Put simply, pantry moths destroy food. They rapidly multiply and as their larvae eat through the food in a container whether it be a bag of flour, a cereal box or a box of oatmeal, they leave grow, molt and leave old skin casings, fras and waste on the top 2 inches or so of the food container. The food inside is no longer edible.

Pantry Moth Extermination – Signs You Have Pantry Moths

The first sign you have pantry moths will often be sighting one or more moths flying around the kitchen, mostly at night seeking light or a mate. The moths are about a half inch long with a 5/8 inch wingspan. The two main types of pantry moth are the Indian Meal Moth which is gray with a redish tint on the rear area, and the Mediterranean Flour Moth which is alternately gray and buff white with no coloring.

For every adult moth you see flying around the kitchen, there are likely hundreds of eggs and larvae somewhere living in one or more food containers. Any open food source like a bag of flour or a cereal box is suspect. Dry food that has been sitting around in the back of your shelf for a long time is especially susceptible to pantry moth infestation. The sight of cocoon webbing around the edges of cupboards and food storage areas, or worm-like moth larvae verify the presence of the moths. You may even notice a moth flying out of a cereal box as it is opened.

Closer inspection may reveal the presence of moth eggs which are only 1 to 2 hundreths of an inch and grayish white in color. The larvae are small ½ inch long 5 legged caterpillars and are off white, depending on the food source. They may vary in color to green to pale pink or brown.

Pantry Moth Extermination – Their Life Cycle

It takes from 30 to 300 days for one moth to multiply to 400 moths. The cycle goes faster if it’s warmer, and there is a good food source. Do the math: Let’s be conservative and say the cycle takes 150 days. In six months you might have 400 moths, and in a year 200 X 400 = 80,000 moths (only the females lay eggs)! Your kitchen is completely trashed!

The Eggs: The pantry moth life cycle begins when an adult female lays up to 400 eggs, typically directly on the food source. The eggs hatch in about 7 days and the larvae emerge.

The Larva: The larva is the only stage of pantry moth development that eats. Their one goal in life is to eat and gain bulk. It takes them about 42 to 56 days and 5 stages of development, each stage ending by shedding their skin which collects at the top of the food container along with their waste.

The Pupae: The pupae are from ¼ to 1/3rd inch long. You’ll see them in the open or in cocoon webbing. Look especially in tight spots such as crevices in pantry shelves or doorway seams. The pupae continue to develop to adulthood for about 15-20 days.

The Adult: Adult moths emerge from the pupae looking for a mate and having a mission to reproduce about 400 moths. The female releases a pheromone scent to attract the male. At this stage you’re likely to see a few moths flying around the kitchen at night. The adults live for up to 2 weeks.

Pantry Moth Extermination – Seek and Destroy

You can be a meticulous cleaner and still get a pantry moth infestation, because the tiny moth eggs may already be in the dry foods you bring home from the grocery store. So, be easy on yourself and focus on the solution which begins with seeking points of infestation.

Pull all food containers off your pantry shelves, so that the shelves are completely empty. Then inspect each container one by one.

What to inspect? Check every box, bag or package of food, whether sealed or open. All edible food is suspect. For example, inspect dried flowers, children’s macaroni art, pasta, pet treats, dog biscuits. Inspect every can and jar in the kitchen. Look for moth webbing under the lips of jar lids and on the rims of cans.

As you discover infested food, dispose of it immediately. Tightly seal all infested food items in trash bags and get them out of the house and garage. Don’t even think of saving part of the food in an infested container. The whole container is infested.

If webbing is found on an unopened can or jar, wash it thoroughly with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and warm water.

Now, before returning the cleaned, non-infested food containers to the pantry, vacuum the pantry out (and dispose of the vacuum bag in one of those sealed trash bags as noted above). Then, wash down the pantry shelves with that 50/50 water vinegar mixture. Also, wash down every surface in the kitchen from walls to floors and even in places like door jams – a favorite hiding place for moth eggs. Don’t forget to wash the garbage containers and pet food dishes and containers.

Finally, tightly seal all food. Remember, female moths lay eggs directly on food. If they can’t find exposed food, they have no place to lay their eggs.

Pantry Moth Extermination – Moth Control Techniques

Pheromone Traps:
If you’re following all of the above suggestions and thoroughly cleaning everything, yet still have a moth problem, you might try pheromone moth traps. This is safe and completely non-toxic. The pheromone scent in the trap attracts the male moths, and the stick surface traps them. With the male moths out of the picture, reproduction can’t take place. This gives your pantry cleaning efforts (above) a better chance of success.

