How To Get Rid of Moths

"How to get rid of moths" is a question most people hope they never need to ask. However, considering that pantry moths can enter your pantry through food just purchased from the grocery store, it's only a matter of time until you might have the beginnings of an infestation in your pantry. This site is designed to give a quick and informative summary for those experiencing a problem with moths.

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Moths: How do you know if you have them?

The first indication that you have a pantry moth problem is that when you turn on the light in your kitchen at night, you'll see a moth flying about. This one moth indicates that there is likely a dry food container in your pantry that is full of moth larvae. Immediately inspect every opened dry food container in your pantry for signs of pantry moths.

What do your look for? Look for cocoon webbing around the edges of cupboards, in cabinet door jams, under the lips of jars, inside flour and cereal boxes and on the rims of cans. You might actually see a moth flying out of an old sack of corn meal as you open it. Also look for small worm-like moth larvae about 1/2 inch long. Pantry moths totally destroy all food in any food container they inhabit leaving their old skin castings, fras and waste about 2 inches high in the top of the container. Yuk!

How Do Moths Breed?

One pantry moth female can lay up to 400 eggs directly on a food source. The eggs hatch into larvae which feed on the food in the container, then move about to other food containers, capable of drilling into paper or boxed containers. After 40-60 days the larvae become pupae, then emerge as adults to breed and lay more eggs. Within a year, you could have as many as 80,000 pantry moths at the rate they breed!

How Did The Moths Get There?

Don't be embarassed if you have a pantry moth problem. Pantry moths most often enter your pantry as eggs, already laid on the food you purchase at your grocery store.

Preventing Moths

Your first line of defense is prevention:

Carefully inspect the contents of every dry food container you purchase before storing it in your pantry.
Regularly inspect the contents of dry food containers in your pantry, especially food you haven't used in a while (i.e. that old sack of corn meal in the back of your pantry shelf).
Tightly cover all dry food containers. Either store them in tightly sealed plastic bags, or remove the contents and seal them in a closed container.
Regularly empty, vacuum and wash your pantry down with a 50/50 mixture of warm water and white vinegar.
Scatter a few bay leaves in your pantry shelves.

Getting Rid of Moths

If you discover pantry moths anywhere in your home, immediately conduct step #4 above. Thoroughly inspect all dried food before returning it to your pantry (see "What to Look For?" above). Dispose of all infested food containers in tightly sealed plastic bags and get them completely out of your house and garage.

Finally, take that 50/50 mixture of warm water and white vinegar, and wipe down all walls, ceiling and floors in your kitchen. Vacuum all carpets and dispose of the vacuum bags as you disposed of the infested food containers.

To Ensure The Above Measures Work: Set a few moth pheromone traps around the house. These are non-toxic and attract and trap the male moths, helping interrupt the moth breeding cycle.

Get Help From A Professional Moth Exterminator

All of the above measures will help you get rid of moths should you have an infestation. However, they are very time consuming and EVERY step needs to be followed to the letter. Many find it easier and more effective to hire ApolloX Pest Control, the professional pantry moth exterminator. ApolloX Pest Control will also check your home for the presence of other pests. Once the moths are professionally exterminated, it's much easier to maintain a moth-free pantry.

ApolloX Pest Control Has The Skill, Experience and Equipment to Get Rid of Moths!