Next to fruit flies, pantry months are one of the most annoying and persistent kitchen pests. Once they enter your home, it seems as if they are almost impossible to get rid of. If you do find yourself dealing with a pantry moth infestation, you can eradicate them if you're willing to have patience and stick with it. What are pantry moths?Also known as the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, pantry moths are one of the most difficult to manage in grocery packaged goods. Adult females can lay up to 300 eggs each, usually in opened boxes of grains, pet food, cereal, dried fruits, nuts and seeds. They can even work their way into closed boxes and thin bags. Only two weeks will pass before larvae hatch and begin aggressively feeding on your food inside the container. Larvae have brown heads and are grayish in color, sometimes tinged with green, yellow or pink. They spin silken threads as they feed in your pantry. After two weeks of feeding, larvae find a site in the protected cracks and crevices of your pantry, then spin a cocoon and begin their pupation period. Adult moths emerge in roughly 30 days. They have a wingspan of about ⅝-inch, and are pale gray with reddish brown outer forewings. With such a short life-cycle of only four to six weeks, and up to five overlapping generations a year, they can multiply quickly. You'll often notice the adult moths hanging out on your kitchen ceiling.How did pantry moths get in my home?If you see even one pantry moth, you know there will be more to follow. More than likely, you unknowingly brought them into your home through a bag of rice, grain, crackers or other grocery item. It's unavoidable. Once you see the months, this usually means larvae have been laid and are already growing in your pantry foods. The trick is to move quickly to stop them. Pantry Moth Eradication Plan!There are natural, non-toxic traps you can use to get rid of pantry moths. But, there are also additional steps to take to ensure they are gone. If possible, inspect food bags and boxes before purchase for breaks, tears or openings. Keep humidity in the pantry low. Moist areas are attractive to pantry moths. Keep opened grains, cereals, crackers, cookies and other items in airtight containers.Throw out infested food items immediately. Keep the pantry clean of spills and crumbs, especially in cracks or crevices.Remove all items from the pantry and vacuum any webbing, moths (alive or dead), dust, crumbs and debris. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in cracks in the pantry. Add a pantry pest trap (see below).Once the pantry has been cleaned and all infested sources removed, it could take up to three weeks for all the remaining moths to complete their life-cycle and die off. Protect your pantry with these natural, non-toxic traps: The Flour and Pantry Moth Trap uses pheromones to attract male moths. Once they enter the trap they are caught and can't mate. Over time, populations will dwindle. The Pantry Pest Trap controls moths and their larvae. This trap should be used at the first sign of infestation. Each trap offers 1,000 square feet of protection! This pheromone trap is organic and safe for use around pets and children, and lasts up to three months! Simply place lure on glue and discard when trap is full. See our natural pantry moth traps HERE.