Bay Leaves:
Place a few bay leaves in your cleaned pantry shelves to help deter any moths that might be lurking about the house.

Pantry Moth Extermination: Hire a Pest Control Professional

If your pantry moth problem persists, or if you simply don’t have the time or desire to conduct the thorough measures outlined above, we understand completely. That’s a huge task.

A quicker, alternate approach is to hire a pest control professional like ApolloX Pest Control, the pantry moth experts. We’ll thoroughly inspect your home and likely discover places you would never have imagined moths, eggs, larvae or pupae could be hiding. While we’re at it, we’ll also inspect for the presence of other pests like mice, cockroaches, ants, termites and others. Our goal is that your home and the area around your home be entirely pest-free.

Call the professionals at ApolloX Pest Control
(888) 499-7378

The post Pantry Moth Extermination – How to Identify and Eliminate Them appeared first on Pest Control.

The adult Mediterranean flour moth has grey fore-wings with some dark zigzag markings, and the hind wing is light grey to beige. It is distinct in its stance as it raises the front of its body, giving the wings a downward slope.  The larva is white to pink in color with a brown head.The Mediterranean flour moth infests flour, cereals, bran, beans, biscuits, nuts, chocolates, dried foods and many other food stuffs. Credits: Mediterranean Flour Moth – A and H Pest Control

Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – Typical Scenario

Let’s say you have dog food stored in a sealed plastic bag or the kind of dog food bag found in the pet section of your grocer. You bring it home and store it away in a cupboard. The Mediterranean flour moth can easily burrow through such a bag, even when it’s tightly sealed. In fact, it may have been there in the first place. 

One moth can lay as many as 116-678 eggs inside the bag (we wonder who counts the eggs to come up with such exact numbers). Within 3-5 days you have up to 678 Mediterranean flour moth larvae crawling about, growing to maturity, capable of further multiplying their population in just 4-6 weeks. Next stop…459,684 moths! Do the math: 3 months later, third generation, you could have… what’s 459,684 X 678??!! 

Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – Alfred Hitchcock Scenario

But wait, it could be worse. Imagine that a mouse chews its way into that same dog food bag and begins to transport dog food into a wall void for safe keeping. One moth locates the mouse food storage area and lays her 678 eggs there. 459,684 little moths arrive in the next generation. Again, 3 months later there are as many as 312 million Mediterranean flour moths. Since this is all happening in a hidden, inaccessible area of your home, all you see is a growing number of Mediterranean flour moths fluttering about. Things are beginning to look a bit Alfred Hitchcock!

Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – What to do?

Act Immediately: The first rule is that, since time is NOT on your side, don’t leave this situation untreated. If you see one Mediterranean flour moth in your home, you may be just 3 months away from “moth Armageddon”.

Immediately dispose of all food items that show any evidence of moth habitation. “If in doubt, throw it out.” Then vacuum and scrub every cabinet in the kitchen, and possibly in other rooms if there is evidence of moths. Be a good detective and clean even the smallest crevice and crack. 

These moths are so persistent, even the most thorough cleaning can still be unsuccessful. They can hide in the outer folds of a dog food bag or flour bag. They can hide in the tiniest cracks in your cupboard, or even in the holes that make up those movable cupboard shelves.

One report has a homeowner having to actually repaint his entire kitchen before eradicating the moths!

Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – Aftermath

So, let’s assume you have conquered the problem. Don’t let yourself become too overconfident. Keep checking for the next two months to be sure.

Don’t risk another infestation. Thoroughly inspect all food you bring into your home. Be aware of the expiration date. Watch especially the specialty grains.

Store all food in tightly sealed containers. Remember that these moths can bore holes in paper, cardboard or even thin plastic. Plan accordingly.

And, don’t store food for longer than a few weeks, unless it’s in a solid, air-tight, moth-proof container. Dispose of any food that has reached its expiration date.

“After thoroughly cleaning the pantry, use pheromone traps to stop any lingering moth problems. The traps use the female pheromone to lure the male moth to the trap where it becomes stuck. Other moth traps are the glass trap and the suppressing trap. The glass trap uses pheromones and water in the container to drown the pantry moth. Suppressing traps use both male and female pheromones and a glue strip.” Credits: How to Solve a Pantry Moth Problem | DoItYourself.com

These may seem like radical measures, but the cost of eradicating an active Mediterranean flour moth infestation can be far greater than the cost of prevention.

Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – Ask for help.

Make your moth problem go away the easy way.

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

The post Mediterranean Flour Moth Infestation – How it happens appeared first on Pest Control.

If you find pantry moths in your home and in your stored food, it’s not an indication that you did something wrong or are a poor housekeeper. Don’t beat yourself up!

The indian meal moth most likely hitched a ride into your home in the form of tiny eggs that were present in food you purchased. The eggs later hatched, the larvae consumed the food, grew to maturity, then deposited eggs elsewhere in your home. Now you have an Indian Meal Moth infestation.

Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – Foods they infest.

Here are some examples of foods that may be hiding Indian meal moth eggs.

• Powdered milk
• Nuts
• Dried herbs
• Pet food
• Candy
• Pasta
• Dried fruit
• Flours and meals
• Cereals and grains
• Bird seed

As you can see, Indian Meal Moth eggs can be found in a wide variety of foods.

Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – Signs of An Infestation:

Those small moths flying around your kitchen lights at night are likely pantry moths–especially if your doors and windows were closed, so they most possibly came from inside the house.

Do you notice small collections of tightly bunched webs along the top of your kitchen cabinets? These may be Indian Meal Moth cocoons.

Then, there are the tiny worm-like larvae. They can grow to over a half inch long and are off-white in color with black or brown heads. You might notice them on walls, close to the ceiling. They’re seeking a place to create a cocoon and turn into an adult egg-laying Indian Meal Moth.

Finally, and most obvious, you open a package of any of the foods on the list above. Inside the package you notice the small larvae, or little clumps of webs, or larvae skins. Now, if the package is not tightly sealed, you can assume the larvae exited and found a place to create a cocoon, transform to an adult, and lay eggs.

Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – How to keep them out of your home.

Any of the types of food listed above that are not stored in air-tight containers or in the refrigerator need to be used up within 3 weeks. In short, don’t store food for longer than 3 weeks in open, exposed containers. This includes pet food (one of the biggest culprits).

In fact, even food stored in a sealed container for long periods of time can end up with little critters. We once discovered little things crawling about in a completely sealed, unopened plastic canister of protein powder purchased over a year ago and forgotten in the back of a cupboard.

Never keep food past its expiration date. It’s just not worth it.

Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – How to eradicate an infestation.

The fact that you’re reading this article may indicate that you already have an Indian Meal Moth infestation and just want to know how to get rid of the moths. Here are some ideas:

Immediately dispose of any food you think might contain Indian Meal Moth eggs or larvae. If you bought two packages of the same type of food on the same day from the same grocer and find one is infested, it might be wise to dispose of both. Don’t take chances.

Empty, and thoroughly clean every cupboard where you store food. Vacuum them, wash them down, and throw away the vacuum bag–outside of the house.

Empty your kitchen garbage container and thoroughly scrub it down.

Wipe down everything with white vinegar (add a few drops of essential oil like peppermint, citronella, eucalyptus or tea tree). You can also place bay leaves on your cupboard shelves and in flour and grain containers. This repels moths.

Continue to monitor your home for the presence of pantry moths and follow the simple preventative measures in the previous section.

Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – Want help?

Wouldn’t be great to walk into your home and know there are no pantry moths – and you didn’t need to lift a finger?

We’ll take care of the entire problem FOR you, and even inspect your home for the presence of other pests.

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

The post Indian Meal Moth Pantry Moths – Identify, Eradicate appeared first on Pest Control.

Food Destroying Pests: Examples

Cockroaches

The American cockroach is the household cockroach. They are often found in sewers and basements, around pipes and drains. Cockroaches can spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, 6 kinds of parasitic worms, and 7 other pathogens. Brownbanded cockroaches prefer warm and dry locations, such as near refrigerator motor housings, on the upper walls of cabinets, and inside pantries, closets, dressers, and furniture in general. The German cockroach is usually found in kitchens (near dishwashers, stoves, and sinks) and in bathrooms of homes.

Pantry Moths

A mature Indian meal moth female lays 100 to 300 eggs on food material, either singularly or in groups of twelve to thirty. The Mediterranean Flour Moth can be found in many foods in addition to flour, grain residues, broken kernels and various whole grains. The female moth lays from 116 to 678 small white eggs in accumulations of flour, meal, waste grain, and other food sources. Commonly, the eggs are attached to the food.

