Clean, clean, clean Empty your pantry: Remove everything from your cupboards and food storage areas, including cans and glass jars. Vacuum thoroughly: Use a vacuum with a crevice attachment to focus on shelves, baseboards and corners to remove moth eggs and larvae.
Empty the Pantry: Take everything out of your pantry. Vacuum: Thoroughly vacuum shelves, corners, and crevices to remove any eggs, larvae, or moths. Wash Surfaces: Clean shelves with a mixture of soap and water or a vinegar solution (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) to eliminate any remaining eggs or pheromones.
Although pantry moths can enter via doors and windows, most infestations probably start when we inadvertently bring home eggs and caterpillars in our dried foods. Kitchens full of unsealed containers and spilled food create an irresistible smorgasbord for female moths looking for the ideal place to lay eggs.
Life Cycle of the Pantry Moth
The life cycle may be completed in as little as 30 days or as long as 300 days, depending on food availability and temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster the cycle completes. The average is 4-7 weeks.
Through away anything that is beyond repair. Clean everything with alcohol wipes (vases, detergent packaged, etc). On a weekly bases vacuum and clean stuff with wipes. Keep closets that are not use often open and move stuff about. Unless something is air sealed, then the moths can get in. Wash rugs. Wash clothes.
Air, heat, or freeze items you don't dry-clean or wash. A combination of sunlight and vigorously brushing the infested items can kill moth eggs and larvae. But this can be dirty work; expect to get grimy, and take care not to track eggs or larvae back into your home.
We will come out, inspect and treat for the adult, flying pantry moths. We want to make sure we treat the areas in the cupboards with a residual spray so that it's long lasting. Our goal is to get them under control, not just eradicate the ones you see. One important thing we do is place pheromone traps.
Starving pantry moths can be difficult, as they can survive without food for several weeks.
PESTXPERT PANTRY MOTH PRODUCTS
Pro-Spray Flying aerosol is great to have on hand to spray any moths seen flying around the house.
What smells do moths hate? Clothes Moths detest the scent of cedar. They also dislike rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, bergamot, and lavender. Rosemary, thyme, and peppermint oils can be great for keeping Pantry Moths away.
Inspect your pantry and toss out any infested food. The National Pest Control Center advises that the items most at risk of infestation include cereal, grains, beans, nuts, flour, dried fruit, birdseed, animal food, spices, tea, chocolate, and candy.
A: These two types of pests can be difficult to distinguish, because the moths are all about ½ inch long. Pantry pests have wings with sections that are different colors, while closet moths are a single color (beige or tan), and their wings end with furry-looking hairs.
Mix a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and hot water to wipe down your pantry from top to bottom, including both sides of shelves, corners, baseboards, floor, and storage containers. Not only will the vinegar solution provide a good clean, but the odor will repel moths and the acidity will kill off moth larvae and eggs.
Yes, mothballs can work to repel pantry moths. Mothballs contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, which are toxic to moths and other insects. However, it's important to note that mothballs can also be toxic to humans and pets if ingested, and the fumes can also cause respiratory irritation.
You can also scald the washed shelves with a hot solution of vinegar and water to disinfect them. Another way to destroy pantry moths is to use a trap. To make it, you can use apple cider vinegar (without any additives or flavored with a few drops of clove or lemon oil). Just pour a small amount into a bowl.
As such, airtight storage is recommended. To keep moths out of your pantry goods, it is best to use solid glass or plastic containers with sealable lids. Make sure that all of the lids have an airtight or rubber seal. This will prevent moths from being able to squeeze through.
Place infested items in the freezer for a week to kill pantry moth larvae and eggs. Place all new food items into glass or plastic containers in case lingering moths exist. Pheromone traps may be used to monitor the population and capture male moths. Plain yellow sticky traps may also be helpful.
For an instant kill, cleaning containers using a solution of hot soapy water will instantly kill Pantry Moth Eggs. Additionally, freezing items will kill eggs and larvae, although you must wait 72 hours for this method to be effective.
They often come in through doors and windows or openings around vents or cables that enter the home. The pantry moths' sense of smell is exactly how they find just the right place to settle: in your pantry. Where there is food supply is where they, unfortunately, tend to feel safe.
Do Bug Bombs Work on Moths? For the most part, yes. The formula used to create most bug bombs and fumigators will work on moths of all kinds as well. The reason for this is the ingredients used within the bug fogger or bomb.
On average, pantry moth extermination costs between $150 and $200. Pantry moths also are called Indian meal moths or grain moths. Pantry moths tend to nest in cabinets within a kitchen that offers a convenient food source. Pantry moths extermination is challenging for pest control specialists.
Dryer sheets typically contain chemicals such as linalool, beta-citronellol, and geraniol, which are known to have some insect-repellent properties.
Hang herbal sachets with lavender, thyme and rosemary to repel moths. Look to cedar scents, too, as cedar's natural oils are powerful enough to kill closet moth larvae and eliminate infestations. Replace shelving with natural cedar boards. Use cedar hangers and cedar sachets for garments.
The fumes from mothballs kill clothes moths, their eggs and larvae that eat natural fibers in indoor storage areas, such as closets, attics and basements. Mothballs are not intended to be used outdoors. The active ingredients can contaminate water and soil, harm wildlife, and contribute to air pollution.