Get Rid of Pantry Moths for Good!
Throw Away Pantry Moth Infested Food
Once you notice a pantry moth infestation, you need to throw away all food stored in bags and boxes. Moths can easily infiltrate a bag of dry rice, cereal, flour or cornmeal. They have even been known to infest candy. Canned food will be unharmed, but the cans should be washed because the moths can lay eggs on the edges of the cans.
When buying new food to replace the old, keep it in the refrigerator or freezer until you have completely gotten rid of all traces of the pantry moths.
Vacuum Up Larvae and Eggs
A vacuum cleaner is the most important tool in cleaning out a pantry moth infestation. Thoroughly vacuum out all cupboards and any areas of your kitchen and home where you have seen pantry moths or larvae. They will often lay eggs in the corners of cupboards and the edge between the ceiling and wall, so pay special attention to small spaces.
Clean Thoroughly
Wash your cupboards with soapy water. There is no need to use harsh cleaners and pesticides. You don't want to leave any chemical residue that will contaminate your food later. Physically removing all moths, larvae and eggs is enough to get rid of a pantry moth infestation. Use a cotton swab to clean crevices, such as cupboard door hinges and holes for adjustable shelves inside cupboards.
Wait Patiently
The life cycle of a pantry moth is anywhere from 25 days to 8 weeks. So, you should leave your cupboards bare for a few weeks. This will enable you to see if any new pantry moths have appeared. If no pantry moths appear in this time, you may restock your cupboards. But, if even one moth appears, you should clean the cupboard a second time, paying special attention to small crevices. Moths multiply quickly, so don't overlook this step.
Restock Carefully
When you restock, be smart about food storage. Any food that comes in bags or cardboard boxes should be kept inside sturdy sealable containers. Coffee cans make great food storage containers. You may want to keep foods that will not be used quickly in the freezer.
A pantry moth infestation can be frustrating, but persistence and thoroughness in cleaning will avoid a prolonged problem.
Published by Barb Hacker
Lucy is thrilled to be realizing her dream of freelance writing. She got her start at AC, has branched out into a few other content writing sites and has now started to expand into print media. View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentHave been throwing away food for two weeks now. Have found nests around the perimeter of the kitchen ceiling. Will take everything out of the cabinet tomorrow. Thanks for information.
WE HAVE THEM IN A BAG OF DOG FOOD AND THERE WERE THOUSANDS!!! WE HAVE THEM ALL OVER OUR SMALL BUISNESS!!! THEY ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT!!!!!!!!!!
We have had several infestations. The first time after partially cleaning, it was a spider who moved in that fixed the problem. This time I removed everything, painted and cleaned, and then zip locked anything I didn't throw away. They are gone. If they come back, I'm getting another spider:)
We've had several infestations over the years. They come in our foodstuffs-I've found them in brand new cereal boxes that I'm unloading from grocery shopping and also in raw oats from a farm market. Patience is the key. One infestation took me MONTHS to get rid of-they had gotten into theentire pantry, our fish food, hamster food, dogfood -all kept in different locations. I couldn't eradicate them until I found one last feeding site-an old package of crackers left in my daughter's old school backpack. Good luck-it takes a sharp eye and patience. I'm fighting another outbreak now-cleaning pupae off the bottom of wine bottles. These are persistant, hardy buggers.
I HAD THE PESTY LITTLE CRITTERS A WHILE BACK AND THREW OUT ALL OF THE FOOD AND WASHED AND BLEACHED EVERYTHING AND NOW I HAVE THEM AGAIN!!! WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?ARE THE LARVAE IN THE FOOD WE BUY?
our pantry moths were in bird seed. oh it was discusting! i cant belive i was feeding pantry moth larvae to my birds, and we only have a fue left, but a fue can turn to a ton. thanks for the help
I just threw out everything in my one cupboard due to moths. ewww. I hate them! thanks for this info!
I never knew some of these!
I hate those darn things. I am tired and misread the title of this though ( misread "pantry")--which drew me here like a pantry moth to grain ( lol)
I thought " sheesh--what the.." and then I realized "ohhh *pantry* moths, not *panty* moths.
Great article :)
Awesome information!!