Mice

The deer mouse enters homes through small cracks in windows and doors and are in search of food and warmth. Deer mice damage upholstered furniture, mattresses, clothing, paper, or other materials they find suitable for constructing their nests. Deer mice are a particular concern because they spread hantavirus, which can be deadly to people. The house mouse consumes and contaminates food meant for humans, pets, livestock, or other animals. In addition, they cause considerable damage to structures and property, and they can transmit pathogens that cause diseases such as salmonellosis, a form of food poisoning.

Rats

Norway rats eat and contaminate foodstuffs and animal feed. They also damage containers and packaging materials in which foods and feed are stored. If roof rats are living in the attic of a residence, they can cause considerable damage with their gnawing and nest-building activities. They also damage garden crops and ornamental plantings. Among the diseases roof rats can transmit to humans or livestock are murine typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis (food poisoning), and ratbite fever. Plague is a disease that roof rats can carry.

Pavement Ants

Pavement ants feed on a wide variety of food. Sweets, including sugar, nectar, fruits, and syrups are readily taken. Grease, dead insects, and small seeds also are collected and stored in the nest. Nearly any morsel of food that falls to the floor will be consumed.

Food Destroying Pests Contaminate Food, Cause Allergies and Spread Disease

Adults of many of these food destroying pests pests fly toward lights and may be found in other rooms or floors quite a distance from your food storage areas. These pests do eat at least a small amount of the food they infest, but their presence, their droppings, cast skins, and certain chemical excretions contaminate much more of the food and sometimes cause allergies in those persons who ingest them.

Get rid of pantry moths. Schedule an appointment with ApolloX today.

The post Food Destroying Pests: Pantry Moths, Cockroaches, and More appeared first on Pest Control.

In spite of all our modern advances, it’s still a myth that food from the grocery store is insect-free. Actually, even the what appears to be a perfect hermetically sealed container can harbor hundreds of insect eggs!

Credits: Pantry Moths in the Howling Storm – Better Living through Beowulf

Pantry moths are among the main culprits, especially when it comes to dry goods like flours and cereals.

Your Pantry Moth Extermination Strategy

Here is a complete strategy to discover, remove and prevent all pantry moths from making their home in your pantry and becoming a part of your next meal – YUK!

Credits: How To Prevent & Get Rid Of Pantry Moths | Apartment Therapy

Pantry Moth Extermination Begins with a Thorough Inspection

Inspect everything in your pantry:

• Flours
• Grains
• Dried Fruit
• Candy
• Pet Food

Watch for adult moths, larvae and eggs which may look like webbing or clumps of grains.

If you find signs of pantry moths in any food container, it is wise to discard all open food containers immediately. Take them outside the house, bag and seal them in plastic within your outdoor trash container so that they don’t manage to get back into your home.

Pantry Moth Extermination Without Chemicals

Wash and wipe down everything that holds food:

Thoroughly scrub your pantry and all food storage containers with hot soapy water & scrub brush.

Wash everything:

• Shelves
• Food containers
• Bottles (wipe under jar and can lids for eggs)

Pantry Moth Extermination 1st Line of Defense = Prevention

Deter future moths (along with ants, cockroaches and mice):

Wipe down everything with white vinegar (add a few drops of essential oil like peppermint, citronella, eucalyptus or tea tree).

Starve out any survivors:

Wait a week before restocking your pantry.

Credits: How to Get Rid of Pantry Moth Infestation Safely | My Natural Pest …

Prevent new entries into your home:

• Freeze all dry goods for one week before storing. This will kill any insect eggs.
• Store everything in air tight containers. Remove flour and cereal from boxes and bags which provide an easy entrance and habitat for insects.
• Place bay leaves on your shelves, or in a shallow container. Place them in flour containers. Bay leaves deter moths and insects, yet do not affect the taste of your food.

If Pantry Moth Extermination Seems Like a Lot of Work…

It is!

Call ApolloX Pest Control: We’ll exterminate pantry moths for you–and help you prevent them from returning.

Call (888) 499-7378

info@apollox.net

Credits:

How To Prevent & Get Rid Of Pantry Moths | Apartment Therapy

How to Get Rid of Pantry Moths | Housewife How-To’s

The post Pantry Moth Extermination & Prevention: Step by Step Guide appeared first on Pest Control.