What do pantry moths hate

You can tell because lightweight things like rice hang funny in the bag as though they are full of static or defying gravity.

I changed grocery stores because I realized they were infested and haven't shopped there again. Everything goes in those immediately. Cake Mix, pudding, crackers, popcorn, everything. I then use those oxygen absorbers and a few bay leaves. The critters are gone. They haven't come back in 6 years. Btw I don't trust zip lock bags to keep them out because during my initial infestation things in zip lock bags were infested too.

Go with glass. This has been the case since December, when I cleaned and sealed everything in Ball jars, ZipLoc bags, etc. I constantly monitor it and kill the moths that land, but of course I feel horrible when I wake up in the morning and see there have been moths struggling there for who knows how many hours. I do not recommend these. They are cruel and don't solve the problem. When I go to bed at night, I see zero.

You'd think their population would finally disappear, but nope: the next morning there are more. The mostly come out at night after dark. I kill about a dozen per day. I'm defeated. I don't know where they're procreating, and I don't know what they're eating, since it doesn't appear to be my food.

I suggest you wear a mask when spraying bin an enclosed area! We sprayed all cracks in our pantry once a week until no more moths were found! It does take awhile, so be patient! We did everything g, vacuumed, washed with bleach, repainted the pantry, cleaned cans, and still have moths!

We but the traps every 6 weeks. Have been doing this for a year. We keep boxes of food in the refrigerator and freezer. I use an electric racquet made for flies. In the morning and evening the adults will rest. Find them and ZAP. Vacuuming those with a brush usually gets them. Haven't tried the Bay leaf trick yet, but thanks for the hint y'all, I will be looking to add that to the arsenal!

I've had problems with the meal moths in my dried products in the past but, after disposing of the infested product I included a couple of bay leaves in my ne dried products i. I haven't had an issue with the moths since. Just toss a couple of bay leaves in your dry products containers and you'll be good to go.

They don't like the presence of the leaves. I keep them in my bird seed, in my flour, in my legumes, in my rice, well, you get the idea. It's natural and it works. Good luck everyone! I had a major infestation a few years ago. I found a really cheap 50lb bag of wild bird seed. I opened it only to have a face full of those moths come out.

Next thing I know they were making little cocoons in every room of my house! Especially where the wall and ceiling come together. I did all the cleaning and the purging. My best idea was to buy 2 butterfly nets at the dollar store, for my grandson 5 yrs old and I. We would go moth hunting together. It still took a while to finally clear them out but, the fun we had together doing it, was well worth the time. I found the pheromone traps to be the most effective.

My Mother said to keep a couple bay leaves in your flour container and it will keep bug out of the flour. I am 80 years old, have always done this and have never had bugs in my flour container. I don't use it often so I know this works. I agree with Camielle. I've used bay leaves with some success as long as there wasn't a bad infestation. If there is, the pheromone traps work really well.

I stopped having pantry moths decades ago. The glass jars are good, but the best is to completely foil incoming infestations by rethinking storage. All susceptible products, i. When the ants make their annual spring visit, the Cheerios and Chex go in too. Plenty of room in there, and nary a larva or moth again. If I want to, after a few days or weeks I can replant them in glass for the cupboards.

The birdseed lives in a big metal trash can outdoors in a wooden locker secured from raccoons and squirrels, and winter takes care of anything that hitchhikes in with it. A few years ago I read that bay leaves will repel the moths. I've sprinkled them in my pantry ever since and, yes, they do. No more moth problems. I had a horrible moth problem 2 years ago. They had completely infested his room and moved on to my pantry. Like others I threw everything out and cleaned well.

I researched natural solutions and somewhere along the way someone recommended bay leaves. To this day I have bay leaves taped to my pantry walls and ceiling and have not had another moth problem. My wife will go through a 50lbs bag of flour in a year. I bought a sealed lid container to put the big bag of flour in.

They are called Gamma2 Vittles Vault on Amazon. They work! Several weeks ago i bought two large flowering plants for the indoors for the holidays. They are a type of mum and in a deep burgundy, so lovely to look at in the living room.

I then noticed moths flying around them or the lighting. Couldn't figure it out but then when I water them again more moths. I put them outside to completely water them then tried again. In the mean time while they were outside, no moths inside. It seems to me that the flowers had become root bound and dried out too much at the market place, then attracted moths? Anyway, I have left them outdoors this past week and have not suffered them in the house. Anyone had this experience?

I haven't even seen a moth until I got those plants. I'm thinking what you are seeing are Aphids, they look like moths but are smaller and white in color. If so you can take plant outside and there is a spray insecticide made especially for them. The national Cooperative Extension website, E-Xtension offers a wonderful Ask-an-Expert feature that will connect your question s with an expert on the topic in your particular area.

Do check it out! As suggested, my roommate and I did a major clean of our kitchen. We used bleach, soap and hot water and dichotomas earth on all cupboards and drawers. We used traps. We noticed a significant decline in our population to the point that we saw nothing in our traps. We thought we were free after 2 years. So perhaps that's where they resided? Fast forward to approximately 2 months ago.

