Pantry Moths

Pantry moths, also known as weevils, Indian meal moths or kitchen moths are medium-sized troublesome insects, that appear not just in food items, but on clothing as well. These moths generally reside in the kitchen area or pantry, proving to be quite a pain when owners spot these in clusters. The life cycle of a pantry moth has three stages. The first cycle starts off when the female moth lays her eggs somewhere close to where food is present and in abundance. These eggs then burst into larvae about four to eight days later. These maggot looking formations then take three weeks to mature, growing ultimately to a size of 10 mm in length, and come in colors of gray or brown.

It is easy to find out if you have a moth infestation in the pantry, since silky thread like strands will cover either food containers or cupboards. These will not resemble a webbed look, like that of a spider's, but more of a strand-like appearance with no distinct pattern to it. You will also notice the larvae if you look closely into food that's been kept open for too long, or in an area where these moths could easily get into. It is important you spot these insects out soon, before they end up bringing on a moth infestation that's unmanageable for you.

Extermination Methods for Pantry Moth Infestation

There are different ways on how to get rid of pantry moths, when dealing with a moth infestation in the house. Here's how you can get started on getting rid of these pesky insects.

Humidity Levels
These moths tend to grow in number when subjected to an environment that has high humidity levels in the air. The moths will multiply to a rapid degree when put under such conditions, that is why it is important to keep your house as cool and air-conditioned as possible. You could also use a dehumidifier which can decrease the humidity in a room, making these moths less likely to reproduce.

Vacuuming
It is important to vacuum carpets, and areas where you store woolen clothes and food items. Use the appropriate kind of vacuum when sucking away any kind of larvae or moth presence in the house. Using a hand-held vacuum cleaner for tight spaces is ideal, to get rid of eggs that may be tucked into corners and crevices. Be sure to vacuum your curtains, closets, drapes, rugs, drawers, pantry cupboards and window sills. Anything that can invite a breeding ground for these moths, needs to be vacuumed thoroughly.

Moth Traps
Using pantry moth traps that are pheromone based, are very helpful considering that these moths will inevitably get attracted to these and stick to them without budging. Over time you can be sure to trap as many as possible using these pheromone pantry moth traps, and later will know exactly which ones in the market work best.

Kill Moths With Increase in Temperature
If your garments have been mercilessly infested by moths, then your one solution to kill these insects, is to wrap these in a plastic bag, eliminating any air from it and sealing it with tape. Place this into the refrigerator and after four days, the larvae and eggs will meet their end. Before taking these out of the bag, have them first warm up in room temperature (still sealed), or iron them (when opened) out or machine dry them , to kill any lasting larvae / eggs.

Seal Crevices / Cracks
Most insects find little openings in walls or cupboards, to sneak through and start a breeding ground. The best thing to do is close up these crevices and any kind of visible cracks using silicone caulk, or anything that would close these off effectively.

How to Avoid Moths from Infesting Homes

After acquiring knowledge on how to kill these insects and executing this, do the needful and start by turning your house inside out to have these insects gone for good. Pest control is now important, so do what you can to have these not re-enter your home in the future.

Seal Containers and Cover Foods Properly
Keeping food out in the open, is just a way of inviting trouble. Use air tight containers and tight rubber lidded jars to keep moths out. It is also advisable to keep foods that aren't needed back in the fridge, and not in the open where it shouldn't be. If food is covered with moth larvae, get rid of these immediately and ditch any food items that have traces of moth presence.

Repellent in Cupboards
When storing away your woolens, use a good moth repellent in the surrounding area before you place these in plastic bags sealed up well. This will ensure that no present moths or larvae / eggs get into the plastic bags before you have them wrapped up. Always store woolens either in sealed plastic bags or boxes that have no room for insects to enter.

Use Pheromone Traps Even Later
After you've gotten rid of all the pantry moths, it is important to still use these traps just in case there are some of them hiding somewhere. Keep counters clean too, and have these placed in areas that are highly prone to the presence of these insects.

Pantry moths are easy to deal with considering that you act on the extermination methods soon. You can always get help from a company that deals with insects of the sort, should the situation get out of hand. Just remember the above mentioned ways to destroy and keep them at bay, and you should have no recurrent problems on your hands.