How to Protect Food From Pantry Moths

Protecting your food from pantry moths may seem like a daunting task. Once the pesky creatures set up residence in your cabinets the job of removing them is time consuming and difficult. With a few preventative measures you can protect your food from pantry moth infestation and save hours in cleanup.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bleach
• Airtight containers
• Bay leaves
• Pantry moth trap
• Freezer
• Pheromone trap

1. Remove everything from your cupboard and inspect for infestation. Tiny webs in the corners or under flaps of packaged goods are a sure sign of moth infestation. Inspect boxes for tiny holes that may indicate this pest is present.

2. Discard any food products that you suspect are infected. Open boxes of cereal, cake mix, grains, flour and cornmeal should be discarded outside of the home. If pantry moths are present, they have no doubt already laid eggs in these.

3. Thoroughly wash any canned foods or other containers to remove traces of eggs.

4. Wash and dry cabinets with a solution of bleach and water. A solution of ¼ cup bleach to one quart of water works well. If you suspect pantry moths are already present, be sure to wash cracks with the bleach solution to kill off the eggs. If possible, remove shelves and clean thoroughly with bleach before returning them to the cupboard. Be sure to get into every crack and crevice. Pantry moths lay eggs in these areas and are nearly invisible to the naked eye.

5. Scatter several bay leaves on the shelves to deter pantry moths.

6. Seal any new grains or cereals in airtight containers. To check to see if the container is really airtight, fill with water and turn up side down. If it leaks, it isn’t airtight no matter what the manufacturer says. Pantry moths can get into anything that is not airtight. They penetrate sealed boxes and may lay eggs in the edges of the box, even if they don’t manage to get into the inner plastic seal.

7. Freeze flour, cornmeal and any other grains for four days before storing in the cupboard. This will kill eggs that may already be present in the product when you purchased it.

8. Purchase a pheromone moth trap and hang it in the infested area. These non-toxic traps attract adult moths, preventing them from continuing the cycle of infestation. See resource section for suppliers of pheromone traps.

9. Monitor any area where you store grain products for signs of pantry moths and treat immediately at the first sign of infestation. By the time you discover adult moths fluttering around the area, an infestation can be full blown and very difficult to control.

Tips & Warnings

• As gross as it may seem, most pantry moths were already present in your food before you bought it. Purchasing food products from reliable sources greatly reduces your risk of buying infested food products. Inspecting packages before buying and avoiding purchasing from retailers that display grain products in large bins will help to protect your food from pantry moths.
• Be especially cautious of low quality pet food with high cornmeal or grain content. These tend to have pantry moth eggs and larvae, as they have often been stored in infested areas.