My roommate and I move into our new place. Never lived in. Brand new. Suddenly we begin to see these moths. Obviously, we were never free of our pests and they must've hopped on a ride on some appliance or something.

And they're multiplying like crazy. We confirmed their presence after observing them in newly placed traps. We threw out all food that we didn't need almond flour in airtight sealed glass jars and a bunch of things in our fridge. We threw away so many cookbooks and checked all our manuals that resided in a cupboard in our kitchen for signs of these pests.

Side note for 2. Things we couldn't bare to throw out- teas and spices have now been in the freezer for almost 2 months.

We threw away any appliance we thought could be infested- a Crock-Pot, a toaster, two blenders. We have not cooked in our new place or brought new groceries. Anything brought in has been placed on the fridge. We had a pest control company come in and do a spray. They sprayed everything. And at first it was fine.

About a week and a half later we got a second spray. Night of the second spray we saw one fluttering by the fridge but it appeared to be dying. We killed it anyway. I found a dead one by my bathtub and assumed I mustve stepped on it and brought it in accidently. Why would it be in my bathroom?!? What food source could there be? But today, ten days after our 2nd spray where they apparently drenched our couch and rug I'm at my wits end and ready to move from this brand new apartment, break the lease and abandon all my belongings.

Realistically, I can't do that. Can Indian meal moths live in the fridge? Can they live in appliances like tvs, PlayStation store etc? Could they reside in the soil or cactus plants we have bought? Where do these suckers feed? As we're so certain we've removed their food source? Do they live in sink drains perhaps. I have been dealing with them for a year. Summer and its high temperatures was the worse. They just had a population explosion. I am at my wits' end. How the hell do they just keep on coming?

You're likely to find these moths thriving in the back, motor section of your refrigerator. They like the warmth and there's plenty of crumbs and stuff under the refrigerator to keep them going.

They also like to live under your stove and dishwasher for the same reason. I don't know why these places are often not mentioned in articles about getting rid of the moths. If they're not under these appliances yet, your infestation will be simple to end. Empty out the affected area— completely. Remove every can, box, bag or bottle.

Along the way, look for larval sacs or webs of any sort. Also, keep an eye out for small holes in packaging. So check under the lids of jars; moths are known to lay eggs here. Next, dispose of any dry goods with open packaging. To repeat: be thorough! Vacuum every square inch of the pantry. Removing shelves, if possible, makes vacuuming easier. Once finished, empty the vacuum bag, tie it off in a garbage bag, and take the garbage outside.

Pantry moths, or Indian Meal Moths, are minute creatures measuring around They inhabit dry food items like cereal and grains, flour, pasta, dried fruits, dried herbs, powdered milk, and nuts. The name 'Indian Meal Moth' might mislead others into thinking that these bugs originated or are widespread in India. In reality, this species was named after the observation of it mainly feeding on cornmeal, also called Indian-meal. There are many paths for the pantry moth to invade your home.

They can enter through openings such as doors, windows, vents, or even cables and plumbing lines that pass through the walls of your house. They can also enter your kitchen through your recent grocery purchases. Pantry moths mostly target dry products such as grains and flour. Often these packets become contaminated during transportation to supermarkets and while sitting on the shelves. These items, such as flour or breadcrumbs, are not often used during meal preparation and are left sitting undisturbed for months, providing a great habitat for the pantry moth larvae to hatch.

Because of this, pantry moths could go unnoticed and might only catch your attention when you see an adult moth lurking around your kitchen, or a small silky cocoon in the corners of your pantry. These moths are generally considered harmless and are not identified as carriers of any disease. But as small as they are, they are a big nuisance as they can easily destroy all the contents of your cupboard in a matter of days and leave them contaminated and unsuitable for consumption.

The pantry moth life cycle is completed from 27 to days, beginning when a single female lays its eggs. The speed of development varies and depends on the environment the moths are in. Indian Meal Moth larvae thrive on dark and humid environments, contributing to their rapid development.

Pantry moths can destroy all the contents of your pantry. Female pantry moths can lay up to eggs at once directly on its food source. A cluster of eggs can go undetected due to its very small size 0. After being laid, it takes 7 days for pantry moth eggs to hatch.

Pantry moths move away from their food source in preparation for this stage. Pupation lasts from days in hidden crevices, cracks, and spots within pantry shelves which makes it hard to find the main location of the infestation. Reddish-brown adult pantry moths are attracted to lights and fly around in search of a potential mate.

Adults do not eat since their mouthparts are not functional and their only goal is to reproduce and lay more eggs. Since the previous stages of development are very discreet and well-concealed, homeowners usually only notice the presence of these bugs during this stage. Keep reading to find out how to spot a pantry moth infestation. If you are on the lookout for pantry moths in your kitchen, you should check for clumps inside the packaging of grains, starches and flours.