catch Pantry Moths without using chemicals. Anything you suspect of being infested should be discarded immediately, preferably in an outdoor trash can. After that, theyre in the larvae stage, which is actually where most of the real damage to your pantry items takes place. Empty out the affected area completely. Step 5 - Clean out your Pantry / Kitchen Cupboards With all shelving clear of food and containers, start by vacuuming all surfaces and paying particular attention to signs of moths in cupboard corners, cracks and crevices. Often times, people are able to catch the moths themselves, but they have trouble finding every single egg, which is where parascitic wasps come in! Also called indian meal moths, these pesky critters can be quite difficult to get rid of. Their small size makes them easy to overlook in your kitchen until your storage space is infested by the insects. Thanks & Welcome to the Forbes Home Improvement Community! Pantry moths are the larvae of the Indian Meal Moth, a common pest found in North American households that provide mainly grain products, including cereal, pasta, flour, and other dry goods. Keep in mind that because these nuisance pests are in food storage areas, the use of pesticides is not an option. But don't limit your search to these items. Placing dried bay leaves in your containers and throughout your pantry is a great way to prevent these pests from infesting your food products. The best way to avoid pantry moths is to store your food the right way in the first place. Do you now see where they get their common name? ), Why skipping grout sealer could ruin your tile job and how to seal grout yourself, How to get the smell out of towels in 5 simple steps, Webbing in corners of pantry or in food items, Larvae these will look like small, whitish/yellow worms about inch in size, Any moths about - inch in size with brown/tan/copper coloring, Around the inside groves of the peanut butter top, or mason jar tops. The easy answer ispantry items. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary. Once pantry moths have made their way into your home, they can easily spreadifthe affected products are stored in cardboard or thin plastic containers. [7] Pantry moths hate peppermint oil, so this will work to repel them in the future. Then throw out the vacuum bag right away or empty the dust cup outside and wash it thoroughly, as it may contain eggs. 2022 Forbes Media LLC. Wait a few weeks before restocking the area youve now cleaned. If you want to keep the whole grains in your pantry, consider storing them in sealed glass containers. While it may make you feel quite squeamish, it is also not dangerous to accidentally consume pantry moth larvae or their eggs. cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, dry animal food, spices, chocolate, and candies are all favorites of the pests. Remove all shelves & thoroughly wipe down all surfaces with a vinegar solution. Consider storing your dried goods in your freezer permanently. Throw out any clothes with apparent signs of damage or infestation. Pantry moths keep coming back because they are attracted to food sources. Dynatrap Moth and Insect Trap 5. How to get rid of pantry moths 1. Then, keep it in the freezer for two weeks. Bad news: they are extremely damaging to your pantry food, leading to a lot of contamination and waste. What Attracts Pantry Moths Pantry moths are attracted to food that is high in carbohydrates and sugars. Use airtight food containers Clear out everything in your pantry Clean and rinse Check for cocoons Double-check Patch up your kitchen How to prevent Indian meal moths Always store your goods in the airtight food containers Getting rid of a pantry moth infestation is not hard, but it is very time-consuming and costly. Seeing full-grown moths in your kitchen is a tell-tale sign that you already have a rather large infestation, so it is important to keep an eye out for early signs that you may have a problem. Follow the same steps as above with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water to kill off any remaining eggs. 3 Ways to get Rid of Pantry Moths. Leave peppermint, bay leaves, mint or cedar chips exposed within the area, perhaps in a sachet. You can invest in a few commercial pantry moth traps which use pheromones to attract moths and trap them. Samantha is an editor who covers all topics home-related including home improvement and repair. 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar: This solution is mostly used for cleaning, but you can use it to get rid of pantry moth larvae and remove their food sources, which are the crumbs on your ceiling and walls. Early indicators are usually if you see silky webs on or around your dry goods, small holes in your packaging and in some cases an odd smell in infested goods where eggs are present. In fact, it is estimated that over 75% of pantry moth infestations are the result of an insect accidentally stowed in a shipment of food. BioLogic Natural Nematodes Insect Spray Species of Moths Clothing Moths Brown House Moths Place the trap at the opposite end of the room as your pantry, as you dont want to attract anything new to your clean pantry. Pantry Moth traps can be useful to help slow down the infestation but they won't rid you of the issue altogether. Freezing. Avoid using pesticides or poisons as pantry moths are food-related pests and therefore reside in food-storage spaces. Use the crevice tool to clean along edges and in corners. Place in a sealed, airtight bag, and do not over-stuff the bag with clothing to ensure all clothes properly freeze. Here are the Best Ways to Get Rid of Moths 1. That most likely was a pantry moth. Lauren is a writer and architectural designer living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Keep your food clean and stored in a clean, dry location to prevent future infestations. How To Get Rid of Moths 1. So what should you do if you have pantry moths in your home? Placing them in your kitchen trash will only spread the problem. I went one step further, I brought out the BIG guns (bleach mixture): Clorox Spray. You can buy pre-made sticky traps at the hardware store or make them yourself using tape and moth-attracting fish oil. Put your "keep" food in a plastic bin and monitor for signs of pantry moths. Wash all fabrics - soft furnishings, linens . In addition to contaminating your food and causing unnecessary waste, recovering from an infestation can be very time-consuming and expensive. Whenever you spot pantry mothsand we hope, after this, you never spot them againalways act quickly in order to limit their spread as much as possible. They are; however, harmful to your food. Capturing the male moths prevents the next round of . Hilton Head Exterminatorscan handle your problem, but we need your help. Use our provided checklist to ensure you do a thorough and proper cleaning. Once everything is out, take care to inspect every package and container for eggs, webs or small holes indicating larval infiltration. Like their closet-lurking cousins, pantry moths are destructive pests. And just to be on the safe side, why not bleach your mop head? These cause no harm to pets either and are completely natural. Give your pantry or dry goods storage cupboard the most thorough cleaning of our life! Hang Potent Lavender Bags Moth Deterrent 4. However, due to the lifecycle of the pantry moth and the intricate spots larvae can get in, you be dealing with the problem for a while. Proceed to wash the affected area with a 50-50 solution of vinegar and warm water. Now that you know how to identify pantry months, lets talk about what youre dying to knowhow to get rid of them! Both of these can be temporary solutions or permanent strategies, depending on the amount of space you have in cold storage appliances. For the best chance of getting rid of moths in your home, follow these tips: Change vacuum bags often to make sure you remove all larvae and eggs from your property. After youve cleaned your pantry and hopefully removed any remaining evidence of the moths or larvae, dont immediately put your food back. Before purchasing flour, cereal, bread or pet food, scrutinize the packaging. You want your space as bare as possible. Start with hot soapy water and wash every surface. Most people opt for bleach for heavy duty jobs, but in this case, vinegar is much better. garbage bags. Once finished, empty the vacuum bag, tie it off in a garbage bag, and take the garbage outside. Store out-of-season clothing in airtight boxes or vacuum-sealed . Step 3 - Apply Pro-Pest Pantry Moth Traps Next, it is time to lure adult pantry pests out hiding with glue traps. The larvae are able to eat through these materials and spread to other containers. Store Your Food Properly. 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how do exterminators get rid of pantry moths