Q & A

Welcome to the Planet Natural Garden Forum! Whether you’re new to gardening or have been at it for some time, here you can search existing messages for answers to your questions or post a new message for others to reply to. If this is your first visit, please read over our forum instructions carefully before posting. Enjoy!

  • How do you stop pantry moths?

    Created by Wendy Crippen on March 22, 2018 at 11:08 am

    I had a bad problem with moths in my pantry. I took everything out going through each item and anything that looked suspicious or was not sealed I threw out and washed everything else. Completely cleaned the pantry, Had an exterminator come out with a solution to pantry moths and spray. Now I still have problems with moths appearing in my pantry. I kill them when I see them, I have put in one of those pantry moth catchers that lure them in and I see that it is attracting them, but is there something else I can do. It is driving me insane. I can’t seem to get rid of them and it has been 7 days since the spray.

  • Author
    Posts
  • March 24, 2018 at 1:37 pm #265173

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hi Wendy –

    Pantry moths are considered to be the most troublesome pest infesting stored products in the United States. They attack all cereal products, whole grains, dried fruits, pet foods, bird seed, dried milk and nuts. Below is our 11 step treatment program for getting rid of pantry moths naturally and save BIG money doing it yourself!

    1. Inspect foods for possible infestation before you purchase. Look for webbing and small holes in the packaging.

    2. Store susceptible food products in tightly sealed containers.

    3. Infested food items can be thrown away or salvaged by freezing for one week.

    4. Clean up food spills promptly, paying close attention to cracks and crevices.

    5. Vacuum problem areas in the kitchen. Empty after use to prevent reinfestation.

    6. The Pantry Pest Trap uses a powerful attractant to detect adult moths. Place near the problem area, generally where dried foodstuffs are stored.

    7. Release trichogramma wasps to attack and destroy pest eggs. These tiny beneficial insects are very effective because they prevent the pest from reaching the destructive larval stage.

    8. Apply organic diatomaceous earth for long-lasting protection. Made up of tiny fossilized aquatic organisms, that look like broken glass under the microscope, DE kills by scoring an insect’s outer layer as it crawls over the fine powder. Contains NO toxic poisons!

    9. Bt-kurstaki (Bt-k) is a highly selective biological pesticide used to manage the larval stage of this pest. Approved for organic use, it should be applied every 7- to 10-days, as needed.

    10. Made from citrus peel extract, Orange Guard kills and repels many bugs on contact. Spray in kitchens, pantries and under cabinets and appliances — anywhere insects hide! Safe for use around food, people and pets.

    11. Least-toxic botanical insecticides should be used as a last resort. Derived from plants which have insecticidal properties, these natural pesticides have fewer harmful side effects than synthetic chemicals and break down more quickly in the environment.

    Hope it helps!

  • Author
    Posts

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.