Help! The Moths Are Attacking!

So, I have a moth problem. What's a girl to do? The things are IN my PANTRY! And not just IN my pantry, but MULTIPLYING in my pantry! Yikes! Every time we open the door at least one to three moths fly out. I can't bomb the pantry. I store food in there. I can't use moth balls. Can you imagine moth ball flavored noodles? Ugh! So what do I do?

Maple leaf at the Swamp
Columbia, SC
Do moth's like these?

Have any suggestions for this desperate housewife? PLEASE! Leave a comment and tell me your secret! If I follow your suggestion and it works, your name will appear as a character in my next novel: Loving Tiffany. THAT'S how grateful I'll be!


PS - No, I didn't bring the leaf home. The moth's were already in residence anyway.  :S

13 comments:

  1. I believe there are some herbs you can hang in a pantry to keep down population. Not sure what they are - I have never had to investigate it. But that would be what I would google first.

    A good garden expert in your area would be a suggestion to try.

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  2. You've got weevils. Look through your grains (rice, flour, etc) and look for any little wiggly things. You'll have to throw out most of your grains as they spread like crazy. To prevent them (cause they are a southern thing) freeze all your grains for a couple of days at least before putting them away. Prefereably just keep them in the freezer all the time.

    You'll need to clean the pantry really well, too. If it's not painted or sealed, I'd try just some bleach in water and spray it on. Not heavy, just a misting. If it's painted, jsut whatever you usually use for cleaning.

    Teresa

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  3. It sounds like you have pantry moths - easy to get, easy to get rid of.

    First, clean out your pantry. Look closely at any grains, flours, beans, cereals, etc. Look for powdery stuff (looks like flour dust), spider webby looking stuff, or live moths/worms (they would be little). Get rid of anything that has this stuff in it.

    Next, take any remaining flour, beans, grains, etc., put them in plastic bags and put them in your freezer for at least 3 days. This will kill any remaining eggs. After you take these out of the freezer, they will be safe to eat and will be insect free.

    Now, while your pantry shelves are empty, make a solution of 1/4 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. white vinegar, 1 gallon warm water and 1 tablespoon ammonia (ammonia is optional). Using a sponge, wipe down the inside of your pantry: shelves, walls, ceiling, floor. (or vacuum if your pantry is carpeted like mine - have you ever heard of such a thing?).

    That should get rid of the moths. To prevent them, always put newly purchased grains and flours in the freezer for 3 days. The insects are naturally occurring, and freezing the food kills whatever might be present when you buy it.

    Now, be sure the character you name after me is sweet, smart and funny!

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  4. This happened at our house too, we just took EVERYTHING out, sprayed to kill, left the door shut overnight, washed down the surfaces the next day, and put everything back. Yes. It was THAT fun. But it worked : )

    Susie Johnson

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  5. Ugh! I have no idea! I used borax (20 Mule Team) on ants and fleas - you could try that. Just a thought - have you checked your flour, rice, oatmeal, etc. to make sure they're not coming from those containers? Sometimes they have little white flying bugs. If that's the case, just throw out the container.

    Angie A

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  6. Throw out everything that is grain. Had them years ago even in tea bags and then get a lot of plastic containers.

    Barb D

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  7. The same thing happened to me, Linnette. I had to throw out just about everything edible except my canned goods! All the rice, pasta, even chocolate chips! They ate right through the bags.

    Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and ask for moth traps. They're in the section where they sell pesticides and bug spray. They are these small triangle things with sticky stuff inside and this stuff that smells good to moths. They work. But you may have to buy several!

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  8. Thanks, Melanie! I'll definitely look into that! I haven't been well enough to tackle the cleaning out yet. Maybe tomorrow or Saturday. Then I can go look for the traps.

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  9. At this rate, I may have to put names in a drawing to pick who I name a character after. This response is great! :D

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  10. loved the interview !!

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  11. Loved the interview!

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Thanks for stopping by and chatting with me! I hope you enjoyed your time here and will come visit me again! :D

Linnette R Mullin