Moth alert: I came home from vacation to little moths flying all around my kitchen...

B

barbara-in-va

Well-known member
at first I didn't realize it was a problem. I would just catch them in my hand and throw them outside. But after doing this over and over if finally occured to me that there was a problem.

From chatting with a friend, she confirmed my suspicions that they could be coming from one of the many bags of flour and corn meal that inhabit my pantry. So, I took them all out, most were sealed in a tupperware of sorts or a glass jar. No luck, no evidence. DH suggested we look in the cereal cabinet over the fridge. We emptied it and started going thru every box and bag. Well, all the way in the back of the cabinet, where I can't see let alone reach, was a very old box of granola that got pushed back there. When we opened it, POOF, the moths came flying out!!!

Just a lesson to not loose any cereal in the back of your cabinet!

 
Yup, tis the season. We were just talking about it in another thread at the end of August. They seem

to be abundant this time of year, at least in this area, though once they get started in your pantry they'll continue to be an issue year-round until they're eliminated. What we have here are Indian Meal Moths.

Sadly, since my dried chilies were infested I had to buy more a few days ago and don't you know, when I got them home and was taking them out of the grocery bag I discovered that these chilies were also infested. You could see the little white webs woven between the dried chilies and a few moths flitting about in the bag. Grrrrr. Back to the store they went.

http://www.eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=195201

 
Indian Meal Moths, probably. Sorry to tell you this, but they can lay eggs inside of sealed cardboar

boxes and just about anywhere else. That means that even though the current ones die out, the babies will hatch and start the horror all over again.

On the up-side, WELCOME BACK FROM A MONTH LIVING THE LIFE OF RILEY.

 
yup, that's what we have too, and they don't stop at food. They head to the bedroom closet looking

for wool and other things to munch on. They've done a number on some expensive cashmere and other sweaters in past years.

 
Oh too true. You could be finding them for a couple of years. And they're not fussy eaters.

Dry pet food, rice, flours. Or just in the corners of the cupboard. You may have to chuck the entire cupboard contents and scour. Any time you see grains sticking together a little, or scum inside a container, yuck.

Don't I just sound really positive this morning!

One plus though is that once it happens to you, you will be ever vigilant.

 
So true. Having suffered through an entire pantry infestation about 5 years ago when I had

to toss out hundreds of dollars of ingredients, I can vouch for the importance of staying on top of it. Recently I saw them flying around the grocery store isle and watched while they flew in and out of cereal boxes. Alerted the store manager (but also steered clear of buying any cereal from there that day). Those moths hitch a ride home and make themselves comfy in your house....lol.

 
Yuck! I did not know it might be an ongoing problem! Tonight, I will get rid of all

those cereal boxes in the pantry and put the cereal into tupperware containers. Oh double yuck!!

Thanks for letting me know!

 
Get some of those moth traps, the glue ones with pheromone attractant. . .

They work really great! Will get 'em all pretty quick. I would keep the traps out for a couple of months.

 
The traps in my link above are very effective. Saw them at Home Depot last week for a great

price -- will be buying them there from now on.

 
Another spot I've seen them in is at Walmart at the bird seed aisle. Now I

take a moment, bend down and look UP at the bottom of the shelves. If you see them there, LEAVE.

 
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