Plodia interpunctella, also known as the pantry moth, they are a common grain-feeding pest found around the world, feeding on cereals and similar products. They can infest a wide range of dry foodstuffs of vegetable origin, such as cereal, bread, pasta, rice, couscous, flour, spices, or dried fruits and nuts. More unusual recorded foods include chocolate and cocoa beans, coffee substitute, and cookies. They have also been known to infest commercial bird food, such as cracked corn. The food they infest will often seem to be webbed together.
After larvae or moths have been found, it is important to throw out all food sources that are not placed in very tightly sealed containers. Moth larvae can chew through plastic bags and thin cardboard, so even unopened packages may become infested. They are also notoriously difficult to get rid of, and can crawl on ceilings and spin cocoons in rooms other than the kitchen or pantry, where they hatched. Larvae are able to travel significant distances before they pupate. Thus, when seeking the source of an infestation, the search cannot be limited to the immediate area where pupae are discovered, as they may have already spread to different areas of the house as well.
None of the stages of the organism (eggs, larvae, adults) is very temperature-tolerant and all can be killed by a week of freezing or by brief heating in a microwave or conventional oven when such treatment is practical. Scrubbing infested areas in your kitchen and pantry with a mixture of soap and water or vinegar is also effective, as it will remove the remaining eggs. Moths can be deterred from an area by using essential oils and nontoxic pantry moth aerosol insecticide. It is most effective to treat the infestation by eliminating the source and any affected food items, interrupting thus their mating processes, and repelling them from the areas where dried food and grains are kept. It is recommended to first eliminate the source of infestation followed by larvae, eggs and eventual moths in the environment.
The best way of elimination the chance of an infestation is by preventing moths from finding shelter in your home. The simplest way to identify this pest is when you see a butterfly-like insect flying around the pantry. This usually happens at night than during the day. You can also find them in the form of cocoons. The larvae will usually move to other places away from food sources to become pupa. For example, they can be found in crevices of shelves, door frames or door hinges.
To be able to prevent the occurrence of pantry moths in your home, you need to follow some steps that will help you remove the existing risks of infestation and also prevent an infestation from reoccurring, if this should be the case.
- Throw away all the infested food. Any food that shows signs of contamination should be discarded immediately;
- Should you have doubt regarding an open food package, you can keep it in the freezer for approximately a week. Low temperatures will eliminate any moth egg that can not be detected with the naked eye;
- Empty your pantry and vacuum all over, cleaning also the shelves and cabinets with a mixture of soap and water or vinegar, as it also helps in keeping moths away;
- Make sure you remove shelves and clean the inferior side as well, as moths can also hide there or lay eggs;
- Vacuum all the cracks, corners, edges and joints in the walls, doors, racks of furniture and wash inside door hinges and door frames, as both are places where moth larvae are frequently found;
- Take all the contaminated foods and the garbage bag outside of the room and keep them in a closed bin until you discard of the for good;
- Wash all the food recipients with warm water and dish soap, or you can also use a dab of chlorine;
- Dry well all the furniture items before installing them in place, as well as storage boxes and food containers before filling them with food; this is essential in the fight against these pests, since wet spaces are their favourite places and auspicious to their development.
Organic methods and other ways of preventing pantry moths
- By using flavored oils and plants such as bay leaves, lavender, cedar and mint you can keep moths away; place lavender or bay leaves in the corners of your pantry or cupboard. You can also tape them to the walls or the undersides of your shelves;
- Add a bay leaf directly to your canister of flour, rice, or other dry food. It should not affect the quality of the food, but if you would rather not chance it, you could tape the bay leaf to the inside of the lid and still achieve the desired effect;
- Certain essential oils, including peppermint, eucalyptus, citronella, and tea tree oils, can strengthen the effect. Add a few drops of oil to a low pressure sprayer filled with vinegar and spritz the surfaces before scrubbing them;
- To prevent infestation, store foods in airtight glass, metal, or plastic containers;
- When you bring dry goods home from the store, place them in a plastic bag in the freezer for one week to kill any eggs. If you have space, you can use the freezer for long term storage;
- Clean up food messes in your pantry as soon as they happen, and give your pantry a thorough scrub several times a year. This will help you to avoid infestations and alert you to any potential problems before they get out of hand;
- Buy only the quantities of grain products that you think you can use within a few weeks.
Be prepared to maintain a good housekeeping as only like this you will be able to prevent the reoccurrence of pantry moths. As they are very resilient creatures, the best way of avoiding a possible infestation is by making sure your house and pantry does not offer them the shelter they are looking for. If they do not have the humidity and food source they need, they will keep at bay. Should you, however, deal with such a moth infestation issue, be sure to follow the instructions on how to get rid of pantry moths from our related article. Eliminating methods such as traps and insecticides and the proper way to use them can be found there.
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