Homemade Formula for Killing Pantry Moths

Pantry moths, also known as Indian meal moths, are small flying pests that are difficult to get rid of once they've taken up residency in your kitchen pantry and cupboards. You may unwittingly bring pantry moths home with you from the grocery store in cereal, grains, bread, cookies, crackers and other dry food products. It only takes one female moth to enter your pantry and create an infestation, since she is able to lay several hundred eggs. Learn how to get rid of pantry moths without the use of strong chemicals.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic bags for throwing away infested foods
• Freezer bags
• White vinegar
• All-purpose cleaner
• Pheromone moth traps
• Glass jars or other airtight containers
• Bay leaves

Instructions

1. Inspect your pantry and cupboards, along with all boxes and packages of dry foods stored there. In addition to looking for the moths themselves, check for webbing and clumping, which are signs of moth infestation. You may find webbing in corners and under shelves, and both webbing and clumping in foods. You may also find the moth larvae in foods. Be sure to check all boxes, packages, and other containers. Put infested foods in plastic bags; then tie the bags shut or seal them, and throw them away.

2. Place in freezer bags any recently purchased foods that do not appear infested. Then place the bags in the freezer for 4 days. The freezing will kill any larvae or moths that may happen to be in the food.

3. Thoroughly clean your pantry, cupboards and countertops. Scrub ceiling, floor, shelves, walls, cracks and corners with a mixture of hot, soapy water and white vinegar. Wash all food containers with this mixture and dry them well before refilling.

4. Purchase pheromone moth traps and hang them in your pantry and cupboards. Pheromone traps attract and capture male moths, preventing them from reproducing. Change the traps every 3 months.

5. Store all dry foods in glass jars or other air-tight containers Place one to three bay leaves inside each container as a moth repellent.

Tips & Warnings

• Examine all food packages and bulk grains before purchasing. Don't buy if they appear infested or the package has holes in it.

References

• Beyond Pesticides: Pests in the Pantry
• Old Fashioned Living: Eliminating Pantry Pests
• Daily Record: How to Get Rid of Kitchen Moths

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Organic Love to Know: Organic Pest Control For Kitchens
• Casasugar: Get Rid of Moths in Your Kitchen